Gulf of Mexico farming fish project

http://www.recirculatingfarms.org/fish-farms-threaten-gulf-of-mexico/

To understand the major problems associated with ocean fish farms, it’s important to picture one: thousands of fish trapped in massive cages, eating, excreting and growing. Fish feed, antibiotics and other chemicals can be regularly pumped into the pens, and the excess washed into the surrounding waters, causing a wide range of changes in the local ecosystem. Farmed fish frequently escape, thanks to inclement weather, predators causing damage to pens, or even human error or equipment failure. Escaped fish can spread disease and parasites to wild fish and out-compete them for food, habitat and mates. As a result, ocean fish farms can threaten the health of the same wild fish populations that supposedly would benefit from reduced fishing pressure thanks to increased availability of farmed fish.

Harm to wild fish and their habitat, of course, means economic harm to the fishermen too. In addition to perhaps a reduced abundance of wild fish thanks to pollution and other problems with ocean fish farms, local fishermen are also undercut by these aquaculture operations, which can sell their industrially produced fish at lower prices.

Fish farming and commercial fishing can coexist. Fish farms need to move out of ocean waters and move on land instead. Recirculating aquaculture (raising fish in tanks on land) and aquaponics (raising fish and plants together in the same closed-loop, land-based system) are two alternative, eco-friendly fish farming methods. By operating away from natural waters, recirculating fish farms prevent escapes, and waste can be collected and in many cases even reused. In addition, land-based farms can raise a wide variety of fish and therefore need not compete with fishermen catching popular local fish. The result is what everyone wants—more fresh, local fish—without massive environmental or economic harm.

http://gcaptain.com/gulf-mexico-fish-farms-noaas-100-million-mistake/

The logistics of deepwater aquaculture require expensive boats, bigger anchors, and better planning to avoid endangered species, which makes it too expensive for small businesses, said Barry Costa Pierce, director of the University of New England’s Center of Excellence in the Marine Sciences. (In 2013, ocean aquaculture in the U.S. accounted for only $327 million, compared with commercial fishing’s $5.5 billion take.)

“So much capital is required outside of three miles from the coastline [where federal waters generally begin],” said Pierce, “by definition, you’re talking about industrial aquaculture.” The best way to do that, he said, would be to use existing deepwater infrastructure from oil rigs. “If you’re talking about developing a whole separate infrastructure for offshore aquaculture separate from an existing capacity, I am very skeptical,” he said. “In the Gulf, I don’t see very many companies rushing to get in because they know they can’t make money.”

https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st5/publication/econ/Gulf_Summary_Econ.pdf

Report on commercial fishing in the gulf of mexico.