Deb Merrill has been an aquarist most of her life and is co-owner of Blue Point Tilapia Farm LLC. BPTF has been in operation for 5 years, initially in Scarborough, ME and now in Brownfield, ME. She also worked for New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission helping to coordinate environmental training in the State of Maine through Maine JETCC (Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee). More recently, she started Western Maine Water Awareness Alliance, a 501-C3, to educate the citizens of western Maine communities about the nature and value of their water resource and to assist the communities in protecting these resources.
Deb owned a small excavation business designed to help employ veterans and disabled veterans for ten years and this, coupled with her environmental training, led her small company in the direction of stream rehabilitation post dam deconstruction as well as many other ecologically minded projects often through the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Her environmental interests led her to form the group Western Maine Water Awareness Alliance- a 501-C3 dedicated to educating the citizens of western Maine communities about the nature and value of their water resource and to assist the communities in protecting these resources. Water is what our systems are based on, it is the source of all life on this earth, and it needs to be protected. For further information on this group visit www.mainewater.org.
Brian Fortier is the other co-owner. He builds the aquaponics systems, starting with a 1500 gal recirculating system in Scarborough. He has helped many schools in the area build systems for educational exhibits and classrooms using fish donated by BPTF.
Brian has worked for the Old Orchard Beach Wastewater Treatment plant, where he received awards from the State of Maine, the Town of Old Orchard Beach, Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Agriculture for running the compost facility. He holds a Grade Five Collection Systems license. He has worked in the excavation business as well and does all the necessary plumbing and wiring of the aquaculture systems.