Aquaculture project could lift status of US salmon farming
PORTLAND, Maine — A Norwegian firm’s plan to build one of the world’s largest inland salmon aquaculture facilities in Maine has a chance to raise American salmon farming’s status on the international stage, people who follow the industry say.
Nordic Aquafarms wants to build a facility that would produce more than 60 million pounds of salmon per year. The state typically produces between 18 and 35 million pounds of the fish per year, and production has ebbed and flowed, said Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association.
Maine is the biggest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the U.S., but the U.S. is a relatively minor player in the worldwide industry. Potentially doubling the state’s production capacity would significantly alter the landscape.
“They are taking a big risk, a big chance. Time will tell whether or not they are going to be successful,” Belle said. “They are certainly very confident in their ability to do so.”