Don’t Cage Our Oceans, in partnership with State Innovation Exchange (SiX), is excited to announce the launch of a new resource for state legislators and advocates. The State Policy Tackle Box on Finfish Aquaculture provides policymakers and coastal communities with the resources, information, and tools needed to protect coastal waters from the threat of industrial finfish aquaculture. 

To access to this resource, please complete this form.

Finfish aquaculture is the farming of carnivorous fish species in controlled, crowded environments, such as ocean net pens. It involves breeding, raising, and harvesting these fish for food. This form of aquaculture is the oceanic equivalent of intensive factory farming of livestock on land and is often referred to as ocean-based CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). The most common species include salmon, tilapia, catfish, and trout.

These industrial operations, which can stretch across hundreds of nautical miles, are often backed by foreign or distant investors, have minimal community involvement or support, and operate with an extractive agenda. The ocean becomes a dumping ground, with no compensation to the public or marine ecosystems — a stark contrast to more sustainable forms of aquaculture.