BRUNSWICK — The debate over Mere Point Oyster Co.’s application for a 40-acre lease in Maquoit Bay is more than about aquaculture – it’s also about business and principle.
Aquaculture farming can be good, provided good farming practices are followed. Oysters filter water, which cleans the bay. Oysters produce feces and pseudo-feces, which add sediments to the bay. As importantly, oyster farming activities like cleaning cages and processing create more sediment. Filtering water is good, depositing sediment is bad, especially when it negatively affects an ecosystem and eelgrass. Eelgrass beds are important because they serve as a habitat and feeding area for many fish, shellfish, waterfowl, wading birds and other wildlife.
Having researched the impact of oyster farming, I’ve found studies showing both good and bad outcomes. Basically, the jury is out on whether the benefit of oysters filtering water offsets the adverse effects of sediment deposits and farming activities. Given the uncertainty, increasing from a quarter-acre to a 40-acre farm, without understanding the impact on Maquoit Bay, is dangerous.
Maquoit Bay is a focus area of ecological significance containing eelgrass beds. Before altering the ecosystem, the effect of a 40-acre farm growing 5 million oysters with extensive farming activities must be better understood, to prevent harming the bay. I believe that a significantly smaller farm that processes oysters on land is in the best interests of all of us who care about the bay.
Growing a small business to a large commercial operation has less than a 10 percent chance of success. According to the lease application, Mere Point Oyster forecasts losing over $55,000 this year. The company has no proven track record of running a large commercial farming operation. Expanding from a small quarter-acre farm to a large 40-acre commercial operation with only three years of part-time experience is concerning.
For comparison, Mook Sea Farms grew slowly, over 30 years, before operating 42 acres. Additionally, the lease size and 10-year transferable term make the lease very attractive to sell to a larger, out-of-state commercial shellfish company. Selling an operating lease provides a significant payout and profit to the owners.
From a business perspective, the Mere Point Oyster application benefits the owners at the expense of many Mainers, especially those who fish, boat and enjoy Maquoit Bay.
On principle, the Mere Point Oyster lease application process and farm site selection were flawed. According to the Department of Marine Resources, lease applicants are required to communicate their intentions to the public. The company seems to have been very secretive about its expansion plans and did not disclose its intentions in its summer letter or when meeting with neighbors.
Maquoit Bay is a shallow bay. The farm’s 40-acre size and placement in the limited deep water impede navigation, fishing and recreational activities. For context, the farm site occupies about 10 percent of Brunswick’s deep water, is an excellent fishing area and is offshore from the most densely populated area on the bay. Also, that the town harbor master is an owner of Mere Point Oyster is a clear conflict of interest. The lack of company transparency and conflicts caused by the farm size and location are major concerns.
I am an advocate of aquaculture and oyster farming when they’re good for all parties. This does not appear to be an aquaculture lease application for a fisherman trying to make a living or a lobsterman trying to diversify his or her income. This lease application is a large-scale commercial lease for owners with day jobs. It is a lease that encumbers the public and may be harmful to Maquoit Bay.
If approved, the lease will be the second-largest commercial oyster farming operation in Maine and expands current operations too big, too fast. The lease location and terms benefit the business owners at the expense of the public: commercial fishermen, sailors, Brunswick residents, neighbors and the state of Maine at large. I believe the lease size, location and terms should be revised for the benefit of all who use the bay.
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