(HANCOCK, Maine) – “A Save the Bay Flotilla” to protest American Aquafarms’ proposal to put
30 massive salmon pens in the waters of Frenchman Bay just off Acadia National Park is being
organized for Sunday, August 29. All working and recreational boats from around the bay are
invited to participate.
The event has been organized by local restauranteur and businesswoman Leslie Harlow, who
said: “The synergy of tourism, lobstering, owner – operator independent aquaculture
operations, and recreational boating works beautifully on Frenchman Bay. A proposal of this
magnitude threatens all of that.”
Boats will gather near one of the two proposed sixty-acre pen sites off The Hop (Long
Porcupine) at 9:30 a.m. From there the flotilla will proceed to the proposed industrial
aquaculture site and then parade through Bar Harbor before dispersing. Lobstermen, pleasure
boaters, kayakers, and owners of all kinds of working and recreational watercraft are
encouraged to join and to fly signs and banners in opposition to the project.
Hancock Lobsterman and Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation board member Zach
Piper said, “Without question, this project has the potential to devastate the lobster industry in
this area. We need to make sure this never happens and then fix the rules and regulations that
got us here in the first place. If we don’t stop this project, it will be only the beginning of selling
our entire coastline to out-of-state investors who don’t care one bit about our heritage or jobs
like mine that depend on a healthy, clean environment.”
Harlow is working on this event in conjunction with Frenchman Bay United, a coalition of
groups and individuals working to stop the American Aquafarms project. More information can
be found at frenchmanbayunited.org.