Salmon farming boosts jobs in the US
Yesterday's ribbon cutting ceremony at the Cooke Aquaculture farmed salmon processing plant in Machiasport marked the first time a fish processing plant has opened in the State of Maine in over ten years, states a company release; The opening will double Cooke's workforce in the US to almost 200. This milestone event follows a period of positive change in the industry and comes at a time when working waterfronts are facing the challenge of an economic downturn, a decline in the fishery and chronic unemployment. “ The opening of this plant in Downeast Maine is a great example of how determined investors and a supportive business climate can prove that Maine is competitive on the world market,” noted State Governor John Baldacci. “The Cooke family and their dedicated employees deserve a great deal of credit for their innovative farming methods and hard work. I would like to congratulate them on their success and note that the State looks forward to working closely with them in their continued efforts to compete in the world market.”
The 30,000 square foot salmon processing plant was first opened in 1997 but was closed in 2004 because of a decline in the salmon farming industry and a dramatic drop in production. When Cooke Aquaculture purchased the assets of two major multi-national aquaculture companies who were exiting the State in 2006, the company made the commitment to work collaboratively with Government officials and the communities to rebuild the sector to be an economically viable and environmentally responsible industry.
Cooke has invested an additional $2 million to reopen the Machiasport plant. This included refurbishment of the building, work on the wastewater treatment plant and the water supply, new processing equipment from Germany, Denmark and the US, the purchase of computers and associated software and a new harvest vessel. The company has 90 people working in its hatchery and farming division. The plant is operating four to five days a week producing salmon fillets and portions for the US Marketplace. The goal is to increase the plant’s workforce to 100 people by the end of the month and to begin operating 6 days a week. Besides the newly opened plant, Cooke has 10 operational ocean farm sites that are stocked with salmon and three hatcheries.
