Fishing for a future, part 2

The second article of my two-part series on aquaculture recently was published in Mainebiz.

Fishing for a future, part 2: Facing mounting costs and restricted access, Maine fishermen find new opportunities in a growing aquaculture industry

This piece looks primarily at Maine's aquaculture industry, and the increasing number of fishermen who are joining the ranks of the state's fish farmers.

My first article in the series explored aquaculture's move offshore and how one innovative Maine company is gaining a reputation in the global aquaculture industry, and can be read here.

Illegal fish farm pesticides blamed for lobster deaths in New Brunswick

Environment Canada is investigating the use of an illegal pesticide, Cypermethrin, at salmon farms in New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy after tests revealed that dead lobsters had been exposed to the chemical, according to a report today from the CBC.

The pesticide is used in European fish farms to combat sea lice, but it is illegal to use in Canadian waters, according to the CBC.

 

The pesticide is known to be harmful to lobsters. The investigation was launched in response to a number of dead or weak lobsters that were discovered last fall in the Bay of Fundy. 

 

New Brunswick's aquaculture industry denies its salmon farms use Cypermethrin. "We want the public to know that salmon farmers are extremely diligent at protecting the marine environment," Pamela Parker, executive director of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association, told the CBC. "This is where we grow our fish, too."

 

In 1996, Cypermethrin was found in the Bay of Fundy and blamed for the death of 50,000 lobsters, the CBC reported.