Maine Marine Patrol Partnering with Operation Game Thief to Investigate Possible Theft of Aquaculture Equipment and Oysters

Falmouth, MAINE - The Maine Marine Patrol, with support from Maine Operation Game Thief, is investigating the possible theft of oysters and equipment from an aquaculture site in Falmouth held by Michael Scafuro of Portland.

Maine Operation Game Thief is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can provide an anonymous tip either online at https://maineogt.org/report-a-violation/, or by phone at 800-ALERT-US (800-253-7887) that leads to a conviction.

The estimated value of the missing fourteen aquaculture cages and 40,000 oysters, many of which were ready for sale, was nearly $20,000. According to Marine Patrol, Mr. Scafuro had checked his site, located near The Brothers Islands in Casco Bay, on November 22, 2025, and reported the missing gear and oysters to Maine Marine Patrol.

Marine Patrol conducted a search of the area to determine if the gear could have broken free of the anchors that hold it in place, but no gear has been located. In addition, the rope, anchors and buoys that hold the gear in place were still on the site, but the cages in which the oysters are held during cultivation and the oysters in them were missing, leading investigators to suspect that this is a theft.

"This is a devastating situation for a small businessman like Mr. Scafuro, especially as we head into the holidays," said Marine Patrol Sergeant Matthew Sinclair. "It can take years to grow oysters to market size, so he has lost that investment of time and money in addition to his valuable equipment and the income from the sale of these oysters."

"We are fortunate that Operation Game Thief has partnered with us and is offering a strong incentive to anyone who can provide information that leads us to a perpetrator," said Sergeant Sinclair.

Operation Game Thief is a private 501c3, non-profit organization that supports investigations by Maine's wildlife enforcement officials. More information about Maine OGT can be found at https://maineogt.org/.

"We also encourage anyone who has information about this situation to contact your local Marine Patrol Officer," said Sergeant Sinclair. Contact information for Marine Patrol can be found at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/marine-patrol/contact.

The penalty for theft of property valued at over $10,000 in Maine is a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

***

PHOTO OF MISSING GEAR