"Lobstermen and salmon conservationists say industrial aquaculture is ruining the health of Maine’s waters and threatening its fishing heritage."
"Glenda Beal’s roots in lobstering run nearly as deep as her roots in the town that shares her name: Beals Island, Maine. Her husband and two sons are lobstermen, as were her father and uncle, both grandfathers and a few generations before that.
“Our economy runs on lobster fishing, predominantly,” said Beal, 60, a descendant of one of the island’s original settlers.
It’s a tough industry in which to make a living, Beal said, and the three salmon farming operations in nearby Eastern Bay only make it tougher. She said her community’s lobstermen have noticed barren and polluted waters, damaged gear, floating trash and, on one occasion, dead salmon washed up on their shorelines, and they believe aquaculture is to blame.
The corporation that owns these operations, Cooke Aquaculture, a Canadian multinational based in Saint John, New Brunswick, is being sued for business practices alleged to harm the environment, local fisheries and tourism."
Sydney Cromwell reports for Inside Climate News September 24, 2026.
