Important Note: Dogs are not allowed at the Forum. For the safety and comfort of all attendees, dogs are prohibited throughout the Forum show floor, the educational seminars, the dinners, hallways, and the lobby. Licensed service dogs used for a disability will be permitted. Emotional support and therapy animals will not. If you are staying at the Samoset you may be allowed to keep your dog in a dog-approved guest room if you comply with the resort’s guidelines.
Welcome
Please join us at the 2027 Maine Fishermen’s Forum starting on Thursday, March 4, running through Saturday, March 6, at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine.
This event is the largest of its kind in New England, dedicated to offering fishermen, clammers, lobstermen, aquaculturists and other related seafood industry participants an opportunity to meet on neutral ground with fisheries managers, state representatives, Congressmen, and Senators. The Forum is a private event which the public is invited to attend.
Now in its 52nd year, the Forum is a family-friendly event with offerings for everyone.
The Forum is free to attend!
Open Events
Trade Show
With over 120 suppliers of commercial fishing equipment and services exhibiting at the Forum each year, plan to shop for products and services you need, some offered at Forum-only discounted prices.
Seminars
Attend our seminars to participate in the conversations or sit in to listen and learn. We offer three days of programmed seminars covering a wide range of topics such as the health of the lobster resource, commercial fishing safety, upcoming regulatory actions, and much more.
Health Clinic and Safety Trainings
USM School of Nursing hosts our Health Clinic each year. Screenings include: free blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and health screenings. In addition to the health clinic, we offer an onsite dermatologist providing free skin cancer screenings and prevention information.
The Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program will provide water safety training on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Ticketed Events
Evening Events
Tickets to each evening event are sold separately. We expect to sell out and recommend you purchase tickets early. Ticket sales open in January 2027.
Thursday Seafood Reception and Silent Auction
Thursday, March 4, 2027, 6:00 p.m.
This lively reception features a gorgeous bounty of Maine’s finest seafood donated by fishermen and organizations from across Maine.
Friday Fish Dinner and Live Auction
Friday March 5, 2027, 6:00 p.m.
A delicious sit-down buffet meal featuring fresh fish and prepared by the Samoset Resort’s kitchen.
Saturday Banquet, Forum Wrap-up, and Dance Party
Saturday, March 6, 2027, 6:30 p.m.
A banquet dinner is served at our Forum wrap-up event, followed by a dance party.
Auction and Scholarship Awards
Donate to the 2027 Scholarship Fund
Our annual silent auction on Thursday evening and our live auction on Friday evening raise money for scholarships for secondary school students from Maine fishing families. 100% of the funds raised in our auctions go to students.
Please consider making a cash contribution to the fund, or donating an item to the auction. Your donation to our 501 ©(3) is tax deductible.
Apply for a Scholarship
We encourage all eligible secondary school students from Maine fishing families to apply for a Maine Fishermen’s Forum scholarship. Candidates must complete the Forum application, be in at least their second year of college or a vocational school, and submit a transcript along with the application.
Each year at the Forum the directors announce scholarship recipients at the Saturday evening banquet event. Funding for these awards is donated by Forum attendees, fishermen, and organizations.
Scholarship applications open in September.
Logistics
Samoset and Local Hotel Room Reservations
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum reserves a block of rooms at the Samoset Resort to pass on reduced rates to our attendees. Rooms at the Samoset Resort are in high demand and sell out quickly. They go on sale in January through the link that will be posted here.
The Maine Fishermen’s Forum also arranges for discounts for our attendees at several area lodging locations.
Directions and Parking
Parking at the Samoset may be full when you arrive and we provide easy shuttle service to an offsite lot. Additional Parking is available at the lower lot of Harbor Plaza, Glen St. Rockland. We provide a shuttle service that runs from this offsite parking lot to the Samoset on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
A special thank you to our 2026 sponsors.
