SOUTH THOMASTON — Life-long commercial fisherman of lobster and scallops Bob Baines, of South Thomaston, will be joined by Spruce Head’s Keith Miller, a lifelong fisherman turned seaweed farmer, and 13 others en route to northern Japan next week.

The delegation of 15 professionals from the United States will visit Hokkaido, Japan to study the Japanese wild and farm-raised kelp industry. The group will focus their time primarily in the Hakodate region known for being Japan’s epicenter of kelp. Hokkaido, the largest of Japan’s islands and the northernmost prefecture, has a climate and seasonality similar to Maine and is rooted in natural resource-based economies.

The exchange is made possible by a grant from the Builders Initiative to Coastal Enterprises, Inc (CEI).

“Technology transfer is one of the fastest ways to build, support and ramp up an industry,” said delegation member and trip co-organizer Hugh Cowperthwaite, senior program director of fisheries and aquaculture for CEI, in a news release. “By spending time in Japan, our hope is to gain first-hand experience meeting with growers, wild harvesters, processors to learn how kelp is grown, harvested, and made into various products in order to continue our work in Maine diversifying Maine’s coastal economy.”

Japan’s kelp and seaweed industry traces back to the mid-17th century. Japan is a leader in utilizing kelp in their cuisine, and the group will meet with chefs, fishermen, growers, processors, retailers, restaurateurs, and scientists during their travel. The delegation includes Keiichiro Hamano, CEO of Japan Fishing Machine, LLC and trip co-organizer. Hamano-san has helped the group establish connections in Japan and is uniquely positioned and qualified to serve as the group’s knowledgeable host and guide, according to Cowperthwaite.

Atlantic Sea Farms, who started the first commercial seaweed farm in the country, now represents the majority of seaweed farmed in the US.

“The US kelp industry is still relatively young and while Maine and Atlantic Sea Farms represent the majority of farmed seaweed in the US, our production is still very small as compared to Japan – and we have a lot to learn in order to continue to sustainably scale the industry,” said Briana Warner, President, and CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms. “We are incredibly excited to learn from the Japanese as we work to grow opportunities for our fishing communities in Maine and elsewhere in the face of a rapidly changing climate. Kelp farming is one of the key ways that we can create economic resilience on our coast.”

Cowperthwaite and Hamano-san have been working on planning the trip logistics for the 8-day agenda since they met in person in January 2023.

“We are excited to share our industry with Maine and it goes both ways. Japan’s industry will benefit from meeting with kelp industry from other part of the world” said Hamano-san.

Along with Warner, several staff from Atlantic Sea Farms will participate in the tour, including Casey Ballin, Director of Operations & Sustainability, Liz MacDonald, Seaweed Supply Director, Thew Suskiewicz, Director of Seaweed Science.

Other kelp-based businesses in the delegation include Maine-based commercial fisherman and kelp farmers Bob Baines, Nathan Johnson and Keith Miller; Seraphina Erhart and Shep Erhart of Maine Coast Sea Vegetables; and Lia Heifetz of the Juneau, Alaska-based Barnacle Foods. The delegation will be rounded out by Scott Lindell, Research Specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Jaclyn Robidoux, Marine Extension Team of the Maine Sea Grant Program and Naoto Kobayashi, a retired Maine school teacher who will be assisting with translation.