In an Op-Ed written by Mr. John Krueger in the Island Institute’s Working Waterfront publication posted on October 6 he asked if Maine was hosting the best aquaculture technology. I’d say Maine is certainly on the right track with the approval of Nordic Aquafarms’ permits. After all, Maine does have a long history of evolution.

Mr. Krueger has submitted comments often in the last two years on behalf of Upstream Watch,  a group in opposition of Nordic Aquafarms. His and others’ various Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor have suggested that Maine’s regulatory authorities were limited in its permitting of land-based aquaculture, claiming that few guidelines exist.

While his credentials in chemical engineering and lab testing might be impressive, they are not indicative of experience in local fisheries, aquaculture, fish husbandry, or water filtration technology. 

In my opinion, minimizing the extraordinary amount of time, energy, and detailed review of Nordic’s applications done by Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection and the teams of scientists and engineers within the DEP shows an unfortunate lack of understanding, or more likely a refusal of acknowledgement.

Maine’s history of aquaculture begins in the 1800s, with evident shifts in knowledge and innovation. Modifications in discharge permits, publications of studies of the aquatic environments between bivalves and fin fish, and the farming of kelp and subsequent uptake of CO2- these are all part of an evolving industry.

If a fin-fish aquafarm can bring in advanced land-based technology, and already has an established record of successful production with no incidents, then Maine is going in the right direction by having awarded those permits. 

Looking at other recirculating aquaculture systems was one suggestion by Mr. Krueger. However, the one he referred to using a zero or minimal liquid discharge has not yet been built and based on a different model. In fact, they’re not thrilled with being pulled into his story.

The issue here is that zero or minimal discharge at the scale of our Nordic facility is not possible, if health and quality of the fish are to be at optimal levels. Even at smaller scales, water must be replaced. The water treatment is where the highest caliber of technology is invested.

Maine’s coastlines and rivers have hundreds of outfall pipes — residential, municipal, and commercial. Imagine if the same level of water treatment technology could be used. 

Mr. Krueger and others often make Nordic’s daily maximum outfall sound alarming. They are indeed large numbers, but they are numbers that need to be put into a different perspective. It is essentially a tiny grain of sand, in a drop of clean water, going into a 5-gallon bucket. Except, that this bucket has constant movement – currents, water flowing in and out from an infinite number of sources that are always in flux.

Does Maine want this technology to be in use? According to the City of Belfast, Maine’s economic development plan, the DEP, and various other esteemed entities, you bet.

Jacki Cassida, of Belfast, is Community Liaison for Nordic Aquafarms