MAINE PUBLIC • April 13, 2021
Tensions over Maine's aquaculture industry again spilled into the Legislature on Tuesday as lawmakers held a public hearing on a proposal that would conduct a broad review of the way state regulators' approve leases. The bill is a concept draft that seeks a sweeping overhaul and review of how aquaculture projects are vetted and approved by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Critics say the approval process of projects along Maine's vast coastline is too permissive, resulting in sprawling aquaculture farms that conflict with the state's traditional fishing industries, such as lobstering. Workers and business owners in aquaculture say the bill is a disingenuous ploy that could stifle growth in an industry worth roughly $2 billion in 2019.