US Senator Angus King visits Kingfish Maine, shows support for planned yellowtail RAS

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) made a visit to Kingfish Maine’s recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) research facility in Franklin, Maine – soon after the company celebrated its first harvest of yellowtail kingfish.

The company has been operating a small farm in the Center of Cooperative Aquaculture Research as it moves forward on its plan to construct a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Jonesport, Maine. The company recently scored a win when the Jonesport Board of Appeals upheld a town planning board decision to grant a building permit for its facility.

King visited and viewed the company’s broodstock operations as it continues the pre-design phase for the Jonesport facility.

“For generations, Maine’s ocean economy has supported our communities. Today, with investments in the aquaculture industry, we have exciting new opportunities to continue this long-standing tradition of producing high-quality ocean products,” King said. “I was so excited to tour the state-of-the-art Dutch Yellowtail operations in Franklin, which is the first step in establishing the Kingfish facility in Jonesport.  I want to thank the Kingfish team for choosing Maine as its American hub and investing in our great state.”

The company’s recent harvest was sold via collaborative partnerships with another Maine-based company, Bristol Seafood, and Wheeler Seafood. According to Kingfish Maine, all 8,000 pounds of the first harvest was distributed to restaurants in Maine, Boston, Washington D.C., and California to a “phenomenal public response.”

"We had great collaborative partners in Maine-based Bristol Seafood for processing and Wheeler Seafood in sales,” Kingfish Maine Operations Manager Tom Sorby said. “We hope this is indicative of the economic benefit we can provide in our direct employment as well as indirect impact for other great Maine companies.”

Kingfish Maine is a division of The Kingfish Company, which operates a yellowtail RAS in the Netherlands. The company recently secured EUR 32 million (USD 35 million) via an unsecured convertible loan to finance phase two of its facility. The company has already begun construction on the second phase, and one of its grow-out facilities is already operating, Kingfish Company CEO Vincent Erenst said in early July.  

Photo courtesy of Kingfish Maine