DMR agrees to hearings on large aquaculture leases
Courtesy / Mere Point Oyster Co.
Mere Point Oyster Co.'s Dan Devereaux and Doug Niven plan a 40-acre lease in Maquoit Bay. The state Department of Marine Resources has agreed to consider a proposed rulemaking change for aquaculture leases over 10 acres.
The state Department of Marine Resources has agreed to consider a proposed rulemaking change for aquaculture leases over 10 acres.
The proposed rule would require the department to consider alternative locations, for proposed leases, that would interfere less with existing uses of the area.
“DMR anticipates holding a public hearing on this proposal before June 1, 2019,” the department’s commissioner, Patrick Keliher, wrote in an April 10 letter to Crystal Canney of Knight Canney Group in Portland, who is listed on a petition for the rule change as the representative for the petitioners. “Public notice of the hearing will be scheduled and published in accordance with applicable laws.”
On March 20, a group of lobstermen, their families and a citizens group called Save Maquoit Bay submitted 189 signatures to the department to open rulemaking regarding placement of aquaculture leases.
In an April 16 news release, lobstermen John Powers of Brunswick said, “We need to seriously consider how we site these leases so aquaculture can grow but not at the expense of the $500 million dollar lobster industry.”
Lobsterman Tom Santiguida said, “We know that a lease is rarely denied by the Department of Marine Resources and the growth in applications is exponential. DMR must find a better way to site leases with the burden of proof being on the applicant and not on those of us trying to make a living.”
Save Maquoit Bay’s petition came in the wake of an application by Mere Point Oyster Co. for a 40-acre lease in the bay, to cultivate Eastern oysters, bay scallops and sea scallops.
“We believe that every rule we could possibly follow has been followed, plus some,” Mere Point Oyster Co. co-owner Dan Devereaux told Mainebiz after the petition was submitted. “We think, unfortunately, that this group is pitting lobstermen against aqua-culturalists. That’s unfortunate because we’re all out on the water trying to make things better for our communities and our seafood industry.”
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