Introducing: From the Sea Up

Looking for a new podcast to tune into? We've got you covered with the Island Institute's latest podcast series, From the Sea Up, hosted by the wonderful Galen Koch. From the Sea Up shares stories of sustainability from Maine’s coastal and island communities and focuses on stories of the real people working in Maine’s seafood industry. Listen in every other Friday to hear stories from fishermen and harvesters, policymakers, and business owners who are working to diversify Maine’s fisheries and strengthen our marine economy.

In Episode 1, “The Partnership”, Galen sits down with our co-founders Luke Holden and Ben Conniff to discuss our efforts to support fishermen during a critical time in March 2020 and gives deeper insight into our partnership with the Island Institute. Luke, Ben, and Galen talk about what it really means to be a ‘traceable’ seafood brand, how being vertically integrated allows us to directly support fishermen, and how we eventually came to partner with Island Institute to launch a new direct-to-consumer online platform, Luke’s Online Market, buy a diverse range of fish from Maine fishermen and bring those seafood products to consumers across the country.

In upcoming episodes Galen will talk with scallop harvesters, ground fishermen, bluefin tuna fishermen, kelp harvesters, and more. ⁠Episodes will be released every other Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and on the Island Institute website. Produced by the Island Institute, this podcast is made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands and a partnership between the Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Luke’s Lobster, Maine Sea Grant, and The First Coast.