UNITED STATES NEWS

1st ocean fish farm proposed for East Coast off New England

Apr 7, 2023, 5:03 AM

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire group wants to be the first to bring offshore fish farming to the waters off New England by raising salmon and trout in open-ocean pens miles from land, but critics fear the plan could harm the environment.

The vast majority of U.S. aquaculture, the practice of raising and harvesting fish in controlled settings, takes place in coastal waters or on land, in tanks and ponds. But New Hampshire-based Blue Water Fisheries wants to place 40 submersible fish pens in water about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) off Newburyport, Massachusetts, on two sites that total nearly a square mile, according to federal documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

The farm would grow millions of pounds of Atlantic salmon and steelhead trout, two popular seafood species, documents state. The proposal needs a battery of approvals, and would be the first of its kind off the East Coast.

Hawaii was the first U.S. state to allow operation of commercial open ocean aquaculture. Supporters of the farms tout them as a new method of sustainable fish farming, but environmental groups have voiced concerns about pollution and the possibility of projects releasing non-native species. Other offshore fish farming projects have been proposed for the waters off California and Florida.

The New England company hasn’t said much about its plans. Scott Flood, who is listed as a representative for Blue Water Fisheries on documents, declined to comment on the project. Other representatives for the company did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working with Blue Water Fisheries and other federal agencies on the regulatory and approvals process, said Allison Ferreira, a spokesperson for the agency. The company needs authorizations from NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among other approvals.

A key step in the approvals process for Blue Water Fisheries is the preparation of an environmental impact statement, Ferreria said. There is not yet a timeline for that process, she said.

The aquaculture project would include pens submerged about 15 meters (49 feet) below the surface in depths of about 80 meters (262 feet), federal documents state. The project would yield “up to 25.6 million pounds of a combination of steelhead trout and Atlantic salmon annually,” the documents state. The company’s year-round operations would take place out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The project also includes a proposal to aquaculture lumpfish, a species of fish that can be used to control parasites.

Aquaculture of Atlantic salmon in ocean pens already takes place in New England, as fish farming giant Cooke Aquaculture cultures the fish off Maine. However, those operations are located in coastal areas.

Any project involving the offshore culture of Atlantic salmon is likely to get the attention of conservation groups, as the salmon are listed under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S. Conservation groups have long made the case that farming salmon in the marine environment is bad for wild salmon, in part because the farmed fish can escape and jeopardize wild salmon by hybridizing with them and competing with them for food. They’ve also sounded alarms about the spread of parasites and the transfer of diseases.

Conservation groups have also argued the fish farms are bad for the environment because of pollution in the form of the antibiotics and pesticides often used on the farms.

Fish farming also has its supporters, who say the aquaculture of popular seafood species helps to take fishing pressure off wild fish stocks.

The New Hampshire group’s project raises potential alarms about possible fish escapes, said John Burrows, executive director for U.S. operations with the Atlantic Salmon Federation, a conservation organization. Using net pens far from the shoreside operations “significantly raises the likelihood of storm damage or predators causing escapes that may go undetected for several days,” Burrows said.

Don’t Cage Our Oceans, a national group that opposes offshore fish farming, is also monitoring the project, said Andrianna Natsoulas, the coalition’s campaign director.

“This is highly problematic, especially at the massive scale of this proposed operation once fully built-out,” Burrows said.

United States News

Associated Press

Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. __ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Buttigieg; former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential candidate; Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. __ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Olena Zelenska, first lady of Ukraine; Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Rep. Tony Gonzales, […]

2 minutes ago

FILE - Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former N...

Associated Press

3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet

The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, a day after several states hold off-year elections, and candidates will be facing the most stringent requirements yet to take part. Participating candidates must secure 4% of the vote in multiple polls and 70,000 unique donors to earn a spot on the […]

46 minutes ago

Associated Press

Video of Elijah McClain’s stop by police shown as officers on trial in Black man’s death

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Elijah McClain’s mother left a Colorado courtroom in tears Friday after prosecutors showed video footage of the 23-year-old Black man pinned down by police officers during a fatal 2019 confrontation, which rose to prominence during nationwide protests over racial discrimination and excessive force in policing. Two officers from the Denver suburb […]

55 minutes ago

Associated Press

Biologists look to expand suitable habitat for North America’s largest and rarest tortoise

ENGLE, N.M. (AP) — While the average life span of North America’s largest and most rare tortoise species is unknown, biologists have said it could span upward of a century. So saving the endangered species is a long game — one that just got another nudge forward Friday as U.S. wildlife officials finalized an agreement […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Surgeons perform second pig heart transplant, trying to save a dying man

WASHINGTON (AP) — Surgeons have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life – only the second patient to ever undergo such an experimental feat. Two days later, the man was cracking jokes and able to sit in a chair, Maryland doctors said Friday. The 58-year-old Navy veteran […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

GOP candidate challenging election loss in race to lead Texas’ most populous county drops lawsuit

HOUSTON (AP) — The highest profile Republican candidate who had sued seeking to overturn election results in the nation’s third-most populous county, a Democratic stronghold in deeply red Texas, has dropped her lawsuit. Alexandra del Moral Mealer was one of 21 GOP candidates who had filed lawsuits challenging their losses in November’s election in Harris […]

4 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

1st ocean fish farm proposed for East Coast off New England