Two dozen Bar Harbor fishermen sign against proposed Frenchman Bay salmon farm
Courtesy / Frenchman Bay United
Frenchman Bay United, a coalition of groups opposed to a proposed salmon pen operation off Gouldsboro, held a gathering earlier this month to share concerns about the project.
Twenty-six Bar Harbor fishermen have signed onto a statement opposing a proposed salmon pen operation in Frenchman Bay.
The statement cited numerous concerns about the proposal by American Aquafarms, a business based in Norway that has submitted applications to the Department of Marine Resources to lease 120 acres in order to install 30 “closed net” pens for raising salmon. The company has said its goal is to scale up to grow 66 million pounds of salmon per year.
Hatchery and processing facilities would be located in Gouldsboro. Support vessels would travel between the pens and facilities.
Fishermen say they're concerned about the potential “loss of prime fishing ground for lobster, scallops and shrimp,” increased fishing pressure on grounds adjacent to the proposed operation, loss of gear from service vessels and related support activity, navigational conflicts, water pollution related to discharge, feed and fuel spills, habitat impacts, and disturbance to the ocean bottom around the pens.
In addition, the statement said, the proposal could lower “the potential for a comeback to the historical fisheries of the bay, including the recent shrimping fishery that centered inside the bay on these two deep water holes.”
The statement also cited an “unwanted disruption to our way of life and to the environment that we work in.”
At its virtual meeting last week, the Bar Harbor Town Council voted to request intervener status on the company’s application.
“People are starting to feel more and more strongly about whether we would like this to occur in Frenchman Bay or not,” said the council’s chair, Jeff Dobbs.
Intervener status means that an individual or entity, such as a municipality, can more fully participate in the formal review of lease applications, including presenting testimony and expert witnesses, questioning the applicants and its representatives and commenting on draft decisions.
The Department of Marine Resources has scheduled a virtual informational meeting on the applications for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
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