Bristol Seafood in $5m expansion

THE US state of Maine has received another significant boost to its expanding seafood industry.
The company Bristol Seafood has announced it is investing nearly $5 million in its Portland processing facility over the next three years.
The company says the investment, in partnership with the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), is made possible through a grant of more than $740,000 from the Maine Technology Asset Fund, with the company funding the balance.
Bristol’s president and CEO, Peter Handy, said: ‘We are proud to partner with MTI. Through this grant and our substantial investment, we will bring seafood products made to our uncompromising Maine standards to more consumers, create quality jobs for Mainers, and bring new processing technologies and capabilities to the local waterfront.’
New projects undertaken as a direct result of this investment are expected to add over 40 jobs, and the capabilities added to its processing facility will provide critical and necessary infrastructure to the Portland Fish Pier.
Earlier this year, Maine was chosen as the location for two new large salmon farming projects including a $500 million land based venture by Nordic Aquafarms of Norway.
Nordic Aquafarms confirmed today that it had signed a deal with the Danish company Inter Aqua Advance, a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) specialist, to deliver its 3.5 million smolt facility in Belfast, Maine.