Just a few weeks ago, a seventh lawsuit was filed against Nordic Aquafarms, the Norwegian company that aims to build a $500 million industrial salmon farm in Belfast. As concerned Mainers, we must support our local communities and stand strong in the face of moneyed interests.

Industrial-scale projects like the one proposed by Nordic Aquafarms involve salmon or other finned fish packed in nets and cages. The fish are fed antibiotics and pesticides, and these operations would have destructive impacts on the natural environment. Aside from the accumulation of antibiotics and pesticides, fish waste, excess feed and other contaminants can leach into the water, threatening our marine ecosystems, fisheries, tourism industry and public health.

Aquaculture can and should be rooted in the local environment, and so we need to work to make sure that aquaculture practices are respectful of all that Maine is proud to offer. I’m all for responsible fish farming practices that are embedded in local knowledge and that advance Maine’s own interests. But, to corporations like Nordic Aquafarms, whose operation in Maine would bring harm and ruin, we need to stand up and say “No.”

Sarah Chang
Lewiston