Gulf of Mexico Fish Farming Moves Ahead

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has approved a proposal which would allow fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports.

Seafood consumption in the U.S. has risen dramatically in the last decade as the health benefits of fish have received more attention. The result is a seafood deficit in the country. Six years ago the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council began discussing opening ocean fish farming, or aquaculture in the Gulf as a way to cut the deficit. Tom McIlwain represents Mississippi on the seventeen member council, he is also the chair,

“I think aquaculture has its place in our bag of tools with which to produce food for the nation. Our job is to try to provide a sustainable aquaculture industry in the Gulf and in the country.”

The ocean fish farming plan has received an immense amount of opposition from environmental groups, charter boat captains, and commercial fishermen.

“It’s very likely that the Gulf will be in big trouble if this moves forward.”

That’s Marianne Cufone, director of the fish program for Food and Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group.

“There are many concerns with pollution, escapes from the farms, fish intermixing with wild species.”

The proposal allows a maximum of 64 million pounds of fish to be harvested each year, in pens 3 to 200 miles offshore. There are small scale state run ocean fish farming operations in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but this is the largest ever conceived in U.S. waters. Even with all the concerns, the council voted 11 to 5 in support of the proposal at a meeting yesterday. The next step will be approval from the National Marine Fishery Service, and if approved ocean fish farming could begin in the Gulf within the next two years. For MPB News, I’m Phoebe Judge in Gulfport.