Why ban fish farming?

Much has been said about the aquaculture industry in recent years, but much of what is said is not good. The pressures facing aquaculture today are, in the least, immense, overwhelming, disturbing and saddening. In the early 1980s, Maine was poised to become a world leader in salmonid production.

Back then, growing fish, instead of catching wild fish, was a great and novel idea to everyone. Less pressure on wild stocks would benefit the natural fishery, the environment, fishermen and anglers. Today, the aquaculture industry has become the scapegoat of a number of different problems, such as the diminishing of wild salmon stocks and disease. In reality, some of these problems are the result of overfishing, environmental woes like acid rain, and a warmer climate. The end result of this blame game is a growing list of regulations that will doom the industry, at least in Maine.

The purpose of this commentary is to shed light on this tough issue, and for me personally, a plea, to ask you the person, the legislator, the sportsmen, the concerned Maine citizen, and last, but not least, the environmentalist, to look at aquaculture differently. I am a second-generation fish farm owner and manager in northern Maine, and before you assume I may be one-sided on these issues, let me prove that I am not. I am a strong believer that change is good, and I have cooperated with government agencies to the fullest extent, even though at times I felt new rules and regulations were too strict and costly. I have been an active participant in the rule-making process, driving hundreds of miles a day, many times a year to Augusta, most of the time at my own expense.

Over the years, pressures from environmental groups, coastal communities and government agencies brought on new laws and regulations. Unfortunately, small businesses like my own struggle under these new regulations because we don’t have the money or the resources. Although some regulation is needed, the level of regulation today is unbearable.

What most people do not know is that under most circumstances, regulatory laws are created and enforced in a one-size-fits-all format. This puts a small business at an extreme disadvantage, as our regulatory cost ratio is significantly higher than that of big business. Everybody means well, but in the end, the only businesses left standing will be the huge multinational corporations that will shift production to other countries when the pressure becomes unbearable for them here.

So, where does that leave Maine? Twenty years from now our children won’t even know Maine was a leading producer of salmon and trout. To them, salmon will be a fine imported fish. So, the next time you petition lawmakers or lobby to have the aquaculture industry regulated further, keep in mind that you will also be deciding the fate of another small farm in Maine.

Our state has some of the best resources in the world for growing fish, and it’s terrible to hear people say there should be a moratorium on fish farms. Salmon and trout are food, and food needs to come from somewhere. Why not Maine?

Gary Picard is the owner and manager of Mountain Springs Trout Farm in Frenchville.