For immediate release: April 6, 2022
Contact: Kara Watkins-Chow, kara.watkinschow@berlinrosen.com
Ocean Advocates, Fishermen Urge Biden to Revoke Trump-era Order Fast-tracking Industrial Aquaculture Development
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 6, 2022) — Today, more than 175 fishing groups, food advocacy groups, environmental organizations and businesses delivered an open letter to the White House, calling on President Biden to revoke the Trump Administration Executive Order 13921: Promoting Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. Organizers of the letter with Don’t Cage Our Oceans estimate that these organizations in total represent at least 9 million individual members across the country and 250,000 businesses, including 5,000 fishing businesses and 70,000 food producers.
This executive order shortcuts the regulatory process for developing industrial offshore finfish aquaculture facilities in federal waters without Congressional oversight. Offshore finfish aquaculture is a type of factory finfish farming using massive net pens to raise fish. They can allow excess feed, fish waste, and antibiotics and other chemicals to flow into the surrounding ocean.
“For nearly two years, the Biden Administration has upheld an executive order that jeopardizes the environment and ignores the needs of our coastal communities,” said Andrianna Natsoulas, Campaign Director for Don’t Cage Our Oceans. “Expansion of this risky industry will only exacerbate the current climate chaos and pollution that our marine ecosystems and fisheries face. The Biden Administration should swiftly overturn this executive order and instead champion projects that truly protect our oceans.”
The open letter calls for new measures, like the Keep Finfish Free Act, to conserve ocean resources and invest in sustainable fishing methods and small-scale aquaculture systems, such as recirculating farms and low-input bivalve or seaweed mariculture that stand to benefit local communities.
“As a longtime fisherman, I know how important it is to support seafood production in our state and region. But industrial aquaculture is not the solution,” said Charlie Abner, a commercial fisherman with Captain Charlie Fishing Company in the Southeastern United States. “Fishermen like me rely on healthy ocean ecosystems for our catch, and we can’t afford to let big companies use our waters as a testing and production ground. We also can’t afford to allow these companies to wipe out the mom and pop operations who make up the fabric of the regional economy. We’ve seen it happen elsewhere and we know better.”
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About Don’t Cage Our Oceans
Don’t Cage Our Oceans is a coalition of organizations joining together to fight legislation and policies that would industrialize our oceans and allow the growth of the harmful offshore finfish farming industry. Learn more at dontcageouroceans.org.