Jul. 27—American Aquafarms Inc. has dropped its lawsuit challenging the Department of Marine Resources' rejection of its application to operate a fish farm in Frenchman Bay.
But a spokesman for the company, which is funded by Norwegian investors, told the Press Herald Tuesday evening that the fish farm project is needed to support world food supply chains and that the company will submit a new application in the near future. He could not be more specific about the timeline.
"Absolutely. We want to come back. This is a good project," Tom Brennan, Director of Development for American Aquaculture said in a telephone interview. "It's state of the art technology and the world needs a reliable food source. Aquaculture is the way to do it."
Dropping the lawsuit is the company's way of showing it wants to open a dialogue with the state and the fishing community, he said. "We want conversation, not conflict."
Attorneys for American Aquafarms filed a stipulation to dismiss the lawsuit — with prejudice — Monday in Cumberland County Superior Court. Dismissing the civil suit with prejudice means the company cannot refile the same claim and must start the permitting process from scratch. The company's petition to dismiss was approved by the Maine Attorney General's Office as well as attorneys for intervenors in the matter and the lawyers representing American Aquafarms, according to court documents.
"As an intervenor on behalf of the Maine DMR, Frenchman Bay United agreed to the dismissal of this lawsuit," Henry Sharpe, President of Frenchman Bay United, said in a statement. "We have always believed that DMR made the right decision in refusing to accept the company's lease applications and that this lawsuit had little merit. We again call on American Aquafarms to end any plans it may have to reapply for permits for this or other destructive and highly polluting projects."
Local lobster harvesters have expressed concerns that the farm would compromise valuable fishing grounds, while environmental groups feared there would be negative impacts on the local ecosystem. Others worried that putting an industrialized aquaculture operation at the foot of Acadia National Park could harm tourism.
American Aquafarms filed its lawsuit against the Department of Marine Resources on May 19. In its complaint, American Aquafarms alleges that the department's decision was not supported by evidence. It also claims that the department spoke with a third party without its knowledge just days before the decision, violating American Aquafarms' right to due process.