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2 hours ago

Conservation group to buy Nordic Aquafarms land in Belfast

An aeriali photo shows woods and water with a yellow outline. Photo / Courtesy Porta & Co. Nordic Aquafarms Inc. listed the 53.9-acre property in Belfast with real estate firm Porta & Co. for $2 million.
By Laurie Schreiber

A Belfast conservation group said it would buy 53.9 acres previously proposed for the development of a land-based fish farm.

Upstream Watch entered into a contract to purchase the parcel, along the Little River in Belfast, from Nordic Aquafarms Inc., a Norwegian corporation that earlier this year abandoned its proposal to build a 900,000-square-foot land-based salmon farm at the site.

Nordic Aquafarms subsequently listed the property with a real estate firm for $2 million. 

Located at 285 Northport Ave., the major development site was previously permitted for up to 807,254 square feet of industrial space. The Porta & Co. listing touts ocean views, U.S. Route 1 frontage and zoning that allows for residential, hospitality and industrial uses.

The site was the original location of the Belfast Water District and includes two garages and a brick building.

Upstream Watch is a nonprofit grassroots organization formed to evaluate the Nordic project and now looks to ensure the land is never developed, according to a news release.

As long as that parcel remains on the market, it is vulnerable to other projects, said Amy Grant, former president of Upstream Watch. 

“Going forward, we will be advocating for the entire Penobscot Bay Watershed as Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper, but making sure the Little River ecosystem is protected means we will have completed our commitment to our supporters, the Bay and the Little River,” Grant said.

The Little River has a public walking trail, swimming holes, wetlands, forest and meadowlands and access to Penobscot Bay.  

“Preserving this land for the good of the Bay, the Little River and the community is a terrific end to a long and difficult struggle,” said Ethan Shaw, president of Upstream Watch.   

Nordic Aquafarms Inc., a subsidiary of Norway’s Nordic Aquafarms Group AS, brought the proposal for a land-based salmon farm in Belfast in 2018.

The exit came after numerous legal challenges from opponents and after it lost access to a stretch of mudflats needed for the project.

Upstream Watch said it would partner with local and regional conservation organizations to protect the parcel.

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