February 11, 2000

Great Eastern Mussel Farms announced this week that the company has secured a grant/loan package totaling $210,000 in order to fund eight raft mussel operations along the Maine coast.

Rafts such as these hold lines suspended in the water.

The company has received a $25,000 grant and an $85,000 loan from the Agriculture Marketing Loan Fund of the Maine Department of Agriculture and $100,000 grant for the Maine Science & Technology Foundation for this purpose.

With the technology coming from Great Eastern and the additional funding from the State of Maine, some fishermen will be able to go back to work in the seafood industry, which has been severely curtailed by government regulations.

The money will go to eight fishermen so they can purchase a "start-up" raft to grow raft-cultured mussels.