Coalition of Groups Block Bad Ocean Fish Farming Plan in Gulf of Mexico

St Petersburg, Florida –– Today, an unusual alliance of consumer, conservation and commercial and recreational fishing groups succeeded in blocking the approval of an incomplete and vague plan to allow the development of ocean fish farms –– large industrial facilities that grow thousands of fish in huge cages –– in Gulf of Mexico waters. Also called offshore aquaculture or open ocean aquaculture, similar practices around the world are associated with increased pollution, harm to wild fish populations and threats to commercial and recreational fishing.

“As currently written, the plan fails to address basic matters like where these facilities will be, what specific types of fish will be grown, whether fish will be purposefully released into the wild and how pollution, and drug usage will be controlled. Before we move forward, we must ensure protection of existing commercial and recreational fishing and Gulf natural resources. Right now, the plan is primarily about money–making opportunities for aquaculture entrepreneurs, and that is inappropriate,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food and Water Watch.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service are tasked with protecting and managing fish resources. The current plan does neither; rather, it does not have strong safeguards and allows the maximum flexibility for the new fish farming industry.

The council has been talking about developing a fish farming industry in the Gulf since an aquaculturist was appointed to the council back in 2002. The council debuted the current plan in January 2007 and pushed it through the approval process, intending to finalize it in October 2007 –– just 9 months later.

“The council has been unnecessarily rushing to complete this plan, and consequently it has huge gaps and needs a good deal of work to even meet minimum legal requirements of assorted laws. They did the right thing today by voting to revise it,” said Zach Corrigan, Staff Attorney for Food and Water Watch. “We submitted a detailed letter to the council two weeks ago outlining the many problems with their plan. We are very pleased they took that to heart.”

Additionally, the groups staged a protest during the public comment session at yesterday’s Council meeting. Holding signs and wearing buttons saying “No open ocean aquaculture today,” environmentalists, fisherman, and concerned community members explained to media and others that the plan just isn’t ready to be approved.

The Council in cooperation with NMFS will review and re–work the plan over coming months.