Jonesport zoning change gives Kingfish Maine 30 months to begin work on aquaculture plant

MAINE MONITOR • October 1, 2026

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection approved changes to Jonesport’s Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, giving Kingfish Maine Inc. 30 months to begin construction on a proposed land-based aquaculture plant on Chandler Bay. The state’s Shoreland Zoning Act generally requires a project to reach 30 percent completion within one year. The DEP also allowed Jonesport to broaden the definition of “substantial start” for Kingfish, requiring the company to show only “tangible evidence of physical work on the site.” Kingfish Maine is the U.S. subsidiary of the Netherlands-based aquaculture firm The Kingfish Co., which uses a land-based recirculating aquaculture system to raise yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), a fish that inhabits warm waters and is native to Australia.