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All borrowers of CEI loan funds must participate in a marine science or public health research or management project. This agreement is called a FISHTAG. After one year of successful participation in this program, borrowers may be eligible for lower interest rates if their participation has been successful.
The goals of the FISHTAG program are to:
- Support economic diversification for fisheries
- Generate biological data for marine resource management
- Garner fishermen's participation in marine research
- Encourage the opportunity for marine scientists to learn from fishermen
What is it? The FISHTAG is part of your loan agreement with CEI. When you agree to a loan with CEI, you also agree to collect biological data and share the information you collect with a management agency or research effort. Shore side businesses agree to carry out an environmental assessment and implement at least one project to reduce waste or energy consumption. CEI will help to link you with a research effort or environmental assessment resource to develop a project together, if you wish. For Project Examples click here Expectations Of YOU: Within the first six months you will: - Choose or develop a research project you would like to work on
- Participate in the research or data collection effort
- Keep CEI informed about your project progress before, during and after completion
- Track your time performing research
Of CEI: - Assistance, if needed, to find relevant research
- Follow-up on project progress
Past Partners: Maine Department of Marine Resources, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. The impact of this program is reflected in the following data: Economic - $2.9 million in loans (since 1999)
- $4.1 million leveraged
- $367,242 in additional research project revenue
Equity - 97 jobs retained or created
- 75 fishing men and women engaged in research
- 21 scientists engaged in research with fishing boats
Environment - 32 FISHTAG projects have been completed and 8 are in progress
- 84% of the participants plan to maintain involvement with marine research projects
- 12 projects have resulted in information being directly incorporated into fisheries management; 4 have created baseline data for future management; and 2 industry best management practice projects have been conducted.
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Lewiston Farmers Market - More than a place to buy produce |
In the spring of 2004, the Lewiston Farmers Market opened for its first season.
Every Monday afternoon in Kennedy Park, a half a dozen vendors sold
vegetables, flowers and specialty foods. Amid the lettuce, honey and
sunflowers, were farmers from as near as Sabattus and as far as
Guatemala. Where else in Maine would you find a farmers market with
vendors from eleven countries: Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Peru, Colombia, Sudan, and Somalia as
well as the US. They are all part of CEI's New Americans Sustainable
Agriculture Project (NASAP), which helps "new" refugee and immigrant
farmers build their technical and business skills, find land for
growing, and markets for selling their products.
Through its Americorps/VISTA program, CEI organized the market
as a way to bring fresh, locally grown food into a predominantly low
income urban neighborhood and create a new venue for small farmers. A
lot of work goes into setting up a market. CEI organized the farmers,
worked with the City, set-up a non-profit organization, designed a
logo, helped develop the market processes and procedures, and made sure
farmers could accept food stamps.
A big event at this year's market was the creation of the
NASAP mural, funded by Heifer International. More than 40 people,
including farmers, children and community members, joined with
Maine-based artist Natasha Mayers to create a mural depicting flags,
vegetables, symbols and people of the countries represented at Maine's
newest farmers market.
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Philosophy and Programs 
Maine Legislature Passes Model Anti-Predatory Lending Bill.