Maine's Land Based Aquaculture sent back to the sea. DMR pleased.

"For all at last returns to the sea -- to Oceanus, the ocean river..."  Rachel Carson was spot on, for that which was taken from DMR, hath  returned to DMR.
     Listen at the links below  to the legislature  switching licensing  jurisdiction over land based aquaculture back to the Department of Marine Resources This per Governor's bill LD 1763 at the Maine legislature May 23, 2019.
Listen to testimony by DMR Commissioner Keliher, then Listen to the complete hearing and work session, 39min.
Keliher was followed by testimony from Friends of Penobscot Bay's exec director Ron Huber and by Bill Keleher, president & CEO of Kennebec Biosciences These were followed by vigorous committee questioning of Keliher. Then the worksession where the committee voted Ought to Pass unanimously

Representative Lydia Blume

The committee held both the bill's public hearing and its work session, severing salmon tankfarm aquaculture licensing from the Dept of Agriculture Forestry and Conservation and restoring it to the Department of Marine Resources.
The bills' name is lengthy but clear:

"An Act To Transfer Responsibility for Licensing of Land-based Aquaculture from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Marine Resources"

Senator Dave Miramant

      Huber affirmed the Commissioner's reasoning and cautioned the committee against adopting an amendment put forward by Sebastian Belle of the Maine Aquaculture Association. The amendment would  establishing a tiering system for enforcement. He said it had no right being within this bill on transferring jurisdiction. 

And...with no partisans present for the amendment and studied disinterest in the amendment from the commissioner , legislative uneasiness  led to thumbs downing ehe MAA amendment. Sorry, Sebastian!

DSCF to DMR opponent Kennebec Biosciences opposed the transfer asserting the DACF had the capability restoration to DMR unnecessary.

BACKSTORY DMR had midwifed landbased Recirculating Aquaculture SDystems - time back, developed the basic rules and regs.Then Lepage moved the program to Dept Agriculture Conservation & Forestry which was given a bit of money to have someone keep it going. But this was JUST BEFORE Nordic and Whole Oceans began to work their applications.ACF was not prepared for the magnitude of the projects put forward by Nordic Aqua Farms and Whole Oceans LLC.

Poor salmon tankfarmers are probably wondering why they didn't invest in something more stable, like sandworm aquaculture.