by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined salmon company Cooke Aquaculture $156,213 for 11 violations of its state permit. Cooke is the only sea-based salmon aquaculture firm in Maine, with pen farms in Washington and Hancock counties, as well as a hatchery on Gardner Lake in East Machias and a fish processing facility in Machiasport.