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Feb 28, 2019

Legislature hears testimony on LD 620 Land Based salmon farm reform bill

On February 28, 2019, the Maine Legislature's Agriculture Conservation & Forestry Committee heard the following testimony on LD 620 "An Act Regarding Licensing of Land-based Aquaculture Facilities". Audio quality is ..so so.

Representative Jan Dodge introduces LD 620. 2/28/19
1 LD 620 Introduction by Sponsor Rep Jan Dodge 

2 Opponent-legislator Rep Richard Campbell, Bucksport  7min

3. Supporters 20 min
Ron Huber
Linda Buckmaster
John Kruger
Connie Hatch
Bethany Allgrove
Lawrence Reichert

4 Opponents of the bill. 21min

Marianne Naess, Nordic. 3min30sec  
Dierdre Gilbert DMR 7min30sec
Sebastian Belle Maine Aquaculture Assn
Thomas Kittredge Belfast Economic Devel Dir & QA 4min19sec


Feb 27, 2019


For Immediate Release

Bill would keep wild Atlantic salmon safe as land-based salmon farming develops  

Augusta 
Because we are concerned that an inadequate state law could stimulate a derby style rush for land-based aquaculture licenses, Friends of Penobscot Bay strongly supports LD 620. 

The bill adds the below clause to sections 3 & 4 of 7 MRSA §1501. Land-based aquaculture license administered by the Dept of Agriculture Forestry & Conservation:

"alone in the use of a body of water or in combination with the aquaculture activity of any other land-based aquaculture operations using the same body of water,"
 The bill improves the one page state law on land-based aquaculture the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry, which follows it to license land based agriculture in Maine. It requires the agency to factor in the effluents from pre-existing landbased fish farms in surrounding waters before licensing another in the same waterbody, and when deciding whether to revoke the license of an existing land based salmon farm.

Other state agencies can factor in the impacts of multiple pollution sources when deciding on a permit to add another pollution source. This bill clarifies that the DACF can and should, too, when it comes to this new agriculture. But during the Lepage Administration, neither DEP nor DMR were very interested in doing so when it came to evaluating the applications by Whole Oceans and Nordic Aquafarms.

In part this is because they have no standards for many of the biochemicals released by farmed salmon, These can have "trigger" effects on wild fish when concentrated into the effluents of a land based salmon farm existing the farm via an outfall . These can accumulate to levels that affect wild fish at much lower levels than nitrogen pollution or other pollutants currently reviewed by state agencies Maine DEP and DMR

Let's not repeat the errors that took place in Maine's enthusiastic embrace of fish pen salmon aquaculture in its early phases. When Maine's waterbased salmon farming first took off, the industry was very enthusiastic and aggressive, while DMR's laws were weak. As a result many sites got okayed that shouldn't have. Some were crowded too close together. Some in waters with currents too weak to disperse the salmon's manure.

Over the years DMR bettered its fishpen aquaculture law and rules, weeding out many poorly planned or run operations. But during that time there were ocean floors under some fishpens with manure a foot deep! Outbreaks of Infectious salmon anemia, too.

DACF will Identify and factor in the unique pollutants from LBAs if they are tasked to. LD 620 will make this possible,

Feb 26, 2019

LD 620: Preventing a RAS salmon tankfarm derby in the Penobscot Estuary

For Immediate Release

Bill would keep wild Atlantic salmon safe as land-based fishfarming expands.

AUGUSTA. Concerned that Maine's present authority to license land-based salmon farm operations needs strengthening, environmentalists and community groups are supporting a bill coming up in the legislature's Agriculture Conservation and Forestry Committee Thursday.
Penobscot Estuary. Orange=shallowest, Blue=deepest


LD 620 "An Act Regarding Licensing of Land-based Aquaculture Facilities" will have its public hearing Thursday February 28th 1pm before the legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee (DACF) in Room 214 of the Cross Building.

The bill improves the one page state law on land-based aquaculture followed by the DACF, which licenses land based agriculture in Maine. It requires the agency to factor in the wastes exiting from existing land based fish farms when licensing another in the same waterbody and when deciding whether to revoke a license of an existing land based salmon farm.

"Other state agencies can factor in the impacts of multiple pollution sources when deciding on a permit to add another pollution source. said bill supporter Ron Huber of Friends of Penobscot Bay "This bill clarifies that the DACF can and should, too."

The group is concerned that a rush to licensing land-based aquaculture will bring its own set of problems to our coastal waters.

The bill is sponsored by Belfast representative Jan Dodge, and cosponsored by Senators Dave Miramant, Knox County and Geoffrey M. Gratwick of Penobscot, and Representatives Joyce McCreight of Harpswell, Ann Beebe-Center of Rockland, Robert Alley of Beals, Vicky Doudera of Camden, Allison Hepler of Woolwich, Craig Hickman of Winthrop, David McCrea of Fort Fairfield,

"The purpose of this bill is to prevent a "derby" style rush for LBA licenses by global aquaculture interests" Huber said "Let's not repeat the errors that took place in Maine's over-enthusiastic embrace of fish pen salmon aquaculture in its early phases."

The bill adds a clause twice to the one page state law on land-based aquaculture, administered by the Dept of Agriculture Forestry & Conservation:

"alone in the use of a body of water or in combination with the aquaculture activity of any other land-based aquaculture operations using the same body of water,"

"It is common sense to consider existing pollution sources before adding another. But during the LePage administration neither DEP nor DMR were very interested in doing so." said Huber.

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to take up the slack by examining the cumulative impacts of effluents from existing land based salmon farm licenses before adding another to the same waterbody.

Looking for and and factoring in the pollution from other LBAs in the Penobscot River/Bay estuary is critical, he said. "We should be reducing the pollution load not increasing it", Huber said.

"We saw this happen years ago, when Maine's waterbased salmon farming first took off. The industry was very enthusiastic and aggressive, while DMR's laws were weak. Many sites got okayed that shouldn't have been.

Some were crowded too close together or in waters with currents to weak too weak to disperse the manure. (See photo) Over the years DMR bettered its fishpen aquaculture law and rules, weeding out many poorly planned or run operations

But during that time there were floors under some fishpens with manure a foot deep! Outbreaks of Infectious salmon anemia, too

The group is concerned that a rush to licensing land-based aquaculture will bring its own unique set of problems to Penobscot River and Bay.

According to Friends of Penobscot Bay there are many biochemicals released by salmon that could have "trigger" effects on wild fish exposed to the outfall effluents of a land based salmon farm.

These, which have effects on wild fishes in minute doses, can accumulate to levels that harm wild fish at much lower levels than nitrogen pollution or other pollutants currently reviewed by state agencies Maine DEP and DMR who advice the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry.

LD 620 empowers DACF to require those agencies to evaluate such pollutants.

"If either or both of the present two applicants succeeds, then we can expect a goldrush of investors seeking and gaining licenses for numerous sites along upper Penobscot Bay and lower Penobscot River ,to try repeat that success. Do we want that? Let's not repeat the mistakes we made with waterbased aquaculture, on land.

Feb 24, 2019

97 comments on LD 337 a bill proposing a spring bear hunting season in Maine.

Public Hearing Testimony on LD 337, 97 items
Andresen, WendyCamden
Andrews, LynnAuburn
Angelone, JenniferPortland
Barre, GinaResident
Bazylinski, ColetteSouth Berwick
Beckwith, SusanWinthrop
Benett, SuzanneLittle Fork
Black, NadiaKildeer, Ill.
Broadhead,StephenCumberland
Brown, KimberlyGray
Burke, DeborahSaco
Calkins, DavidPortland
Clark, BetsySouth Freeport
Clark, WendyEast Baldwin
Coker, KarenWildWatch Maine
Cole, PeterKennebunk
Comeau, JenniferKennebunkport
Connolly, JimDepartment of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Cowett, JaniceResident
Cowperthwaite, AlNorth Maine Woods Inc.
Davis, DanResident
DiNardi, MeiraWells
Doyle, VictorMount Desert Island
Drucker, SusanBowdoinham
Elmy, JudithAmsterdam, New York
Feral, PriscillaFriends of Animals
Ferdinand, BillEaton Peabody
Fereira, JamesPortland
Field, JohnResident
Fiore, BarbaraPortland
Gallile, BethSouth Portland
Garey, GinaPortland
Giguere, ValerieWells
Glowa, JohnChina, Maine
Goldman,ElizabethPortland
Hannelore, PerlaWindham
Hansberry, KatieMaine State Director for the Humane Society of the United States
Hart, LouisaBrunswick
Hawkins, BelindaAugusta
Hesslein, RichardBrownfield
Hestad, DanResident
Holmes, ChristiWindham
Hull, AmandaKansas City, Mo.
Jean, CarolePortland
Jones, SamayaResident
Kaminski, KateCommunication and Media Studies
Karatsanos, KristalPortland
Kearney, WendyBar Harbor
Kelty-Huber,CaitlinRichmond
Kimball, JohnResident
Kinner, AlexResident
Kleiner, DonMaine Professional Guides Association
Lally, Judithunknown
Lanz, PamGorham
Larocque, JaneSouth Portland
Leland, DawnPortland
LePage, LaurenNational Rifle Association of America
Levasseur, JamilaWaldo
Little, MariaPortland
Lyford, PeterMaine State Legislature
Martin, SallyResident
McBrady, NancyWild Blueberry Commission of Maine
Monroe, TRYork
Morey, MargaretLincolnville
Murray, HannahBelfast
Olcott, AliceKittery Point
Oliver, JoanneResident
Orem, CaroleSouth Portland
Packie, TammyBar Harbor
Philbrick, ValScarborough
Piechocki, SandraResident
Printy, WayneGray
Quin, AnnemarieResident
Richardson, PeggyResident
Richer, SusannaPortland
Rickman, DanaBath
Riley, KeithResident
Sanchez, NelsonBelfast
Shadroui, HilaryBarre, Vermont
Sherman, CarolynResident
Simon, TiaGorham
Skapa, BarbaraMt. Vernon
Slickis, Sharonunknown
Smythe, SallyCamden
Sulzer, CarolineSurry
Tripp, AnnetteResident
Tripp, RebeccaResident
Tselikis, ElaineSouth Portland
Vistein, GeriCarnivore Conservation Biologist
Warhol, LaurieWaterboro
Warner, KathyResident
Welton, WaynnKennebunkport
Whitney, MaryBar Harbor
Wilcox, StevenWytopitlock
Winters, JayneSouth China, Maine
Wolverton, HolliePresque Isle
Young, LynnNorth Yarmouth