Protect Maine asks Stonington to consider aquaculture moratorium; state representative offers procedural clarifications

Members of a group identified as Protect Maine asked the Selectmen to consider a local moratorium on aquaculture leasing, arguing that an influx of lease applications and state-level processes could harm inshore fisheries.

At a May meeting, Mark Gallaher of Protect Maine outlined concerns and cited legal interpretations provided by Drummond and Woodsum. Jon Lewis, a former Department of Marine Resources official, expressed worries about lease volume and resource impacts. Rep. Genevieve McDonald, attending as a state representative, corrected aspects of the presenters’ descriptions of the legislative and Department of Marine Resources (DMR) processes and emphasized public-notice elements that are part of the state review.

Selectmen and the Town Manager said they had forwarded Protect Maine materials to municipal legal counsel and the Maine Municipal Association for advice on what regulatory steps a town could lawfully take. The Selectmen tabled formal action while awaiting legal guidance and noted the technical complexity of aquaculture regulation and the need to clarify local authority before proposing a moratorium.