Oyster farming is a growing industry, with about 65 oyster farms in Maine extending from York to Washington counties raising tens of millions of oysters per year for the white table cloth market, according to the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Association.
But Taunton Bay Oyster Co.’s application for a 22.87-acre aquaculture lease in the Bagaduce River received little support and a lot of opposition, at a recent Department of Marine Resources public hearing, the Ellsworth American reported.
The company’s plan calls for the growing of at least four million oysters.
Opponents said the farm could imperil the river’s ecosystem.
DMR hearing officer Diantha Robinson will prepare a draft decision for review by the applicant and the intervenors. No final decision is expected in the immediate future.
