Nordic AquaFarms proposes to build a land-based fish farm at the former Samoa pulp mill that they say would use a mixture of fresh and salt water to raise 33,000 metric tons of fish (what species is not known), discharging 12 million gallons of effluent daily through the existing 1½-mile long ocean outfall. Remodeling the former pulp mill would include removing the smokestack and other structures, debris, and contaminated soil.
Click HERE for our initial (2019) statement on the proposed land-based fish farm. We will continue to research and review Nordic AquaFarms’ proposal as new information is made available, and will keep our members and the community informed of opportunities for input.
On February 11, 2019, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, & Conservation District voted unanimously to approve a $20,000/year, 3-year “Option Period” for the company to secure all the necessary permits, and a 30-year lease agreement with two 10-year options for its former pulp mill site in Samoa, giving Nordic AquaFarms / California Marine Investments, LLC site control while it develops plans and pursues permits for a land-based fish farm.
Humboldt Bay harbor district eyes fish farm
Monday meeting set to OK 30-acre lease; 80 local jobs foreseen
Hundreds of millions of dollars and 80 jobs are coming to Humboldt Bay, according to recent announcements from the harbor district and a Norwegian-owned fish farm company.
The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Directors at a special meeting Monday is set to consider leasing 30 acres on the Samoa Peninsula to California Marine Investments, a subsidiary of Norway-based Nordic Aquafarms, for use as a land-based aquaculture facility.
Massive New Fish Farm in the Works for Samoa Peninsula
On Monday, a growing European aquaculture company will announce plans to build a massive fish farm at the Harbor District’s Redwood Marine Terminal — the former Samoa pulp mill.
Massive Fish Farm Proposed for Pulp Mill Site
A land-based aquaculture facility – likely producing salmon or steelhead – the venture will serve as the West Coast base of operations for Nordic Aquafarms, which is currently in the process of developing an East Coast equivalent in Belfast, Maine, according to the company.
The facility will use what is known as recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, which utilizes large tanks and water treatment systems in raising the fish. The company says the method prevents many of the common concerns associated with farm fishing in offshore pens, including pollution from waste, chemical use and the potential to pass on diseases and parasites to wild fish.
According to Nordic AquaFarms’ conceptual video states, “We are introducing the largest full-integrated modular concept ever developed, with innovation leaps in fish-handling and logistics, with a minimal ecological footprint."
