The newspaper’s update on Nordic Aquafarms fish farm, (“Nordic reaffirms commitment to $500 million Belfast fish farm,” Jan. 2) asks whether Nordic is redesigning the project altogether to avoid future hurdles. Good idea.
Nordic could start by moving to an existing industrial infrastructure, instead of destroying 55 acres of mature forest, wetlands and wildlife habitat. And, where its massive power needs wouldn’t need a ratepayer-funded grid expansion. And, where the city of Belfast wouldn’t seize private property with a dubious eminent domain action.
Nordic may say it believes the project has a viable future, as your article states, but maybe Nordic fears that leaving Belfast might spook investors, and maybe Nordic’s Maine personnel and lawyers are trying to stave off abandonment by the home office in Norway.
In the article, Nordic says it will create 140 jobs, but that number keeps growing, without explanation — perhaps because of growing project opposition.
The article says the city of Belfast “has been all in on the fish farm,” but while city government has been all in, the people of Belfast have successfully fought the project for six years.
Finally, the article quotes former Belfast City Councilman Mike Hurley touting Nordic’s supposed tax windfall. But Nordic has grabbed every tax break and government giveaway from Belfast and sent it to its P.O. box in tax-haven Delaware — including water dechlorination courtesy of Belfast taxpayers.
Yes, redesigning Nordic’s ill-conceived plan would help, but sometimes a project should just be scrapped altogether. Such is the Nordic project.
Lawrence Reichard
Belfast
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