Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has announced its intent to sue Cooke Aquaculture, alleging Clean Water Act violations at 13 salmon farming sites in Maine, USA.
CLF claims Cooke’s operations, which raise millions of salmon in 150 cages, pollute Maine’s bays and harm the aquaculture industry.
“These enormous salmon cages are like sewage pipes to the marine environment,” said Heather Govern, Vice President for CLF’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.”
Pollution question
Cooke Aquaculture USA Inc., which this year celebrated 20 years of salmon farming in Maine, has denied the allegations, calling them “false, misleading and lacking substantiating evidence.”
A Cooke spokesperson stated: “Cooke is in full compliance with the laws set forth by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Marine Resources and its operating permits.”
“Our Maine Atlantic salmon farms are routinely inspected by state regulators and certified by third-party sustainability organisations.”
CLF, however, argues that pollution from Cooke’s operations, including fish waste and uneaten food, damages marine ecosystems and threatens the livelihoods of lobstermen.
But Cooke maintains that its aquaculture farming provides economic benefits, employing 230 people and contributing to Maine’s working waterfronts.
It has emphasised its role in Maine’s seafood industry, citing its commitment to sustainable practices and food security.
“Finfish aquaculture has coexisted with heritage fisheries, such as lobstering, for more than 40 years. Lobster landings are not negatively affected by Atlantic salmon farms,” the company said.
