Sheesh! How many more times must we tell this government agency that we don’t want more pollution and nature-degradation in our waters? We have posted multiple times about this terrible idea which, worldwide, has proven to be negative in many ways. This practice has caused irreparable harm with salmon, which is usually what happens when we mess with Mother Nature.
If this goes through, you can bet something bad will happen sooner or later.
Notwithstanding the forthcoming negative impacts on our water, Mote Marine continues to put profit over the environment.
Florida already has enough water problems brought on by our void in leadership, but exacerbated horribly with Rick “water hater” Scott and his minion DeSantis.
If you sent in your letter before, thank you, and please send one more and tell them we don’t want this company in our waters. I just submitted mine.
Read the complete article with photos here at WTSP Channel 10 Tampa Bay.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
AA wants your feedback on fish farms
SARASOTA, Fla. — You have an opportunity to give feedback, encouraged by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on whether companies can set up aquaculture projects along our coastline.
Last summer, the Hawaii-based company Ocean Era applied to set up a farm off of the coast near Venice. The company used spheres to raise fish in the open ocean which they claim leads to higher quality and more sustainable seafood.
“The fish farms will add nutrients to our water, so that could potentially impact the health of our waters,” Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch said.
Ahearn-Koch said she’s concerned because the city is still restoring the bay from the 2018 red tide that had a $300 million impact on the economy.
“Harmful algal blooms are definitely a concern, that we’re well aware of living along the central Gulf Coast, here in Florida,” NOAA Fisheries spokesperson Andrew Richard said. “The programmatic impact statement will assess the potential impacts both adverse and beneficial aquaculture might have on water quality.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is revising the language for a permit for the project near Venice.
In the meantime, you can have a say about farms for fish, seaweed, algae or even shellfish from June 1 to August 1.
To learn more about attending a public meeting, click here.
