Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation (protectmaine.com) wants to prevent “foreign corporate ownership of our public waters in the state of Maine” and has hired Drummond Woodsum law firm to draft a moratorium ordinance and a model aquaculture ordinance, a consultant for the foundation told Wiscasset selectmen June 3. Bailey Bowden said the foundation will be in town talking with residents, including fishermen and shellfish harvesters, to gauge interest.

He is picking up a prior contractor's work doing that, he said. 

“If there is (interest), we may be back to see you again at some point. If there isn't, I will head down the highway to the next town that might be interested,” Bowden said.

He said the foundation opposes industrial-scale, but firmly supports "small-scale, owner-operated, properly sited," aquaculture. Bowden was speaking in public comment after canceling a prior appearance due to illness.

Selectman James Andretta asked if Bowden was talking about aquaculture on land or water. Bowden replied, the foundation's "really right now more concerned with water-based stuff. As long as land-based aquaculture meets all state and federal discharge requirements, we really don't have an issue with that." He said Maine allows one entity to lease up to 10 contiguous, 100-acre portions of ocean, "so that is ... a thousand acres .... which we think is a little excessive and we would rather see small, mom and pop-scale operations.

"You guys decide what that scale is," Bowden continued. "That's totally up to you. Our ordinance just throws out there five acres as a a lease and you can have unlimited leases but it's (about) trying to keep it small and let the town be able to have some sort of control over how big these aquaculture operations get.

"Sounds reasonable," Selectman Pamela Dunning said. She told Bowden he could check the town's website (wiscasset.gov) for any time the topic is on the agenda. Members did not comment further.

At maineaqua.org, Maine Aquaculture Association takes partial credit for growth in aquaculture production in Maine. Applying for a lease is a "rigorous process (with) multiple public meetings including public hearings, pre-hearing meetings, notification of local landowners within 1,000 feet of a proposed site, marking of the proposed lease area, and on-site inspections to determine any possible effects on commercially and ecologically significant species, traditional fisheries, the ecosystem and all other uses," the website states.

Responding to a request for comment on Bowden's statements and Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation's efforts in Wiscasset, MAA Executive Director Sebastian Belle noted no one "owns" the space occupied and leased for aquaculture in Maine. "Leases are temporary permits to occupy an area and conduct certain, highly regulated aquaculture activities. Lease holders must sign a legal contract with the state, agree to have their activities monitored by multiple state and federal agencies and agree to comply with the specific conditions that are imposed on them as part of the contract they sign. Leases can be revoked at any time if the lease holder violates the conditions of their contract or any other law or condition they are required to comply with under both state and federal law."

Town Manager Dennis Simmons confirmed June 5, "any moratorium or ordinance would need voter approval" and, if selectmen considered a potential aquaculture ordinance, he would expect them to have the ordinance review committee look at it.

Regarding Bowden's statement about Maine's allowing an entity to lease 1,000 acres of ocean, Maine's Department of Marine Resources aquaculture regulations at maine.gov state in part, "No lease may be granted that results in (an entity's) leases covering an aggregate of more than 1,000 acres."

In the night's business June 3, selectmen agreed to tap contingency for work on the recently determined dangerous building at 16 Lee St. Simmons said the owner's lawyer said the man cannot pay for the work, expected to cost about $20,000.

Selectmen named Grace Greene to the climate action team and nodded a business license for Lorraine Seymour, LLC as Bridge2Heaven Healing, 49 Water St.; and commercial waste disposal hauler's licenses for Alna-based Dave's Disposal and Chelsea-based Riverside Disposal.

Chair Sarah Whitfield thanked Dunning and Selectman Terry Heller for their service on the board. Dunning has sought re-election; Heller has not. And Whitfield reminded residents to vote June 10 in elections and town meeting at the polls.