Mongabay recently reported that a new lawsuit in Maine is stirring up controversy as the last remaining U.S. East Coast net pen salmon farms come under fire for serious environmental violations. The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) alleges that Cooke Aquaculture has been illegally discharging pollutants and creating toxic marine conditions that endanger wild fish and local ecosystems.
“We’re just holding this multinational corporation accountable and defending Maine’s right to a clean, healthy environment,” Heather Govern, a vice president at CLF, told Mongabay.
With similar farms already shuttered on the West Coast over environmental concerns, this case spotlights recurring issues such as massive fish escapes, disease spread, and lax regulatory oversight, prompting conservationists and local communities to call for tighter controls and more responsible practices.
Critics also caution that farming salmon and other carnivorous fish demands harvesting too many wild fish, which can cause upheaval to ecosystems and threaten food security in regions like Antarctica and West Africa.