November 30, 2020

President Mindy Sehon opened the meeting at noon with 30 participants. After breaking into small groups the meeting was turned over to our guest who was in Maine and Nordic’s local representative, Lynette Mullen. 

Our speaker was Humboldt County Community Liaison, Marianne Naess from Nordic Aqua Farms. Her husband founded the company. Thanks to technology fish can now be produced from egg on land. As more people are eating healthy there is more demand for fish. There are only a few places where the water is cold enough and currents are good. Currently more than 90% of the seafood in the US is imported via airplane.  Producing fish locally will save 450,000 million barrels of oil annually. Locally Nordic will start with eggs and finish processing the final product.  Their ish cannot escape, their system is escape proof.  The water they are raised in is very clean and not treated with any antibiotics, etc. Nordic Aqua Farms currently has plants in Norway, Denmark, Maine and soon Humboldt County, CA. Depending on permitting, construction will start in the spring/summer of 2022.  They hope to finish in one year.  Fish should be available in the local market by winter of 2025. Mostly local people will be employed, (over 80 people). A video of the planned project can be accessed here. https://vimeo.com/406953350/0cd5fdb0ad