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May 30, 2021

GE salmon and RAS aquaculture: Biotech guy says it'll improve RAS tankfish salmon farming.

    On April 27, 2021, Under Current News' Matt Craze  held a webinar with a group of RAS aquaculture experts from around the world,  on the status of efforts to "mainstream"  land based fish farms.  Titled "Dissecting the land-based aquaculture trend", It seems the New Frontier is  genetically engineering  fish to fit the technology and new feeds,  instead of improving  technology to fit the fishes' needs!   

Matt Craze's question to  GE Fish expert John Buchanon of the Center for Aquaculture Technologies:   "What's your angle on the broad challenges to Land Based Aquaculture  becoming mainstream?  

JB:  "Could argue it's  already become mainstream. Lots of discretions and investment and activity in the sector.  Big  commitments initially were around engineering - and it's still a major focus

"Feed obviously has to be a focus.  The way the diets  are formulated  is quite different. It needs to be optimized for RAS food.  

"Last step of the puzzle is the genetics of the fish. RAS is a very capital intensive investment. Elements are very well understood.  Once you get to scale, then investment in improving the fish  makes sense.

"We are approaching that point, especially for salmon, but many other species, for improvement in growth as you are moving fish through the tanks;  while you're waiting for the biomass to grow. There's inefficiency there that can be recaptured with faster growing fish. Very simply.

"Obviously better SCR or  the waste products from the fish  that allow biofilter to support a larger biomass would be fundamentally transformative  to the the industry and to profitability

"In my past I was director of R&D for Aqua Bounty. We are looking at biotech solutions to solve these problems. They can be addressed though breeding and new technologies in genome editing.  RAS is also contained.  

"There's  a lot of benefits to really taking the next step in the industry and getting the genetics to complement both the  feeds and the engineering. A good opportunity for the future."

End excerpt.


May 29, 2021

Land based salmon aquaculture trend webinar April 27, 2021

 On April  27, 2021 Undercurrents News held a webinar  Dissecting the land-based aquaculture trend.

Start with introductions. Then host Matt Craze  summarizes the state of LBA,   A discussion of the sustainble trophic LBAs .What biotech is up to.   Then listen to the the struggle between East and West:  the Asian model:  investing in  small farms that grow inexpensive species, affordable to rich and poor alike vs the West's AQ strategy of   growing and peddling its elitist 11 dollars a pound salmon fillets. Salmon will feed the world!"  Don't be ridiculous!

0.short quote

1 Introduction of speakers 5min 34sec

2 Matt Craze  the state of LBA globally 4min 25sec

3 Sustainable Trophic LBA 3min 

4 Biotech 2min 6sec

5 Low Cost Asian LBA less expensive species 4min 33sec_

PONDERABLE:  how far will Kingfish AQ's  waste output effluents  be transported by the Eastern Maine Coastal Current?

\\




from:
Undercurrents
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021John Buchanan, Jeff Cheng, Roberto Tishler, Ohad Maiman, Stian Rognlid, Matt Craze


According to Matt Craze of Undercurrent News  Land-based aquaculture is  a currently huge interest to investors.    Atlantic Sapphire has built a major salmon farm at an inland location near Miami and several other well-financed are set to follow in the company's footsteps. 
Conventional coastal salmon farming companies have mastered the art of using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to grow large smolt that can spend less time in the sea. 

But RAS could be a panacea for a host of new species that can be grown around the world. We explore this new innovation, from crayfish in China and Taiwan to yellowtail seriola farms in the Netherlan


May 25, 2021

LD 1585 Prohibiting Facial Surveillance in Maine, morphs into "Regulating" this surveillance. Read public & industry testimony.

Below read what everyone from the Secretary of State to the ACLU of Maine thinks of LD 1585: An Act To Increase Privacy and Security by Prohibiting the Use of Facial Surveillance by Certain Government Employees and Officials.
Maine Secretary of State
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
East Wilton
ACLU of Massachusetts
Maine Municipal Association
Maine State Police
ACLU of Maine
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
Maine State Police and the Department of Public Safety
Maine, American Academy of Pediatrics
Brunswick

May 18, 2021

Stripers advance from Chesapeake: schoolies reach Casco Bay. Big 'uns following.

After wintering  in the Chesapeake Bay and inside the Outer Banks  striped bass are  reaching Maine in great schools. The young'uns (aka "schoolies") are rushing into  southern Maine - with their elders following at a more dignified pace.  

Fish for them?  Be careful. NOAA says they are "Significantly below target levels".  It's important to follow the rules.  Maine Striped Bass Regulations currently require the use of circle hooks when fishing with bait in both the striped bass and bluefish fisheries.  See Video: using circle hooks to catch  Striped Bass, 

Circle hooks are designed to hook fish in the corner of the mouth, which makes the fish easier to release than gut hooked with a traditional J-hook. Circle hooks have been used successfully with both dead and live baits.

The key difference between using traditional “J” hooks and circle hooks? You don't strike to set the hook when using a circle hook rig. Just let the fish hook itself.  Don't yank. Just start reeling her in.

Sears Island causeway, 25 years  ago

STRIPER FAST FACTS

  • Striped bass live up to 30 years.
  • Growth depends on where they live.
  • Striped bass can grow up to 5 feet  and 77 pounds.
  • Males are sexually mature between the ages of 2 and 4 years old.
  • Females are able to reproduce when they are 4 to 8 years old.
  • Females produce large quantities of eggs, which are fertilized by males as they are released.
  • Larval striped bass feed on zooplankton (microscopic animals).
  • Juveniles eat insect larvae, small crustaceans, mayflies, and other larval fish.

  • * Adults are piscivorous (fish-eating) and eat almost any kind of small fish as well as several invertebrates, particularly crabs and squid.
  • * Bluefish, weakfish, cod, and silver hake prey on small striped bass.

  • * Adults have few predators, with the exception of seals and sharks.

Remember Maine striper fishers: you are now required to use circle hooks when using natural baits. Do your best this season to make sure that the stripers you release swim away healthy.














Legislature's ENR Committee hearing on LD 1639 An Act to protect Health& Welfare of Maine Communities and Reduce Harmful Solid Waste

May 18, 2021 Audio of  testimony on LD 1639 An Act to protect Health and Welfare of Maine Communities and Reduce Harmful Solid Waste : Intro by Senator Anne Carney  ,NFNA by DEP's Paul Clark  & Bill Supporters  Link to written testimony  **** Bill Opponents 41min (scroll down below supporters for individual LD 1639 opponents audio links)


* Intro Sen Anne Carney 8min 47sec

 * Senator Carney Q&A 11min 18sec

* Paula Clark MDEP NFNA 15min 39sec

SUPPORTERS

Sarah Nichols 2min 55sec

* Dawn Neptune Adams 4min 50sec

Sarah Woodberry 2min 23sec

* Ed Spencer 4min 9sec

Peter Blair CLF 3min 49 sec

Bill Lippincott 6 min 35min

* Neal Goldberg 6min 53sec

Mali Obomsawin 6min 5sec

* Hillary Lister  3min 51sec

Gail Bradford 3min 15sec

* Ed Ferreira 3min 44sec

Sonja Birthisel 2min 11sec

* Cheryl Robertson 3min 38sec

* Dana Colihan 3min 45sec

Teddy Simpson 2min 28sec

Lokota Sanborn 3min 48sec (end of bill supporters)

OPPONENTS of  LD _1639

* James Cody. Resources Lewiston 3min 41sec

* Ed Barrett 3min 50sec

* Leonard Blanchette 2min 35sec

* Chuck Eaton 1 min 35sec

* Greg Leahy Resources Lewiston and QA Pleuker_6min41sec

* Mitchell Exchange, Exchange Trucking 2min40sec

* Lincoln Jeffers, Town of Lewiston  3min 5sec

* T.J. Troiano, & QA 9minutes_ Troiano Waste Services

*  Shelby Wright, Casella, 4min

*  Tim Wade ME Water Enviro Services 4min2sec



















May 12, 2021

Hearing held on bill to exempt Land-based Fishfarms from building codes. Meeting audio.

A public hearing was held on LD 1473 An Act To Exempt Land-based Aquaculture Facilities from the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code Requirements
LISTEN BELOW TO SPEAKERS AT HEARING   Bill would exempt land based fish farms from part of state building codes, by classifying landbased aquaculture growout tank buildings as "barns".   




OPPOSITION TO  LD 1473

Bill would require Maine ratepayers to subsidize foreign offshore wind companies

On May 11th the Maine Legislature's Energy Utilities and Technology committee held a public hearing on LD 336 An Act To Encourage Research To Support the Maine Offshore Wind Industry.

Listen to the full hearing here. 2hours 48min

To hear a good summary of problems with the bill, listen to State Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham testifying in opposition to LD 336. At the end of the hearing Rep Faulkingham summarizes the concerns that early opponents had given the committee.

Maine's oil pollution laws and regulations , history of litigation and early oil spill research

Maine oil pollution and oil tanker regulations, and history

ALL MAINE OIL POLLUTION LAWS

Julie N Oil Spill fouls saltmarsh
Maine DEP Spills & Site Cleanup Laws

Maine DEP Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures

=======================================================

STATE POLLUTION LAWS OF INTEREST

33 § 548. Removal of prohibited discharges

37-B §781. Municipal, county and regional agencies (Local Emergency Planning)

38 § 543. Pollution and corruption of waters and lands of the State prohibited

38 546-A Maine Oil Spill Contingency Plan

==================================================

FEDERAL

CHAPTER 40—OIL POLLUTION

SUBCHAPTER I—OIL POLLUTION LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION

=========================================================

Legal History Oil Spill Regulation. UMaine Law Reviews

1997  Necessary and Proper, but Still Unconstitutional: The Oil Pollution Act's Delegation of Admiralty Power to the States by Matthew P. Harrington

2000 The United States of America and Intertanko v. the State of Washington

2001 State Oil Spill Prevention Laws And Intertanko: When Is State Law Preempted? Paul H. Avery

=============================================================

TANKER INDUSTRY ON OILS SPILL LAWS

The International Association Of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) v. Locke: Do Oil And State Tanker Regulation Mix?

Intertanko History oil spill regulation 1989-92

========================================================

HISTORY RESEARCH ON OIL SPILLS

1882 Decrease of Fish in Squamscot River, New Hampshire, On Account of Refuse Matter from Gas Works. May 20, 1882 

1921 DangerTo Fisheries From Oil And Tar Pollution Of Waters.                                (See in original typeface (pdf)















May 9, 2021

Maine Coast History 1999: Maine BEP holds hearing on State vs Federal role in oil tanker oversight in state waters.

In  the late 1990s,  Maine BEP and DEP duked it out with the US Coast Guard and  Intertanko the oil tanker lobby group, over the extent of state power to regulate interstate tanker shipping in state waters. (And lost. )

Have a listen to a 29 minute recording from a historic BEP Hearing of this struggle. Broken into 4 sections for ease of listening (Summaries of each Part provided  below)

Part 1 USCG Presentation_8min35sec  (partial)

Part 2 BEP / USCG  Q&A 1. 6min    Part 3 BEP / USCG_Q&A2_3min38sec

Part 4 BEP / USCG Q&A 3  to end  8min 7sec

Questions raised and answered in Q&A 1 


Q1.  What ships can Coast Guard Not board?
Answer : can board all vessels in US waters
Q2 What do we have for State jurisdiction? State has a desire to be at the decisionmaking table
A .There ARE areas where the state has a seat at the table . He explains how .

Q3 If the state can do things that don't actually encroach on Coastie jurisdiction?
A State regulates ship pilots for one thing. so clearly yes.

Q4 There's federal standards. Does Maine have ANY authority state waters
A USCG: Maine has regulations on whether a vessel is "seaworthy" Does the state standard rule? Maybe. Only if the federal govt doesn't have that defined. There has to be only one decision on whether a vessel is seaworthy. Does the state have that power? If not taken by the feds

Questions raised and answered in Q&A 2 

 Q What does the federal govt control superceding state authority?
A Design, construction, equipment , manning and operations of tankers
Q As far as pilots and ships within harbors -any state control there?
A. There are two types of pilots the feds regulate certain pilots for certain types of trade,. But the state controls most. If Maine decided pilots weren't meeting standards they could require more training.
Plus - Where the federal govt DOESNT have a shipping standard, THE STATE IS FREE TO REGULATE that particular activity.
Q Can the state be stricter than the federal government?
A Difficult question. Generally no.

Part 3 presentation  & Q&A by DEP's David Look,  chair of the oil spill advisory committee

Look was appointed in 1990 the Commission to Study Maine Oil Spill Preparedness  At the  April 28 meeting of the BEP  the Commission gave unanimous    recommendation  that the vessel operations portions  of Chapter 600 be sernt back and reviewed  by his committee Look said they been  at this for 6 years 

Q: Why do you need  look need more time? 

A: Not enough input from those involved.  

(Look notes that he is a spill professional not a vessel operations expert)

 Q. If Coast Guard  has supremacy over vessel operations what good does the state effort do?

A:  We learned the more agreement ahead of time between regulators and others the better off you are

Q  This has been under study 5 years. What new info haven't they had opportunity to consider?

A  Right about the time,  but the comments we got those arts of industry involved in vessel operationss don't feel they had opportunity for input. 

Q  Given your expertise in oil spills what could ahve prevented Julie N       

A Don't know; not his expertrise 

Q CG said state equal partner in  spill incident command

A True and we work closely with the Capain of the Port...

End of recording

May 8, 2021

Legislature hears LD 1567 Climate Change Equity bill testimony

On Ma7 7, 2021  the Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on  LD 1567  Act To Equitably Fund Maine's Climate Change Mitigation Efforts (pdf)

*Bill Introduction 13min

* Ant Blasi 3min

"This bill establishes the Maine Climate Change Equitable Mitigation Fund, a 44 nonlapsing, revolving fund administered by the Department of Environmental Protection "

"Money in the fund may be disbursed only for the cost of fund 50 administration, grants awarded to municipalities or counties for climate change 51 assessments and risk mitigation, loans or grants awarded to community action agencies to 52 supplement existing Efficiency Maine Trust programs.. "


PFOS Maine Legislature takes it up again in LD 1600. Public hearing 5/7/21

 LD 1600 An Act To Investigate Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination of Land and Groundwater - Rep. Lori Gramlich of Old Orchard Beach

* Full hearing on LD 1600  1hr 12min

* Bill Lippincott  3min 26sec  ***  * Dawn Neptune Adams 5min35sec

BILL SUMMARY  " This bill creates the Land Application Contaminant Monitoring Fund to be used by the  Department of Environmental Protection to test and monitor soil and groundwater for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other contaminants and for other related  activities." 

"The fund is funded by a $10 per ton fee assessed on any disposal of septage,  industrial sludge, municipal sludge, bioash, wood ash or other residual, which is material generated as a by-product of a nonagricultural production or treatment process that has  value as a source of crop nutrients or soil amendment."

"This bill also requires the department  to test land that has received residuals for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other contaminants and to notify the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry of the findings of any contamination of land currently being used for the  production of agricultural products."

ME Legislature takes up Resolve to Analyze Impact of Sea Level Rise LD 1572

On May 7, 2021n the Legislature's Environment & Natural Resources Committee  held a public hearing  on LD1572 Resolve, To Analyze the Impact of Sea Level Rise (pdf) LISTEN TO SELECTED SPEAKERS

The Resolve calls for  a coordinated interagency effort to  predict and mitigate damage to Maine's coastal property and industry by sealevel rise. The resolve focuses on an 18 inch rise by 2050, and a whopping4 foot rise  by 2100,

 LD1572 Resolve, To Analyze the Impact of Sea Level Rise

Listen to FULL  LD 1572  PUBLIC HEARING  51 minutes

SELECTED SPEAKERS  

* Bill Introduction  Rep Lydia Blume 3min

* Melanie Loyzim DEP Commissioner 2min46secr

ME State Geologist Bob Marvinney_5min30sec

Brian Ambrette. Office of Innovation 4min8sec 



May 7, 2021

Defending Maine against the Plastic Armada: LD 911 is getting traction.

 Want to keep waste from foreign nations out of Maine?

Excitingly , LD 911 is gaining much traction! We have an incredible opportunity to pass it and keep the the world's plastic waste bales out of Maine. Right Now! Below are details of how the worksession yesterday went and a recording of it. (28min) Read the bill and Listen to the 5/5/21 worksession .irst the audio: http://penbay.org/.../melegis_2021_enr_050521_ws_ld911...
Read the bill
Blow by blow description of the worksession

On May 5th LD 911 "An Act To Prohibit the Reception of Foreign Waste Plastic in Maine Ports" had a rollercoaster worksession that ended up with the bill being tabled to another work session.
After the committee analyst laid out the details, Rep Vickie Doudera shockingly moved immediately for Ought Not to Pass. But (spoiler alert) No second, and later she withdrew that motion.
Senator Bennett called instead for Ought to Pass as Amended. He noted that the only objection anyone had to the bill was a fuzzy definition of "other jurisdictions" that would be barred from shipping us their waste. Change it to just "other nations" They decided to take a caucus break
After the break Rep Doudera announced she withdrew her ONTP motion. Then it got tabled! Though committee members Rep Hanley and O'connor opposed the tabling.
Once they agreed to table it , the committee came up with a list of questions to be answered before the next worksession on LD911:
* What volume of plastic waste coming in to Maine - both weight and dollar value?
* What does the Atty general's office think as to the constitutionality of the bill? Can Maine law supercede international laws? A legislator: Never know till we try. We shouldn't be a world dumpsite!
Blume: This is about out of of country waste. Zero in on that. Not waste brought by land from other US states.
Also shouldn't we allow allow plastic trash that accumulated onboard from the crew's normal operations during the voyage to Maine - food wrappers etc to be taken by a municipal trash hauler?
So bay frfiends and others plases urge your legislators to help keep Maine free of foreign plastic waste by suppolrting LD 911 "An Act To Prohibit the Reception of Foreign Waste Plastic in Maine Ports"
Stay tuned!

May 3, 2021

Frenchboro: ME Legislature's Marine Resources Comm considers, carries over, bill to reduce the size of the Frenchboro Cable Zone

LD 332 An Act To Reevaluate the Frenchboro Area Dragging Exclusion Zone  is one of the bills  that the Maine Legislature's marine resources committee considered and ultimately decided to "carry over"  to a special session later this year.   Listen to interesting testimony and discussions  at  its Public Hearing  on March 9, 2021 (37minute  audio)  and its Work Session  March 16th  (30 minute audio). Zone is the reddish area on the chart    Positions for and against  reducing the size of the no-dredges-or drags zone protecting the Frenchboro power cable were strongly made..


Bill summary "This bill directs the Commissioner of Marine Resources to evaluate the size and 33 boundaries of the Frenchboro area, where dragging and scalloping are prohibited, to 34 determine whether the area should be modified. This bill also allows the commissioner to 35 modify by rule that Frenchboro area."


May 2, 2021

Searsport Plastic Waste Spill: MDEP's April 26th repliy to Sprague letter. Spill Timeline

On April 26, 2021 Maine DEP replied to Sprague's response to the agency  about  spilling at least two and a half tons of plastic waste into  Searsport Harbor on December ,2, 2020. Below read the documents that led up to that April 26th letter from DEP to Sprague.

Searsport Plastic Waste Spill Enforcement Timeline

12/2/20  Plastic waste bales spill  while offloading from  Sider London 

1/15/21 Maine DEP  sends Sprague a Notice of Violation

2/ 27/ 21 Sprague sends MDEP four documents in reply:

 Form 03 Ship Shore Safety Inspection  *  Form 19 Dry Cargo Risk Assessment

Terminal Operations Manual 302  *  Terminal Operations Manual 306

4/26/21   Maine DEP  Replies to Sprague's response to DEP's  2021 Notice of Violation

BACKSTORY  December 2, 2020, while the vessel Sider London was offloading shredded plastic waste  at Mack Point  an unknown numbers of baled plastic waste spilled into Searsport Harbor.  The bales broke up and washed ashore on Sears Island.  It  quickly got interwoven into the seaweed wrack along the island shore.  Sprague failed to report the spill.  

A week later reporter Ethan Andrews posted photos online of  plastic washing ashore on the island. I and others contacted DEP, which visited the island, December 9th. 

 Cleanup by Sprague contractors and the public commenced and continued for a month. On Jan 15th MDEP sent  Sprague the Notice of Violation linked above.