Congress to Minerals Management Service: Stay Away From Offshore Aquaculture
2008-09-09
CONTACT:
Marianne Cufrone or Erin Greenfield
(202) 683-2500
Congress to Minerals Management Service: Stay Away From Offshore Aquaculture
Members Declare MMS Has No Authority or Expertise in Managing Marine Resources for “Rigs to Fish Farms” Program
Washington, DC – Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group, commends the 12 members of Congress who sent a letter denouncing a U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposed rule that would allow industrial fish farming in federal waters. The members of Congress who sent the bi-partisan letter today include Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chair of the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, and Congresswoman Madeline Z. Bordallo (D-Guam), Chair of the Natural Resources Committee’s Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans Subcommittee. The letter says that MMS does not have the legal authority, or the necessary expertise, to permit fish farms to operate in federal waters using energy companies’ oil and gas rigs, or any future alternative energy facilities.
“Representative Rahall and the other members of Congress have expressed the concerns we have been raising for the past several months– MMS should not be authorizing offshore aquaculture in federal waters,” stated Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “There have been several proposed federal bills to promote ocean fish farming, and so far Congress has refused to approve them for lack of environmental safeguards, concerns with hurting coastal communities and more. This MMS proposal is a back door way to allow a potentially very problematic industry to develop and congress members should question why MMS is trying to do an end-run around their legislative authority.”
According to the letter sent today, MMS does not legally have ability to permit aquaculture under the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. MMS argues it was given separate authority for the “rigs to fish farms” program from Congress in language buried in the 2005 law that allowed MMS to permit use of platforms for “marine-related” uses. But that law also states that such uses must be “authorized” and to this date Congress has not specifically authorized fish farms in federal waters.
As the letter notes, in order to go through with the proposed rule, “MMS would have to turn a plain reading of the statute on its head to provide MMS the authority to permit all otherwise unauthorized marine-related uses, including aquaculture.”
In the letter, members of Congress also express their concern that MMS lacks the “requisite expertise” to manage living marine resources and address the environmental impacts associated with industrial fish farm facilities, particularly those on or near oil or gas facilities. Offshore aquaculture often involves raising hundreds of thousands of carnivorous finfish, such as cod and cobia, in large, crowded cages where fish waste and chemicals flush straight into the open ocean. These farms can introduce escaped non-native fish species that compete with and spread disease to wild fish populations.
“It would be inappropriate for MMS to permit aquaculture in that context when myriad and complex environmental issues remain," stated Congressman Rahall.
Further, research has shown that energy platforms may have severe negative impacts on local fisheries. Reports have established a connection between oil and gas rigs and elevated mercury levels in surrounding wild fish. Also, energy platforms can pose safety risks when they are affected by storms. During violent storms in the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs were destroyed and carried miles to shore. Had offshore aquaculture existed on these rigs at the time of the storms, there could have been massive releases of captive fish, feed and other pollutants.
“Given the various potential problems with open ocean fish farms, MMS should listen to Congress and terminate its plans to permit aquaculture through its Alternative Energy plan,” Hauter concluded.
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer rights organization based in Washington, D.C. that challenges the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources. Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.