PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — An environmental organization says it intends to sue one of the world’s largest aquaculture companies over violations of the Clean Water Act in Maine; The fish farmer vehemently denies these allegations.

The Conservation Law Foundation claims Cooke Fisheries Salmon farms off the coast of Maine are polluting the state’s bays, where lobster fishing is a major industry. The farms consist of pens in the ocean where Atlantic salmon are raised for food.

The Boston-based legal foundation announced Thursday that it would file a lawsuit against Cooke in Maine federal court to bring the company into compliance. It is stated that the company discharged pollutants such as fish feces, dead fish and garbage into Maine’s coastal waters.

“These giant salmon cages “It’s like sewer pipes going into the marine environment,” said Heather Govern, vice president of the foundation’s clean air and water program. “As solid waste chokes plants and ocean life, diseases spread and sea ​​lice threatens nearby endangered wild salmon.

Cooke quickly denied the allegations, and company representatives said the firm was fully compliant with the law. The company, headquartered in New Brunswick, Canada, released a statement saying farms are “routinely inspected by government regulators and subject to regular monitoring reports” to ensure compliance.

“Finnish aquaculture has coexisted with traditional fisheries such as lobster in Maine waters for more than 40 years. Lobster landings have not been negatively impacted by Atlantic salmon farms,” the company said in a statement.

Cooke is a global giant in aquaculture and describes itself as the world’s largest privately owned family-owned seafood company. Its website states that it operates in 14 countries.

Some environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have targeted Cooke over the years with concerns about the sustainability of its operations in Maine and elsewhere. Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, said Saturday that the Conservation Law Foundation has been working with salmon farmers to improve environmental standards and that the notice of intent to sue came as a surprise.

“Given that CLF and other groups associated with the proposed lawsuit have not raised concerns with farmers and that they will all benefit financially, one has to wonder why farmers would work collaboratively with these groups to resolve these issues. concerns,” Belle said.

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