Food & Water Watch: National Consumer Organization Challenges Legality of Gulf Council Ocean
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2008
4:07 PM
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CONTACT: Food & Water Watch
Marianne Cufone: (813) 881-0150 mcufone@fwwatch.org or
Jen
Mueller: (202) 683-2467 jmueller@fwwatch.org
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National Consumer Organization Challenges Legality of Gulf Council Ocean
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WASHINGTON - January 17 - Gulf of Mexico fishery managers can not legally move forward
on a plan to allow development of large scale fish farms - huge cages packed
with fish - according to public comments submitted today by the consumer
advocacy group, Food & Water Watch.
"The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries
Service are supposed to conserve and manage our U.S. fish resources. The
federal law that gives them authority to regulate fish and fishing was not
intended to govern risky industrial facilities like ocean fish farming",
said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director.
Ocean fish farming has been a hot topic in recent years. Since 2005,
national legislation to allow ocean fish farming country-wide has been
pending in Congress. Assorted commercial, recreational, conservation, and
consumer groups have opposed the legislation due to insufficient protections
for existing resources and potential negative impacts to coastal
communities.
Federal fish managers, tired of waiting for a comprehensive national policy
to be approved by Congress, opted to try setting up fish farms through
regional fishery management processes. The Gulf of Mexico is the first
location to develop regulations for an ocean fish farming industry in
federal waters. National Marine Fisheries Service staff have stated that
other regional councils are expected to follow with similar plans if the
Gulf plan goes through.
"The Gulf Council has a number of members with aquaculture interests", said
Food & Water Watch staff attorney Zach Corrigan. "They are trying to cobble
together a plan for fish farming that is severely lacking in content,
primarily because they just don't have the legal authority necessary to
include what needs to be included in a comprehensive aquaculture regime."
The Gulf aquaculture plan lacks important details about a wide range of
issues including where the farms will be located, use of old oil rigs as a
part of farms, using wild fish to feed farmed fish, economic protections for
fishermen, and safeguards for important habitat.
"The Council and National Marine Fisheries Service need to rethink their
Gulf plan and take a hard look at the legal authority under which they are
proceeding." Hauter said.
Food and Water Watch will be monitoring the Gulf Council process on the
ocean fish farming plan as it develops. The plan is scheduled to be
finalized in April 2008.
Read Food & Water Watch's complete comments here.
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer rights group based in Washington,
D.C. that challenges the corporate control and abuse of our food and water
resources. Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
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