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Ask Congress for Bold Leadership on Fish Farming

Scroll down to take action! Please let your US Representative and Senators know that we need strong and smart national standards that will protect every part of our ocean.

In January 2009, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed a plan to develop the first-ever regional permitting system for open ocean aquaculture (also known as offshore fish farming). On the other side of the continent, Hubbs-SeaWorld is seeking permits for a 24-cage offshore farm to raise striped bass 5 miles off the coast in San Diego. Both of these developments undermine the important role of Congress in debating the future of marine aquaculture in the United States and evaluating the need for federal legislation to establish a precautionary national approach to regulating this new use of our nation's oceans.

We want Congress to know the real risks involved with offshore fish farming. With so many fish packed closely together in open ocean cages, disease is much more likely. Without a doubt, some fish will escape and transfer these diseases, such as contagious sea lice, to wild populations where the affects can be devastating. Sadly, the fish farming plan proposed by Gulf fishery managers and Hubbs-SeaWorld fails to protect against these substantial risks and many others.

 Recipients

Your Senators

Your Representatives

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As a member of your district and citizen of your state, I write to alert you to a recent decision by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and a proposed plan in San Diego that sets a dangerous precedent for the nation.  At its January 28, 2009 meeting in Bay St. Louis MS, the Gulf Council passed a plan to develop the first-ever regional permitting system for open ocean aquaculture (also known as offshore fish farming). The Council's action undermines the important role of Congress in debating the future of marine aquaculture in the United States and evaluating the need for federal legislation to establish a precautionary national approach to regulating this new use of our nation's oceans.  In San Diego, California, Hubbs-SeaWorld is seeking permits to establish the first-ever commercial fish farm in federal waters. This project also represents a dangerous precedent in opening US waters to commercial fish farming ahead of precautionary national standards.

Open ocean aquaculture involves the growing of fish in large cages in ocean waters from 3-200 miles from shore.  A large body of scientific information has identified a host of environmental risks of net-pen fish farming.  These risks include: enhanced pressure on domestic and foreign forage fish fisheries, genetic impacts from interbreeding of escaped and wild fish, disease and parasite amplification and retransmission from farmed fish to wild fish, changes in benthic communities from nutrient pollution, mortality of birds, marine mammals and other predators attracted to fish cages, and price competition in the marketplace between wild and farmed product.  Strong and enforceable limits on these environmental impacts must be part of a national framework.

Bold national leadership, not regional decision-making, is needed by you and your colleagues to appropriately address this important issue.  I encourage you to be part of such an effort in the 111th Congress.

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