A consortium of Norwegian investors on Friday announced it pulled a key permit application for its proposed Maryland-based site.

AquaCon, which was planning to construct a $360 million (€369 million), 10,000 metric-ton land based facility in the town of Federalsburg, said it withdrew its water discharge permit from the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) site after public concerns were raised over the potential impact on endangered sturgeon.

At a town meeting in late September, more than 100 Federalsburg residents spent several hours dissecting plans for the farm, with many expressing concerns about struggling sturgeon populations in the Maryshope Creek where treated wastewater from the site would be discharged.