Protect Maine urges local aquaculture moratorium; lawmakers and ex-DMR official disagree on need

A citizens' group seeking a pause on new aquaculture leases presented to selectmen and urged local action to manage lease growth.

At the May 2 meeting, Protect Maine spokesperson Mark Gallaher described efforts in other towns and legal questions raised by attorneys Drummond and Woodsum. Jon Lewis, a former head of the Department of Marine Resources' aquaculture division, warned of risks in lease approval volume. Representative Genevieve McDonald, who serves on the Marine Resources committee, corrected some technical points from Lewis and described the state-level application and public-notice processes.

The selectmen did not enact a moratorium but asked town counsel and MMA legal for review of Protect Maine materials to understand what, if any, local regulatory authority exists. TM Billings circulated the materials to the town attorney and requested guidance.

Selectmen balanced concerns about lease volume with the statutory authority of towns to regulate intertidal uses and concluded legal review was necessary before any local ordinance or moratorium could be considered.

Next steps: The town attorney and MMA legal counsel will review Protect Maine's materials and advise the selectmen on whether local moratorium authority exists and what criteria would be legally defensible.