MAINE MORNING STAR • January 16, 2026
For towns like Beals, whose economies revolve around heritage fisheries, the growing number of aquaculture leases along Maine’s coast warrants vigilance and action. Thirty-three leases were approved in 2025, a 27% increase over the previous five-year average of 24. Since 2022, eight Maine towns have responded by asserting home rule over aquaculture development. As chair of the Beals select board, Glenda Beal is central to efforts to balance stewardship of heritage fisheries and the environment with the potential benefits of aquaculture. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has exclusive authority to lease submerged lands in coastal waters for aquaculture. Largescale aquaculture operations concern Beal the most because they have a demonstrated potential to inflict damage on the local environment and undermine traditional maritime uses. “The state has been erroneously deciding these things with minimal local input, and that’s not right,” Beal said.