Conservationists intend to sue the owner of numerous Maine salmon farms over alleged water pollution.
The Conservation Law Foundation announced Thursday that it intends to file a lawsuit against Cooke Aquaculture USA in U.S. District Court in Maine.
In its letter informing Cooke of the organization’s intent to sue, the Conservation Law Foundation alleged that Cooke has violated the Clean Water Act at 13 ocean salmon pen sites around Swans Island, Eastern Bay, Machias Bay and Cobscook Bay.
That includes the discharge of fish fecal matter; uneaten food pellets; dead and escaped fish; sea lice; viruses; trash, including discarded ropes, plastic bags, tubes and platforms, and net pen pieces; blood; nutrients, such as nitrogen; and chemicals in violation of or in excess of Cooke’s permits, according to the Conservation Law Foundation.
“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. We need to enforce our federal laws to protect Maine’s bays and communities.”
Andrew Blunt, an advocate for the Sierra Club’s Maine chapter, called Maine’s coastal waters one of the state’s “most treasured ecosystems,” saying companies like Cooke are a “huge threat” to Mainers who make their living on the water or who recreate there.
“New evidence documenting Cooke’s chronic violations further illustrates Cooke’s ongoing pattern of disregard for the laws of this state. If Cooke wants to operate in Maine, they should start playing by the rules or be hit with larger fines that finally get their attention,” Dwayne Shaw, executive director of the Downeast Salmon Federation, said in a Thursday statement.
In a Thursday night statement, Cooke Aquaculture “vehemently” denied Conservation Law Foundation’s allegations, calling them “false, misleading and lack[ing] any substantiating evidence.”
Cooke maintains it is in “full compliance” with state laws and its permits. The company said its sites are regularly inspected and audited by the state and third-party sustainability organizations.
“Cooke is proud of its contributions to Maine’s iconic seafood industry by providing a local, nutritious, affordable source of protein to consumers throughout Maine, New England and the United States. Providing food security and being a responsible player in Maine’s food-farming system are at the core of Cooke’s values,” the company said in its statement.
New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture is one of the largest privately owned seafood companies in the world. It has 13 ocean salmon pen sites in Maine, each comprising six to 30 cages, where it raises tens of thousands of fish. The cages float on the surface and are anchored to the ocean floor. Cooke has operated in Maine for nearly 20 years and employs 230 people across the state.
“Aquaculture farming is an economic engine for Maine’s working waterfronts with Atlantic salmon aquaculture being a major source of employment for residents of Downeast Maine,” Cooke said in the statement.
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In its notice, the Conservation Law Foundation said its intent is to “prevent further degradation of Maine’s coastal waters and to bring Cooke into compliance with the Clean Water Act.”
The organization said that Cooke could resolve the issues by hiring more workers and experts to ensure more frequent monitoring and inspections, maintain and clean equipment, and mitigate environmental impacts.
The Conservation Law Foundation intends to file the lawsuit within 60 days if the issues cannot be resolved through negotiations.