Aquaculture co. faces Canadian charges
Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture, the state's largest aquaculture operator, and three of its executives have been charged with using illegal pesticides that killed lobsters.
An investigation by Environment Canada found that New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture was connected to lobster deaths off Deer Island and Grand Manan Island, which are a few miles from Maine's border, according to the Bangor Daily News. The lobsters in 2009 were exposed to cypermethrin, a pesticide banned in Canada but allowed with state approval in Maine. On Tuesday, Environment Canada filed 11 criminal charges against Cooke, as well as 11 charges each to CEO Glenn Cooke, Vice President Michael Szemerda and Randall Griffin, a regional production manager for subsidiary Kelly Cove Salmon. The charges of violating Canada's Fisheries Acts are punishable by up to $1 million in fines and three years in prison. Though the pesticide was released into Passamaquoddy Bay, there have been no reports of lobster deaths in Maine.
According to the Department of Marine Resources, Cooke Aquaculture in Maine owns several operations, including Phoenix Salmon U.S. Inc., Cobscook Bay Salmon and Atlantic Salmon of Maine LLC, and holds more than 500 acres in aquaculture leases. Cooke spokeswoman Nell Halse said the company in 2010 used a pesticide that contains cypermethrin in 59 of the 76 cages it has at five Maine salmon sites. She said the company still must review the charges before commenting further.
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