Maine man faces 5 years in prison for lying about pesticide sales
100s of Bay of Fundy lobsters died after Clyde Eldridge sold illegal cypermethrin to Kelly Cove Salmon
A Calais, Maine man has pleaded guilty to giving a false statement to agents investigating pesticide use in the Bay of Fundy.
Clyde Eldridge owned C&E Feeds in 2010 when agents came asking about his sales of cypermethrin — a pesticide not approved for aquatic use in Canada.
Eldridge admitted to selling the chemical, but did not specify to whom, and claimed no records were kept.
According to assistant U.S. attorney Jim Moore, the investigation revealed Eldridge had a single client, Kelly Cove Salmon, and kept notes on the sales.
"This is a very serious offence. In this case Mr. Eldridge used very poor judgment. However, we are pleased that he has now co-operated with the investigation and has accepted responsibility in this particular case," said Moore.
Eldridge could face five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for lying to investigators.
In Canada, the case was settled last year with Cooke Aquaculture pleading guilty and paying a total penalty of $500,000.
Cypermethrin is used in aquaculture in other areas, such as the United States, to fight sea lice.
The chemical is toxic to crustaceans like lobster and depositing cypermethrin in water is illegal in Canada.