Dear Editor: 

In a recent opinion piece, Camden Reiss of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage claimed that Maine is “selling our waters to industrial scale aquaculture.” The truth is that Maine has rigorous aquaculture laws and regulations that support responsible growth. 

There are 193 aquaculture leases along Maine’s 3,500 miles of coastline. The total footprint is less than 2,000 acres out of 3.5 million acres of Maine territorial waters. By law, no lease site in Maine may exceed 100 acres and no individual or company may own more than 1,000 acres, yet the average lease size is less than 10 acres.

Mr. Reiss claims that leased areas are getting bigger, but this year, the average size of granted leases is less than 5.5 acres. 

He also claims that 95% of lease applications are granted. However, in 2024 the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has granted 29 leases or lease modifications and denied six. Seven proposals were terminated by DMR for failure to meet required processing steps or were withdrawn by the applicant. If you look at the math, 69% of lease applications are granted. 

Applications are denied if they fail to meet established decision criteria that protect land-owner access, navigation, fishing, recreational use and the ecosystem. For example, if a lease is proposed for an area utilized by other marine harvesters the law requires that the lease be denied. 

And there is science supporting lease decisions. Every lease proposal requires a site report which is written by DMR scientists after conducting field visits incorporating underwater surveys and consulting with state and local officials. 

DMR recently held five listening sessions to hear directly from the public about the growth of the aquaculture sector and 360 people participated. Consistently, DMR was told that the criteria are appropriate and the process for granting leases is robust. However, many members of the aquaculture industry, including individuals who also participate in wild fisheries, expressed frustration with the two to three-year wait for a final decision.  

Aquaculture products from Maine including shellfish, Atlantic salmon and seaweed are responsibly managed, sustainably cultivated, and subject to Maine’s rigorous laws and regulations. 

J. Kohl Kanwit 

Maine Department of Marine Resources