June 9, 2005

More US offshore fish farms possible in the future

The US government has proposed a bill that would open 3.4 million square miles of ocean, and allow the US secretary of Commerce to issue permits for fish farms in federal waters, up to 200 miles offshore. This proposed legislation represents the latest effort to implement recommendations from the US Commission on Ocean Policy.

The goal is to develop a sustainable aquaculture program that balances the needs of fishermen, coastal residents and visitors, seafood consumers, the environment, and the aquaculture industry, said Conrad Lautenbacher Jr, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The measure comes at a time of rising global demand for fish as a source of dietary protein as well as increasing aquaculture efforts overseas. The UN estimates that by 2030, less than half of the fish humans consume will come from wild stocks, and global consumption is expected to reach 110 million tonnes of fish within the next five years.

The US imports 70 percent of its seafood at the moment and any increase in demand is expected to be met through aquaculture, either by importing or by domestic production. By 2025, US consumption is expected to grow by some 2 million tonnes.

If that could be produced in the US, it would create 500,000 direct jobs and 100,000 or more indirect jobs while contributing about US$5 billion in revenue, said Dr. Rubino.

With the proposal to open oceans to fish farming, it would be possible to move fish farms away from the coast, where pollution from urban runoff can intoxicate the "herd". This also means less opposition from local residents who are concerned about the effects of fish waste when it gets washed up on shore.