April 17, 2007

US governor calls for moratorium on fish farming in Alaska

US Governor Sarah Palin is calling for provisions in the federal Aquaculture Act to prevent potential damage to Alaska's fisheries.

The legislation would include a five-year moratorium on new offshore aquaculture development, until environmental and socio-economic impacts are adequately evaluated, Palin said.

Alaska's fishing industry has had great success in recent years through its wild seafood, Palin said. New legislation (on aquaculture farms ) should not muddle the message, she added.

The governor was commenting on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's support of a proposed federal bill to open federal waters between three and 200 miles off the US coastline to floating fish farms.

Palin outlined several specific concerns such as marketplace confusion about Alaska's healthy, wild seafood.

Fish farms could also heighten disease and parasite transmission; escapes and releases leading to potential colonization and genetic impacts, along with other environmental effects, Palin said.

The moratorium is needed because the potential impacts of offshore aquaculture to the environment and to wild-capture fisheries are great, Palin said.

She urged the government to make use of the moratorium to do scientific research and analyze the socio-economic effects on Alaska's communities and economy.

Only experimental aquaculture operations in support of this research should be carried out during the moratorium period, she said.