BRUNSWICK (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- There has been a A buzz in Brunswick about plans for a big oyster farm in Maquoit Bay. The 40-acre ten-year lease is part of a vision shared by two Maine families, who together run Mere Point Oyster Company.
They say it's an opportunity to meet the growing demand for their oysters, while maintaining water quality at the same time. Some residents though are saying, not so fast.
"Working on the ocean is something I've known for my entire life," said Savanna Kay, who works at Mere Point Oyster Company.
She comes from a long line of fishermen.
"It's something that I take a lot of pride in," she said.
Fishing isn't just her career, it's her livelihood, the case for many in Maine. Kay and the rest of the team at the Brunswick based oyster company are looking to ensure this way of life for future generations.
They hope to do so, through creating one big oyster farm in Maquoit Bay.
"You go from the hunter gatherer to the farmer mentality and that's really a hard thing to do for a lot of people and it's a hard change and typically it happens over generations" said Daniel Devereaux, Principal Mere Point Oyster Company.
Together with another family, Deveraux and his family run the oyster company.
"Replacing a filter system that is essentially lost because of climate change is the right way to go," he said.
They are looking to combine and expand their oyster farming operation, which already spans across several locations.
"Trying to use a smaller footprint to grow more oysters," he said.
News of their ten-year-lease for a 40 acre spot in the center of Maquoit bay broke in the local paper this week. And signs are now posted in the neighborhood reading: "Stop the oyster factory."
"I think that the opposition is just change," he said. "It's change and it's fear of the unknown."
NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with several neighbors who did not want to go on camera but they said they are surprised about the plans for Maquoit Bay and they are looking for more information.
"I'm going to watch it and see how it comes out," said Lester Hodgdon, a Brunswick resident. "I think aquaculture is certainly the future."
For now, Deveraux's focus is keeping an open conversation with his neighbors, while inspiring the next generation of farming fishermen.
"It's an amazing feeling to know that what you're doing with aquaculture farm and the oysters is helping to sustain the ocean and give back to the environment," said Savanna Kay. "And I think that's not something you get with other jobs."
There is an Informational session about oyster farming planned for Thursday at 5 P.M. at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick.