Fishfarmer Magazine
 
13 October, 2008



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Consumer rights group criticises "flawed" offshore aquaculture plan

10 December, 2007 -

TODAY marks the first of five public hearings across the Gulf Region regarding a plan to open the Gulf of Mexico to what non-governmental organisation Food & Water Watch describes as "potentially destructive industrial fish farming", as soon as January 2008.
It says that hundreds of commercial and recreational fisher men and women, concerned citizens, and others from the region are expected to voice their concerns about the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Generic Offshore Aquaculture Amendment at hearings in Houston, Texas; St Petersburg, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama.
The public hearings are said to be a result of immense public pressure at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting on October 31 in Biloxi, Mississippi where many people pushed for more public input on the Council's plan to allow open water aquaculture in the Gulf - growing fish in nets or cages between three and 200 miles from shore.
"The Gulf Council has fast-tracked their plan since January, and has not fully considered the impacts on the entire Gulf region," said Wenonah Hauter, the executive director of Food & Water Watch. "These hearings will allow citizens in the Gulf to participate in the decision process, and determine what the council's plan means to their region and their future."





According to a Food & Water Watch analysis, "Offshore Aquaculture: Bad News for the Gulf", open offshore aquaculture could threaten the half a billion dollar a year commercial fishing industries and the more than five billion dollars of annual economic activity connected to recreational fishing in the region.
"This week we have a chance to speak out against a plan that disregards its impact on local industry," said Margaret Curole, of Commercial Fishermen of America. "We cannot afford to support an industry that threatens our community, our economy, and our livelihoods."


www.fishfarmer-magazine.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publishes FISHupdate.com, FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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Calendar
12 - 14 October, 2008
8th International Symposium in Tilapia on Aquaculture
23 - 24 October, 2008
Annual Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers International Conference
05 - 07 November, 2008
IMPASSE Conference “Managing Alien Species for Sustainable Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries”
25 - 27 November, 2008
ASIAFISH 2008
15 - 18 February, 2009
Aquaculture America 2009
25 - 29 May, 2009
WORLD AQUACULTURE 2009
01 - 05 March, 2010
AQUACULTURE 2010
Click here to submit an event