Maine Aquaculture - Oceana USA

Maine Aquaculture

Save Frenchman Bay From Monster Fish Farm

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Overview

Frenchman Bay in Hancock County, Maine, supports fishermen, lobstermen, and small-scale aquaculture farmers, and is a home to many families. The bay provides habitat for many environmentally and economically important species, including eelgrass, sea scallops, blue mussels, and lobster. 

Its surrounding landscapes, which include Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and the Schoodic Peninsula, draw millions of tourists each year, who bring $380 million in revenue to the state annually. 

Right now, all of that is under threat. 

A newly formed company from Norway, called American Aquafarms, is trying to build an enormous salmon farm in Frenchman Bay, less than 2,000 feet from Acadia National Park. This project would be one of the largest ocean-pen salmon farms in the world and would release 4.1 billion gallons of polluted wastewater into the bay every day. It would also bring air, light, and noise pollution to the area. 

As of now, the project is stalled. The permit was rejected by the state government on a technicality, but the company has vowed to continue pushing to get its project approved. American Aquafarms has already closed on the purchase of its processing plant and hatchery in Gouldsboro, and filed a lawsuit against the state to get its permit reinstated. 

 Oceana and our partners will continue to fight to ensure a project like this never goes forward. We’re calling on state and local authorities to publicly oppose this monster fish farm, and protect Maine’s clean waters, and the animals, families, and businesses that depend on them. 

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