Acadia Is No Place for Industrial Fish Farming

NPCA worked closely with local groups and community members in sharing our concerns and opposition to this massive, incompatible project.

Acadia is one of the most visited national parks in the country, a premier outdoor destination where millions of visitors travel each year to enjoy historic carriage roads, rugged granite peaks, forests of spruce and fir, and iconic views of coastal Maine.

Here, a Norwegian-funded fish farming company had applied to lease 120 acres in the scenic waters of Frenchman Bay to build an industrial farm that would raise 66 million pounds of salmon every year.

This farm, if built, would have been one of the largest offshore fish farms in the world and would forever change the way of life in this coastal area of Maine. An operation of this size and type has never before been permitted in the United States.

If approved, the company, American Aquafarms, Inc., would install 30 floating deep-water fish pens that would discharge more than 4 billion gallons of untreated wastewater into Frenchman Bay daily.

That’s three times the total amount of discharge from all New York City’s sewer treatment plants per day.

The excess nitrogen, phosphorous, ammonium and other chemicals from this untreated effluent could degrade water quality, affecting federally endangered Atlantic Salmon and increasing the risk of harmful algae blooms.

This fish farm would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with diesel-powered pumps and generators, just 2,000 feet from the park, in a space used for boating, fishing and swimming.

These waters aren’t just a beautiful sight for visitors. They hold deep historical and cultural significance for the Wabanaki people who have lived here for thousands of years. They also support family-run fishing operations and other local businesses, and contribute to the region’s vital $300 million tourism economy.

Thank you for speaking up and supporting NPCA and our partners at Frenchman Bay United to stop this unnecessary industrial farm to protect Acadia National Park for generations to come.