Open Ocean Aquaculture is not Fishing – Part 1

This month, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council will take final action on a draft plan for permitting open-ocean aquaculture in the Gulf. This should raise serious concern for all Americans — and not just those along the Gulf Coast or seafood lovers.

It represents the first step in the largest industrial development of America's federally managed oceans since 1953.

The Gulf Council's plan epitomizes what is wrong with fisheries management in the United States. The regional fishery councils have long been dominated by commercial fishing interests who ignore, at will, science in favor of continued exploitation of threatened stocks.

In this tradition, the Gulf Council has proceeded helter-skelter in developing its aquaculture plan, against skepticism from scientists and objections from a broad array of recreational and commercial fishing interests, conservation organizations, and a broad swath of private citizens.

Let's make one thing clear: Open ocean aquaculture is not fishing. It is a major industry, akin to factory farming on land, with many well-known environmental impacts and numerous potential unintended consequences.

Large-scale aquaculture operations overseas have been responsible for the introduction of non-native fish, altered genetics of local fish stocks, the spread of disease, and pollution from excess feed and drug applications.

The Gulf Council makes dubious claims that aquaculture will relieve the relentless pressure on already stressed fisheries in the Gulf, assist in the rebuilding of over-fished stocks and improve fishing.

But this assertion is based much more on wishful thinking and hoped-for results than scientific fact and analysis.

To survive and to prosper, we must make good use of the ocean, but we must not use it up. In its landmark 2004 report to President Bush, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy made comprehensive recommendations which recognized the potential damage of free-for-all industrial development in the nation's coastal ocean.

Key among these was the recommendation that ocean development should be preceded by planning that takes into account all the potential uses of the ocean, including offshore aquaculture.

Source: http://www.al.com/opinion/press-register/insight.ssf?/base/opinion/1232878580174400.xml&coll=3

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One Comment on Open Ocean Aquaculture is not Fishing – Part 1

Michael Albert on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 3:15 pm

Amaete Umanah,
Your comments are quite bold and in no way are appropriate to open ocean aquaculture as a methodology, a technology or a business enterprise. I add here that I am not sensitive to the issues affecting the Gulf and comment strictly on open ocean aquaculture as a method to cultivate healthy, nutritious and delicious seafood on a sustainable basis in an environmentally respectful manner to the oceans and their stakeholders.

I believe you meant to direct your comments to traditional, near & on-shore aquaculture operations, commonly known as fish farming. Open ocean aquaculture is almost always conducted beneath the surface of whatever ocean is involved, far off shore, without impact to eco systems while preserving the health of the cultivated specie stock.

Firstly, open ocean aquaculture is not a major industry at all. There are but a few firms involved and virtually all are start up in nature. The amount of stock from OOA is a miniscule fraction of 1% of traditionally farmed seafood and less than half of that tiny percentage when compared to the seafood industry at large, including caught seafood. Open ocean aquaculture represents Plan A to meet the increasing gap of demand/supply to feed the one billion people who’s primary source of protein is seafood. There is no Plan B. But there is a looming crisis which will result in starvation and malnutrition for millions of people as the world’s population grows. The ocean’s are becoming depleted and caught fish cannot keep pace with demand. Traditional fish farming (aquaculture), the world’s fastest growing food sector, also cannot keep pace and meet demand.
Further, mismanagement and oversight are causing environmental damage and negatively affecting the health of traditionally farmed seafood.

The firm I am involved with farms seafood far from shore into the deep open ocean where strong currents and deep water support the biomass without impacting sensitive ecosystems. This translates to environmental and social impacts reduced or eliminated, stakeholder impacts are avoided, energy consumption is reduced, and coastal conditions are improved along with a sustainable supply of healthy and safe seafood which do not require antibiotics, steroids and other contaminants.
Please, be constructive with criticism and don’t throw the baby out with the bath water (no pun). Open Ocean Aquaculture. Aquaculture as usual? Not a chance.
Michael Albert

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