After learning the activist group Protect Downeast has appealed the decision of the City of Jonesport to approve the Kingfish Maine project, WeAreAquaculture spoke with Megan Sorby, Operations Manager for Kingfish Maine, to get the company's take on this court action. "We are disappointed to see that this group, financially backed by wealthy land owners who have sued the town of Jonesport multiple times in the past, continue to ignore the will of the town, who wants Kingfish", she has told us.
In the announcement of the appeal, Beth Boepple from Murray Plumb and Murray said that "the good people of Jonesport sought guidance from the state on this project but at every turn, the state failed them". However, contrary to what Protect Downeast's attorney stated, Sorby has recalled that Jonesport has repeatedly supported this project and rejected a moratorium on aquaculture by a 2-1 margin last summer.
"Through thorough review and issuance of a permit with ongoing reporting requirements, the town clearly shows they are capable of interpreting and implementing their own ordinances", has stated Kingfish Maine Operations Manager. "We cannot fathom how this opposition group feels they know better and continues to try and impose their agenda above the town, particularly when their first appeal to the Jonesport Board of Appeals was unanimously denied".
In previous statements to WeAreAquaculture, Megan Sorby already warned that aquaculture opponents are trying to take authority away from regulatory agencies that have granted permits for projects that have met all permitting criteria. Very blunt, she followed the same line in her statement today. "Their arguments remain frivolous and frankly, this is a group of wealthy individuals who wish to deprive this community and this area of economic development", she has told us.
In conclusion, the Kingfish Maine Operations Manager has assured that as an interested party in this appeal, the company "will continue to support the town in defending their right to interpret and issue permits under their ordinances". Meanwhile, it continues the work and, pending construction of its recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) facility in Jonesport, Kingfish Maine is currently operating at the University of Maine's Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) in Franklin.
Kingfish Maine is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kingfish Company, a pioneer and leader in sustainable land-based aquaculture. In its site in Jonesport, Maine, located near Chandler Bay, it will deploy the same advanced technology and operational excellence proven at the company's facility in the Netherlands. In early April 2023, the company achieved its first harvest. Once the Jonesport facility is fully operational, it is expected to produce 8500 metric tons of yellowtail. Thus, Kingfish Maine will become the largest producer of yellowtail kingfish in the U.S. and will provide local sustainable seafood products for North American retailers and food service providers daily.
