Former Mearl site eyed by land-based fish farm company

A proposal by a land-based salmon farming company to lease part of the property at the former Mearl Corporation site at Broad Cove in Eastport has been made to the Eastport Port Authority. The port authority has been considering purchasing the property from the current owner, BASF, which acquired the property when it took over the Engelhard Corporation in June 2006.

The port authority board of directors, at their July 16 meeting, heard from Clearwater Aquaculture representative Ed Dugay of Cherryfield. Clearwater, which is based in Georgia, where it is growing freshwater shrimp, is interested in leasing over half of the 18-acre parcel from the port authority. The three partners in Clearwater are from Georgia, Connecticut and Norway. In the early 1990s in Norway, the Norwegian partner, John Strandabo, developed the largest land-based salmon farming system in the world. The company has been marketing Norwegian salmon in the U.S. but realizes it would be less expensive to raise the fish in this country. Clearwater has been working with the whole foods industry for marketing the fish.

Dugay says the company has looked at other sites in Maine, but one advantage of the Eastport site is that it is near sea level, so water would not have to be pumped up that far. Clearwater would grow the salmon in 60-foot diameter tanks using a closed-loop system and is looking at growing about 100 metric tons of salmon by the third year of operation. Water would be filtered both when it is taken from the bay and when it is returned. Excess feed and salmon waste would be removed from the tanks, and the salmon would not be given any antibiotics or drugs. The company would be employing about 14 people and would seek to partner with Cooke Aquaculture for processing the fish. Dugay said the partners are looking for a letter of interest from the board.

Board chairman George Finch noted that Cooke Aquaculture is growing 600,000 salmon in Broad Cove and the cove does not have good flushing action. He and other board members questioned whether there could be concerns about the possible exchanging of diseases between the two fish farms. According to Dugay, land-based salmon farms have never had an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia.

No action on the request was taken by the board.
The port authority has been offered first refusal on the Broad Cove property. According to Port Director Chris Gardner, the port authority is looking at the property for possible future expansion with the shipment of other commodities. "There's nothing too substantial right now," he says, noting that the port has been looking at shipping other cargoes from aggregate to wood chips. "We need more room if we ever hope to entertain other customers beyond Domtar," he says.

Variance request withdrawn
The port authority's request for a zoning variance from the zoning board of appeals for the former Rinaldi lot on Washington St. has been withdrawn. The port authority is planning to divide the property and sell the apartment building, and it appeared as though as variance was needed because the building would not meet minimum lot size requirements. Following a meeting of the zoning board on July 10, Code Enforcement Officer Robert Scott determined that a variance is not needed for dividing the parcel because the building is a two-story, not three-story, building. The minimum lot size for a two-story building is 12,500 square feet; for a three-story structure it is 25,000 square feet. At a zoning board hearing concerning the request on July 16, some board members disagreed that the building is a two-story structure. An appeal of Scott's ruling can be made to the zoning board.
According to Scott, eight parking spaces will be needed for the apartment building, and the parking plan will have to be approved by the planning board.

Other action
At the port authority meeting, Gardner reported that the port authority's new tugboat, the Sea Ranger, has been delivered. It will be used for assisting smaller vessels and helping with pier maintenance. He stated that federal funds will be needed for long-term repair of the breakwater. Gardner has met with Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives to discuss possible funding to repair the fish pier, which was damaged during the Patriot's Day storm, and the Coast Guard Station roof.

Federal Marine Terminals Manager Skip Rogers reported that 183,039 metric tons has been shipped through the port so far this year. At the mid-year point, the port is on track to reach the anticipated 360,000 tons of export cargo this year. He has been discussing with Gardner possible new business opportunities, including forest and farm products and project cargoes. Rogers noted that Domtar Industries has closed its governmental affairs office in Augusta.