Factory Fish Farms
Problem
This finfish industrial scale farm is the first ever to be permitted in the Gulf of Mexico. It is therefore extremely important the permitting process has adequate safeguards that protect humand and environmental health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), who are responsible for permitting and monitoring offshore aquaculture activities, have almost no experience in this area, which raises concerns about their ability to adequately regulate this project. The potential impacts of this project include transmission of diseases and parasites from caged fish to wild fish populations, as well as fueling red tides that could impact native fish populations with disease and parasites.
The project is sited 40 miles off the coast, which is where red tide has been observed to initiative before moving onshore. Suncoast Waterkeeper believes that there are not only inherent problems with the permit requirements, but the project should not be allowed in the area where red tide starts to bloom.
Solution
Suncoast Waterkeeper and a large coalition of environmental groups will challenge the Ocean Era/Velella Epsilon commercial-sized pilot finfish farm permit in Federal Court. The coalition is working to safeguard the commercial aquaculture permitting process to ensure it is the most protective of human and environmental health. For an update on this issue check out our June 2023 newsletter.