Factory Fish Farms Called Destructive
to Our Oceans
Washington, D.C. — “With their decision to allow factory fish farming in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Council – the group that makes decisions about fish and fishing in the Gulf – has ignored the 2011 National Aquaculture Policy and the voices of tens of thousands of people opposed to exposing our oceans to the mass production of fish in overcrowded cages just offshore.
“Industrial scale production of agriculture has already wreaked havoc on land.
The implementation of the Council’s plan would allow inspections of fish farm facilities to be carried out by private companies that they hire. If this plan goes forward, this process may be used around the country to allow ocean fish farming in all U.S. waters.
Farmed fish also compete with wild fish for their food sources. An increase in factory fish farms can mean less food for marine wildlife. Factory fish farms typically use genetically modified soy to substitute for fishmeal or oil, which can have negative impacts on the marine environment.”
Mitch Jones, Food & Water Watch