CEI is committed to working with members of the community to preserve Maine's traditional fisheries and marine-related businesses which have been an integral part of Maine's coastal economy for generations.

CEI offers below market rate loans to Maine fishermen, shellfish growers and waterfront businesses that maintain commercial fishing access or that provide marine-related goods and services.

Recent waterfront and marine business loans have been used to purchase fishing boats and equipment, to establish a mussel aquaculture business, to purchase equipment for a marine services business, for boat building and repair operations, and for municipal and private pier replacement.

Fisheries borrowers are expected to participate in a FISHTAG project; this is an agreement that commits the borrower to contribute scarce biological data to a management effort. CEI helps to coordinate the FISHTAG project, by bridging the gap between fishermen and scientists. The goal of this is to engage the fishermen in the management of the fisheries upon which their livelihoods depend through monitoring and data collection.

Fishtag projects include:

The Loan Department partners with the CEI Fisheries and Working Waterfront Project Staff on each waterfront and marine business loan application. Soon after the CEI loan department receives your loan request, you will be contacted by a fisheries staff member to talk about your business, and to talk about FISHTAG/Shoreside FISHTAG, and an appropriate research project or improvement that fits your work.

The CEI Fisheries Project Staff also reviews your application and makes recommendations to the Loan Department regarding the technical aspects of your business, such as:

The loan officer and the fisheries project staff member will be in contact with you throughout the application process. The decision process can take approximately 2-4 weeks depending on the complexity of the transaction.

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