Lubec seesaws on whether to place freeze on large-scale salmon farming
Screenshot / Town of Lubec
Fishermen and fish farm operators discussed a proposed moratorium on finfish farming at a recent Lubec Board of Selectmen meeting.
The town of Lubec is considering whether a proposed 180-day moratorium on large-scale fish farms will go to voters this summer.
The proposal, by Portland nonprofit Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation, responds to recent concerns around the potential expansion of aquaculture facilities — concerns heightened by Norway-based American Aquafarms application to lease 120 acres of water between Bar Harbor and Schoodic Peninsula for salmon cultivation.
But in a recent discussion on the topic, Lubec Board of Selectmen members and residents vacillated on the idea of a moratorium, given the contributions to the local economy by an existing finfish farmer, Cooke Aquaculture.
A voice in the process
The moratorium proposal was brought in February to the board by Crystal Canney, executive director of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation.
Last November, voters in Gouldsboro approved a moratorium that freezes for six months the review and issuance of municipal permits for any finfish aquaculture-related development that comprises 10 acres or more in local coastal waters.
The move responded to the American Aquafarms proposal to lease two potential fish production sites, each 60 acres, on Frenchman Bay. The company proposes to install 30 “closed pens” plus two operations barges, with the goal of eventually producing 66 million pounds of salmon annually.
In her presentation to the Lubec board, Canney said that while towns don’t have authority in the leasing process, which falls under the state Department of Marine Resources purview, it was important to let the state know that residents want a voice.
“If people think Frenchman Bay is the beginning and the end, they are sadly mistaken,” Canney said.
Existing pens
The select board said the wanted input from the aquaculture industry and from fishermen on the topic, particularly given the importance of existing salmon farm operations in their local waters of Cobscook Bay.
About 10 representatives of the two industries appeared at the board’s meeting earlier this month. Members of the board said they agreed the aquaculture industry needed more regulation.
But they noted that Canadian salmon producer Cooke Aquaculture has been an important contributor to the local economy and they said they wanted to hear from industry members as well as fishermen on the issues.
“I don’t think anyone is prepared to make any decision,” said Town Administrator Renee Gray.
Gray said that Cooke has been responsive to the fishing community’s needs and has helped the town with local problems such as fixing moorings.
But she said she agreed that towns should be consulted in the leasing process.
‘Foolishness’
Jennifer Robinson, a compliance officer for Cooke Aquaculture, said the company is regulated by numerous state and federal agencies, including the Department of Marine Resources, Department of Environmental Protection and Army Corps of Engineers. The company’s operations are heavily monitored, she added.
Members of the board said they didn’t want “huge industrial” farming operations in the bay, but noted that the bay’s ability to accommodate finfish farms was illustrated by the fact that, at one time, there were far more finfish farm sites there than there are now.
One board member said he was concerned about how a moratorium might impact Cooke.
“To restrict anyone like Cooke is foolishness,” he said.
One resident said that, as a small-business owner, she supported Cooke’s operations.
“There are over 50 people in this area who work for Cooke,” she said. “Has anyone looked at the ripple effects on businesses here?”
“It seems pretty obvious to me that it’s not a great idea,” one board member said of the moratorium idea.
Cooke Inc., an aquaculture company based in New Brunswick, Can., that has salmon farms and hatcheries in Maine, is the parent company of Cooke Aquaculture. The company has been running salmon farming operations in Downeast Maine for more than a decade, since buying the East Coast operations of some of its biggest competitors, including Atlantic Salmon of Maine, Heritage Salmon and Stolt Sea Farm (which later became Marine Harvest).
Cooke’s 25 Maine leases are primarily in Cobscook and Machias bays, including four that total 111 acres within the town of Lubec.
Altogether, Cooke leases over 600 acres in Maine.
Board members said that a moratorium ordinance would have no bearing on the leasing process, since the town has no control over the process but can still speak up on applications.
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