In 2018 the Nova Scotia government  invited a huge multinational, Cermaq, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi, to increase by over 350% the number of open net fish farms in Nova Scotian waters.  Alarmed by this prospect, people from Peggy’s Cove at the mouth of St. Margaret’s Bay all the way west through Mahone Bay to the mouth of the Medway rose up and said “No!”  They formed the Twin Bays Coalition.  

Under the name, the Healthy Bays Network, the Coalition joined forces with similar movements from Liverpool Bay, Port Mouton, St. Mary’s Bay, the Eastern Shore and Chedabucto Bay.  Together they fought to raise Nova Scotians’ awareness of the disastrous impacts of open net pens on our environment, our economy, and our quality of life. Confronted by this huge, organized opposition, Cermaq eventually opted to pursue opportunities elsewhere; however, other corporations, bent on exploiting our coastal waters, are lining up to fill the gap. The fight to protect our coasts clearly is going to be a long one.