An environmental organization is suing a major fish farming company for violating Maine's Clean Water Act.
According to ABC News, the Conservation Law Foundation alleges that Cooke Aquaculture's coastal Maine salmon farming sites pollute the water in the bay.
What's happening?
The lawsuit states that the salmon farming sites discharge "pollutants such as fish feces, dead fish, and trash into Maine's coastal waters," per ABC News. The farming sites are where salmon is raised for food in pens.
The Canadian-based company in New Brunswick claims the allegations are false and that its cages are routinely inspected and its practices comply with the law.
This lawsuit isn't the first time an environmental organization has taken action against the company. For instance, the Sierra Club Washington State Chapter wrote a letter to Washington's governor about Cooke Aquaculture's salmon spill. The agriculture company wasn't the first organization to report the incident where non-native Atlantic salmon were swimming into wild salmon's habitat.
Why is salmon farming pollution concerning?
Heather Govern, vice president of the foundation's clean air and water program, said: "These enormous salmon cages are like sewage pipes to the marine environment."
She added: "Their solid waste smothers plants and ocean life while disease outbreaks and sea lice threaten nearby endangered wild salmon."
According to The Associated Press, sea lice is a problem in the salmon farming industry. The lice attach themselves to the fish and kill or feed on them, making them unable to eat.
Salmon pollution also threatens the lobster industry, which is vast in Maine. According to the Portland Press Herald, in 2023, Maine's lobster industry brought in $464 million.
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The Guardian reported that salmon farming pollution caused the industry to lose about $50 billion globally between 2013 and 2019 due to the high fish mortality rate. The mortality rate of Scottish salmon farms jumped "from 3% in 2002 to about 13.5% in 2019," and a fifth of these deaths were due to sea lice.
According to the Sentient: "Both fecal matter and uneaten food from fish farms pollute surrounding waters with excess nitrogen and phosphorus that can lead to algal blooms, depriving the water of oxygen."
The website also noted cage systems in open waters are "more likely to spread parasites, disease, and fish waste into surrounding waters."
What's being done about salmon farming pollution?
Environmental organizations are taking action against them to hold them accountable.
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, federal and state laws exist to ensure best practices. These regulations address various issues, including structures, protecting threatened and endangered species, diseases, seafood safety, and others.
Additionally, fish are vaccinated for diseases that farmers have had issues with in the past.
Federal and state regulations are only effective when enforced, so voting for pro-climate candidates is vital to ensuring their implementation and updating.
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