Last week, at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection heard live testimony about the Nordic Aqua Farms proposal.  I sat there for three days watching and listening as professionals took the stand and gave testimony to different aspects of the project.

The expertise of the Nordic Aqua Farms testifiers was impressive to say the least. They were honest, forthright, incredibly informed, and very patient. The questions from the DEP were well thought out and were asked for the purpose of clarification and information gathering.  

On the other hand, the intervenors who were in opposition of Nordic Aqua Farms did their best to discredit and exaggerate anything they could to make it look as if Nordic would be detrimental to the environment and to Belfast.

In my opinion, their expert testifiers said nothing to make anyone believe that Nordic did not know what they were doing. Some of them were downright embarrassing in their presentation. I don’t know how anyone could have sat there and watched these proceedings and not come away with feeling positive and excited about what this project will bring to Belfast. 

Those that continue to attempt to smear this company in any way they can are doing so for their own personal agendas, including professional and monetary gain.

It’s time to move on from scouring the internet to find articles that can be twisted and then use them against Nordic Aqua Farms. 

It is time to move on from cherry picking facts and figures out of what Nordic states and using those facts and figures in isolation to scare and dismay the public.

It is time to move on and let go of the smearing, the hate, and the misinformation that a small group of oppositionists have promulgated for two years.

It is time to stop demonizing government agencies and accusing them of a nefarious agenda.

It is time to stop spreading unfounded fear of an apocalypse looming outside our door which will sully our waters to such an extent that recreation and ocean based livelihoods will be doomed. 

It is time to look ahead. It is time to support this phenomenal opportunity that Nordic Aqua Farms is offering to Belfast,  the Midcoast, Maine and the future. 

Diane Braybrook lives in Belfast