Nordic Aquafarms to stop pursuing Belfast fish farm project

MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025

Nordic Aquafarms announced Friday that it will no longer pursue its land-based salmon farm in Belfast, after years of legal challenges from opponents. The company said it has spent tens of millions of dollars on the project, and secured local, state and federal permits; calling the decision a sad day for the Maine economy and aquaculture industry. But the project faced legal setbacks when trying to secure access to Penobscot Bay to draw water and discharge wastewater. Upstream Watch, which has long opposed the project, said it is a huge win for the city, and that the project was ill-conceived, and would have polluted Penobscot Bay.