Kingfish Maine wins crucial vote as town rejects aquaculture moratorium

Jonesport residents overwhelmingly approve the RAS facility’s presence

Kingfish Maine, the U.S. business arm of Netherlands-based The Kingfish Company, announced that Jonesport, the site of its planned land-based aquaculture facility, received the community support it needed to proceed with its application.

Town residents on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted down a proposed moratorium on aquaculture projects – a movement that is delaying other aquaculture projects in the state – by a 201 to 91 vote.

“We are grateful for the overwhelming local support at the town vote,” said Ohad Maiman, CEO, The Kingfish Company, in a news release. “When we chose the Jonesport site, we spent significant time getting to know the community and making certain we were welcome. This vote confirms that that we have made the right choice. We will continue to share our plans and activity with full transparency as we always have, and look forward to be a good neighbor and partner to the entire Jonesport community.”

“The defeat of the moratorium demonstrates that town residents have confidence in Jonesport’s Planning Board and the existing town ordinances,” said Megan Sorby, Kingfish Maine operations manager. “We have said from the beginning we want to be in a town that will welcome us as a collaborating business partner, one that will provide jobs and economic benefits to the community. We are thrilled to see the confidence of this town in their own town government and in the potential of this project in Jonesport.”

The Jonesport Planning Board accepted Kingfish Maine’s building application and continues its review of the application. Another Planning Board review meeting is set for Aug. 2. The company said that the application is the last of the critical approvals needed for the Jonesport project. Kingfish Maine has received all Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP) and US Army Corp of Engineers permits for its proposed recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility projected to produce 6,000 to 8,000 metric tons of yellowtail annually.

“We are grateful for the continued support we receive from the town of Jonesport and look forward to working with the Planning Board as we proceed through the municipal process,” said Sorby.

The Kingfish Company, the first land-based farm to receive Best Aquaculture Practices certification and the first Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified source of yellowtail kingfish.

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