An environmental group files intent to sue a salmon farmer for pollution off Maine's coast
An environmental organization has served a notice of intent to sue one of the world’s largest aquaculture companies for violations of the Clean Water Act in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine — An environmental organization has served a notice of intent to sue one of the world's largest aquaculture companies for violations of the Clean Water Act in Maine — allegations the fish farmer ardently denies.
Conservation Law Foundation contends Cooke Aquaculture's salmon farming sites off the Maine coast pollute the state's bays, where lobster fishing is a key industry. The farms consist of pens in the ocean where Atlantic salmon are grown for use as food.
The Boston-based law foundation stated in its Thursday notice that it was suing Cooke in a Maine federal court to bring the company into compliance. It states that the company discharges pollutants such as fish feces, dead fish and trash into Maine's coastal waters.
“These enormous salmon cages are like sewage pipes to the marine environment,” said Heather Govern, vice president for the foundation's clean air and water program. “Their solid waste smothers plants and ocean life while disease outbreaks and sea lice threaten nearby endangered wild salmon."
Cooke swiftly denied the allegations, and company representatives said the firm fully complies with the laws. The company, based in New Brunswick, Canada, issued a statement that said the farms are “routinely inspected by state regulators and subject to regular monitoring reports” to ensure compliance.
“Finfish aquaculture has coexisted with heritage fisheries, such as lobstering, in Maine waters for more than 40 years. Lobster landings are not negatively affected by Atlantic salmon farms,” the company said in a statement.
Cooke is a
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