Senate enacts Vitelli bill to move land-based aquaculture oversight back to the Department of Marine Resources

A bill introduced by Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, would move oversight of land-based aquaculture back to the Department of Marine Resources. LD 1763, “An Act To Transfer Responsibility for Licensing of Land-based Aquaculture from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Marine Resources,” was unanimously enacted in a vote in the Maine Senate on Monday.

“Marine resources are marine resources, regardless of whether they’re located in tanks on land or out at sea, and should be overseen as such,” said Sen. Vitelli. “It is best for both the industry and our ecosystems for DMR to house the permitting authority and oversight of land-based aquaculture again.”

From 2009 to 2017, the DMR was the permitting authority for land-based aquaculture. The transfer to DACF in 2017 was intended to leverage DACF’s resources for promotion of Maine-made food products, food safety, and technical assistance to growers. Since the transfer, there have been concerns primarily in three areas, according to DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher at a recent public hearing on LD 1763:

“A. Risk of accidental or intentional introduction of marine organisms or marine organism products into the coastal waters of the State;

“B. Risk of the introduction or spread of disease within the State; and

“C. Interference with the enforcement of possession, size, or season limits for wild marine organisms.

“The Department of Marine Resources is best equipped to evaluate these risks and make a determination on the issuance of the permit.”

The departments would continue to work together to best leverage each department’s expertise and resources in evaluating proposed projects for permitting and overseeing them.

LD 1763 has now been sent to Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature.