Cooke Aquaculture, one of the world's largest aquaculture companies, has for nearly two decades operated successful salmon farms in Maine, where it produces around 50 million pounds annually.

Its farms, located near Eastport, Maine -- a town that has been ranked as the poorest in the state by major news sites and has over 20 percent of its residents living below poverty level -- are an important source of income for local residents.

"They've been there a long time, and they've done a tremendous amount of community outreach," Sebastian Belle, executive director for the Maine Aquaculture Association, told IntraFish of Cooke's successful run.