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.
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,
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.
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| 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."
"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,"
"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.
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.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.
"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.
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