Norway-headquartered aquaculture firm Nordic Aquafarms has abandoned its years-long fight to build a recirculating aquaculture system [RAS] salmon farm in Belfast, Maine, U.S.A.
"It’s a sad day for Maine’s economy and the outlook for aquaculture and any significant investment in the state," Nordic Aquafarms U.S. CEO Brenda Chandler said in a release. "While a few may view this as a victory, we argue that this is a significant loss overall, not just for Nordic Aquafarms but for the community. The expanded tax base for Belfast was significant; new jobs for the area were significant; and Maine’s leadership in aquaculture-born solutions is also significant.”
The nearly seven-year battle has centered on a stretch of oceanfront intertidal zone through which Nordic would need to build pipelines to complete the project.
Andrew Stevenson, the press secretary for the Friends of the Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area, which comprises the disputed land, said that Nordic’s decision to abandon the project was “good news,” though he called for the company to ...
