[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING MAINE DAYBOAT SCALLOPS

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, throughout the 112th Congress, I 
have consistently implored my colleagues to remember the value of our 
Nation's small businesses. These firms are uniquely equipped to devise 
and implement innovative business plans and strategies that are needed 
to strengthen challenged industries, and do so regularly. Nowhere is 
this more prevalent than in my home state of Maine. Today I rise to 
recognize and commend a newly founded small business, Maine Dayboat 
Scallops located in Bath, ME, and its owner Togue Brawn.
  Ms. Brawn has more than two decades of rich and varied experience 
working in Maine's fishing and service sectors. She has, among other 
things, sold Bait Cups invented by her father; worked at Portland's 
Harbor fish market; sold space at domestic and international commercial 
fishing trade shows; served at the Portland Old Port's Fore Street and 
J's Oyster restaurants; worked on a number of fisheries research 
projects; served at the Maine Department of Marine Resources; and 
founded her own business.
  During her tenure with the Department of Marine Resources, Ms. Brawn 
took a special interest in working to address the serious challenges 
facing Maine's scallop fisheries, which had become significantly 
depleted. By virtue of her knowledge, experience, and close ties with 
those involved in the industry, Ms. Brawn was keenly aware of the 
nature of the challenge facing the State: in order to advance the long- 
term health of the industry, scallop fishing had to be further 
curtailed, but doing so would impose significant additional burdens on 
hardworking Maine fishermen. Like many entrepreneurs, Ms. Brawn 
developed a creative plan to help address a serious problem, and acted 
upon it.
  In order to help smaller scale scallop fishermen support themselves 
and their families as industry output declined, she founded a company 
to sell their scallops at more lucrative prices by leveraging the 
unique quality of their freshly caught product. Many dining 
establishments purchase scallops harvested by large vessels that spend 
significant periods of time at sea before returning to port. These 
scallops are certainly of high quality, but they are not as fresh as 
those harvested by smaller boats that return to port daily. By 
marketing the scallops caught by fishermen who conduct day-long trips, 
and delivering them within 24 hours of their being harvested, Maine 
Dayboat Scallops has succeeded in providing local establishments with a 
fresher product, and increasing the profit margins of the fishermen 
with whom it does business.
  Maine Dayboat Scallops and Ms. Brawn exemplify the unique effects 
that small businesses have on Maine's economy. At a time when our 
Nation faces significant economic challenges, it is inspiring to know 
that entrepreneurs such as Ms. Brawn continue to draw upon their 
experience, ingenuity, and energy to develop new businesses that 
operate to increase the profitability of some of our most crucial and 
challenged industries. I applaud Ms. Brawn and offer Maine Dayboat 
Scallops my best regards for their future success.

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