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April 19, 2023

Testing the waters: New group wants tighter controls for 'finfish' farms

rendering of pen and fish COURTESY / AMERICAN AQUAFARMS This rendering shows the closed pen system that American Aquafarms has proposed to use on Frenchman Bay. A new group has formed that seeks to advance “responsible limits” for finfish aquaculture in Maine waters.
By Laurie Schreiber

A new coalition has been organized in Hancock County to advance what it said would be “responsible limits” for marine finfish aquaculture in Maine waters. 

The Maine Finfish Alliance was formed in response to a proposal by Norwegian company American Aquafarms to build a 120-acre finfish farm, with the goal of producing 66 million pounds of salmon annually, in Frenchman Bay.

Members of the alliance include the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Friends of Acadia.

“Maine currently has no limits on the biomass or stocking density of marine finfish farms and this can have significant environmental impacts,” John Burrows, executive director for U.S. operations at the Atlantic Salmon Federation, said in a news release. “Maine does some things well with respect to regulating net-pen aquaculture for Atlantic salmon and other finfish, but the lack of regulatory limits in these areas is a weakness that puts our environment and coastal communities at risk.”

Burrows said other states and countries have tightened regulations in recent years over what he said were risks associated with marine finfish farming, such as pollution, escapes, disease, feed sourcing and fish health.

Current restrictions

Under current requirements, aquaculture leases must not unreasonably interfere with the ingress and egress of riparian owners; with navigation, fishing, or other uses of the area; other aquaculture use; or the ability of the site and surrounding areas to support ecologically significant flora and fauna, according to the release.

Finfish aquaculture applicants must also demonstrate that there is an available and appropriate source of organisms to be cultured for the lease site. There is no limit to the abundance or density of fish in the pens.

“Current regulations do not have adequate safeguards in place to prevent lease applications for these massive scale projects from being submitted,” said Maine Finfish Alliance spokesperson Genevieve McDonald, a former member of the Maine Legislature.

McDonald said that setting biomass and stocking density limits for marine finfish farms would protect fish health, water quality and existing users such as commercial fishermen and aquaculturists.

Seeking 'clear boundaries'

The alliance is comprised of a diverse group of organizations and individuals seeking clear regulatory boundaries for marine finfish farming by establishing biomass and stocking density limits. 

The alliance is moving its proposals forward through legislation sponsored by state Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Hancock, McDonald told Mainebiz. 

“An Act Regarding Marine Finfish Aquaculture will create biomass and stocking density limits for marine finfish farms in Maine,” she said. “The bill will be heard this session, but is not yet printed. It is anticipated to be released by the end of the month.”

The proposed legislation is limited to ocean pen finfish aquaculture and would not impact other types of aquaculture such as shellfish or seaweed, nor land-based aquaculture, she added.

“The American Aquafarms proposal was the proverbial canary in a coal mine, demonstrating that waters next to Acadia National Park, one of our country’s greatest natural assets, are vulnerable to massive-scale fish farms,” said Eric Stiles, Friends of Acadia’s president and CEO. “Setting limits, such as those in Norway, will strike a better balance in Maine’s waters.”

Another local group, Frenchman Bay United, is also pushing for policy changes in response to the American Aquafarms proposal.

Objections, proposed solutions

Headquartered in Portland, American Aquafarms has said its proposal to establish a closed-net-pen fish farm, hatchery and processing plant would utilize “next-generation eco-friendly technology” that would control waste and prevent escapes while resulting in year-round, good-paying jobs.

A year ago, the Maine Department of Marine Resources terminated the company’s applications for the project, saying the company “failed to fulfill its legal obligation to demonstrate an available source of fish to be cultivated at its proposed salmon farms in Frenchman Bay“ and failed to provide documentation demonstrating that the proposed source of fish/eggs could meet genetic requirements in the law.

The company subsequently filed a lawsuit against the agency, but then rescinded the suit in favor of opening a  dialogue with the DMR to understand the objections and potential solutions.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation is a science and advocacy organization dedicated to conserving and restoring wild Atlantic salmon.

Friends of Acadia’s mission is to preserve, protect and promote stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park and surrounding communities.

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