Letter To The Editor, Courier-Gazette
Are there any other industries in Maine that are allowed to grow with no set limits? Right now, aquaculture leasing is designed this way. There is no cap on the number of leases that the state can issue. The number of aquaculture applications has increased ten-fold over the last ten years, and the Department of Marine Resources has approved 99% of these marine applications. The current regulations will lead to the unsustainable growth of a new industry which is untested along our coast.
As a sternman in Martinsville, the people I fish alongside have strict limits. Lobstermen can't sell their licenses, and are only allowed to fish within their zones, with specified trap limits. The rules and regulations lobstermen abide by are aimed at sustaining a valuable industry. In-water aquaculture has no such limits. Those seeking aquaculture leases can lease up to 1,000 acres. The leases can be held for 20 years and can be transferred without a mandatory public hearing.
We are just at the beginning of the increase in approved leases and aquaculture farms being established on the water. Not all of those approved sites are on the water now, and there are plenty more in the pipeline. Essentially, what you see today is a sliver of what could easily exist in the next few years.
The current aquaculture leasing process gives a new industry an unfair advantage over those who already use the water for their livelihoods. Fishermen have to deal with restrictions on the number of licenses issued, catch limits, and area restrictions. Why should it be different for aquaculture leasing?
There is no prediction on how successful these operations will be. However, we do know that fisheries like the lobster fishery are major contributors to our local and state economy. Our coast could soon be full of hundreds of aquaculture leases, competing for physical space in the ocean with these traditional and valuable uses.
Fishermen have always shared Maine waters with other uses, moving gear from place to place to avoid conflicts and to find the best catch. The unchecked growth in the number of privately leased areas does not coincide with this shared use of a public resource. Unregulated aquaculture expansion threatens the ability of the thousands of fishermen who earn a living on the water. Less physical water to fish negatively impacts future earnings.
Aquaculture is new to our coast and Maine's rules aren’t ready to guide it in the right direction. It is up to our legislators to create better rules and regulations to establish a sustainable scale and pace of growth for this industry. For those who spend time on Maine's coast, it is our responsibility to ensure the State protects our public waters.
Kelsey Fenwick
Martinsville