BOAT PARADE TO PROTEST INDUSTRIAL SALMON FARM IN FRENCHMAN BAY

(HANCOCK, Maine) – “A Save the Bay Flotilla” to protest American Aquafarms’ proposal to put

30 massive salmon pens in the waters of Frenchman Bay just off Acadia National Park is being

organized for Sunday, August 29. All working and recreational boats from around the bay are

invited to participate.

The event has been organized by local restauranteur and businesswoman Leslie Harlow, who

said: “The synergy of tourism, lobstering, owner – operator independent aquaculture

operations, and recreational boating works beautifully on Frenchman Bay. A proposal of this

magnitude threatens all of that.”

Boats will gather near one of the two proposed sixty-acre pen sites off The Hop (Long

Porcupine) at 9:30 a.m. From there the flotilla will proceed to the proposed industrial

aquaculture site and then parade through Bar Harbor before dispersing. Lobstermen, pleasure

boaters, kayakers, and owners of all kinds of working and recreational watercraft are

encouraged to join and to fly signs and banners in opposition to the project.

Hancock Lobsterman and Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation board member Zach

Piper said, “Without question, this project has the potential to devastate the lobster industry in

this area. We need to make sure this never happens and then fix the rules and regulations that

got us here in the first place. If we don’t stop this project, it will be only the beginning of selling

our entire coastline to out-of-state investors who don’t care one bit about our heritage or jobs

like mine that depend on a healthy, clean environment.”

Harlow is working on this event in conjunction with Frenchman Bay United, a coalition of

groups and individuals working to stop the American Aquafarms project. More information can

be found at frenchmanbayunited.org.