‘Milestone’ permit for US yellowtail kingfish RAS
Netherlands-based yellowtail producer The Kingfish Company has announced what it describes as a major milestone in the development of Kingfish Maine, its first US-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) operation in Jonesport, Maine.
The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has finalised the Submerged Lands Lease Application for Kingfish Maine’s installation of intake and discharge pipes, which the company said is a critical permit for the construction of the facility.
“We are encouraged by the approval of our permit application with no special conditions and no public objections,” said The Kingfish Company’s founder and chief executive Ohad Maiman in a press release.
Going the extra mile
“Prior to submission, substantial design and engineering efforts were required to assure our future operation complies with state and federal regulations.
“It was important for us, however, to go the extra mile and approach local stakeholders and ask to hear their concerns. We listened, and accordingly implemented several changes to our design prior to permit application so that we could mitigate such concerns, and found the open and transparent dialogue to be important and constructive in that respect.”
Kingfish Maine is projected to produce 6,000-8,000 tonnes of yellowtail (seriola lalandi) annually upon completion.
Excellence award
The Kingfish Company, formerly known as Kingfish Zeeland, currently operates a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands RAS was the first land-based farm to receive Best Aquaculture Practices certification and the first Aquaculture Stewardship Council certified source of yellowtail kingfish, and the company’s fish was awarded the 2019 Seafood Global Excellence Award as best HORECA product at the Brussels Seafood Expo.
