By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The AquaBounty fish farming project near Pioneer has resurfaced after the company quietly received new permitting approval from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, even as construction on the facility remains halted.
The five-year permit, granted on September 12 and effective October 1, authorizes AquaBounty to install two pipelines roughly a mile in length each.
One will draw groundwater from a local aquifer, while the other will discharge treated wastewater into the east branch of the St. Joseph River. The permit remains valid through September 30, 2030.
The company acknowledged the approval in its third-quarter financial report, noting that it had now received both the wastewater discharge permit from the Ohio EPA and a right-of-way permit from Williams County for the planned water and wastewater lines.
With those approvals in place, AquaBounty stated that its Pioneer site is now fully permitted for its designed operations as a land-based recirculating aquaculture system.
“With the receipt of these permits, our Ohio farm project is now fully permitted for its designed activities as a land-based, recirculating aquaculture system farm operation,” commented David Frank, Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer.
“These developments will allow us to move forward with our investment banker on strategic alternatives for our Ohio farm project.”
Company officials said the new permits position AquaBounty to move forward with its investment partners on “strategic alternatives” for the project, which has been on hold since June 2023.
Construction was suspended due to rising costs and financial strain, and much of the equipment originally intended for the site has since been auctioned off.
According to the report, AquaBounty recorded a third-quarter net loss of $1.4 million, an improvement from a $3.4 million loss during the same period last year.
Cash and cash equivalents totaled just under $1 million as of September 30, compared to $230,000 at the end of 2024.
The company has not indicated when or if construction will resume in Pioneer, but with all necessary water and wastewater permits now secured, the site remains positioned for future development should conditions allow.