Study CP 1NC
Text: The United States Federal Government should enact the National Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Act after there is conclusive evidence that it does not harm the environment.
Congress wants more research on aquaculture before it passes any legislation
Marianne Cufone 08, an environmental attorney and taught law and graduate college courses and many guest lectures at assorted academic institutions. She maintains positions on management advisory committees for Hillsborough County (Florida), the State of Florida and the federal government. “Aquaculture Not Ready for Primetime”
http://southernoffshorefishingassociation.com/fish-news/new-england/senators-support/67-not-ready.html?fontstyle=f-smaller
On May 9th, Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV), chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, re-confirmed what consumer group Food & Water Watch and others have been advocating for years - that more research is needed on the potential environmental and socio-economic threats associated with fish farming. His statement came in response to a report released by the Government Accountability Office on offshore aquaculture, the growing of fish in large cages in open ocean waters. Last February, Chairman Rahall asked the GAO to do a study on offshore aquaculture, citing the need for clear regulatory framework for the industry that should consider ecological and economic sustainability. “We have regularly expressed concerns about the long term implications of ocean fish farming, in particular with respect to consumer health, harm to ocean resources and negative economic impacts to coastal communities and fishermen,” stated Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “The GAO report reaffirms our position that offshore aquaculture is not ready for primetime.” In a press release from Rahall’s office, the congressman emphasizes the need to consider the “viability of the fishing industry” and the “health of our oceans” in the development of offshore aquaculture. Food & Water Watch addresses these issues in their report, Fishy Farms, The Problems with Open Ocean Aquaculture that examines four fish farms in Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico, each with assorted problems and most unable to operate without tax-payer funded grants. “So far, the industry has failed to demonstrate that the practice is environmentally sustainable, financially viable, or technically possible on a meaningful commercial scale.” Hauter said. “This industry will likely cause more problems than it proposes to solve.” The GAO report notes that there are a number of "important environmental safeguards that need to be carefully considered to help regulate the offshore aquaculture industry," including "a regulatory process to review, monitor, and mitigate the potential environmental impacts of offshore aquaculture facilities.” “We applaud Congressman Rahall for his initiative in requesting the GAO study. More research is still needed before the government moves forward with any offshore aquaculture legislation,” concludes Hauter. “Any proposed legislation must have safeguards to deal with the potential risks to the marine environment, fishing communities and consumers.”
2NC Solvency Extensions The federal government should delay Offshore aquaculture legislature until further studies are conducted
Watch 08, The food and water watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. “Offshore Aquaculture: Bad news for gulf” https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/common-resources/fish/fish-farming/gulf-of-mexico/offshore-aquaculture/
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been promoting offshore aquaculture — growing fish in nets or cages between three and 200 miles from shore — as the best way to increase U.S. seafood output. Now, NOAA wants to establish this large-scale fish farming off the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast. Since January 2007, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils Congress established to help manage U.S. fisheries, has been developing a plan to streamline the permitting and regulation of open water aquaculture. Unfortunately, the Gulf Council‚ draft Generic Offshore Aquaculture Amendment fails to really consider, among other matters, the possible negative economic consequences of ocean fish farming, also known as open ocean or offshore aquaculture. The plan itself concedes that “the increased supply of aquaculture fish from the Gulf may tend to decrease the ex-vessel price commercial harvesters receive for their catch if the increased supply does not come on the market slowly, or if new markets for products are not created, or if the demand for seafood does not increase.” 1 Yet, there is little further discussion of this issue. Based on experience elsewhere, the practice of offshore aquaculture, combined with the influx of farmed fish imports, could threaten the economic wellbeing of the Gulf‚ active fishing industries. In 2006, the commercial fisheries there landed more than half a billion dollars worth of seafood.2 And from 2004 to 2005, Gulf recreational fishing pumped $5.6 billion, including expenditures on such items as hotels, food, and ice, into the regional economy.3 Rather than pressing forward with this plan, the U.S. government would best serve the public interest by delaying any move toward offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico until completion of comprehensive, peer-reviewed economic and environmental studies showing that it will not harm the economy or environment of the region.
Further research is need on aquaculture
Watch 08, The food and water watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. “Offshore Aquaculture: Bad news for gulf” https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/common-resources/fish/fish-farming/gulf-of-mexico/offshore-aquaculture/
Gulf commercial and recreational fishing communities support thousands of jobs and haul in billions of dollars in revenue for the region. Offshore aquaculture is fraught with uncertainty for that continued economic vibrancy. Given this, the U.S. government should not promote offshore aquaculture that could threaten coastal communities and the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico, and further research is needed on the issue before moving forward.
Stephano UD, 12 Experience of offshore fish farming in Cyprus. In : Muir J. (ed.), Basurco B. (ed.).
Mediterranean offshore mariculture. Zaragoza : p. 57-64 (Options Méditerranéennes :
Série B. Etudes et Recherches; n. 30)
http://om.ciheam.org/om/pdf/b30/00600648.pdf
A relevant government policy and infrastructure, to safeguard the sustainable future development of aquaculture in an environment of free competition and in harmony with the environment is considered to be of utmost importance. The introduction of a legal framework covering all aspects of aquaculture is essential as well as the preparation/implementation of a coastal zone management plan where aquaculture activities will be included. The need is now emerging for the adoption of more advanced technology for the exploitation of deeper waters, further away from the coast, in exposed area, including new cage designs, self-contained units, remote sensing/control equipment, new management practices, higher levels of mechanization and more sophisticated mooring systems. More research is also needed on environmental aspects and on the interactions of offshore aquaculture and the environment, to overcome the existing reservations on their perceived impact. A limited number of new farms could be set up in "new" areas. A lot depends on the technology to be employed, since the siting of farms further offshore is expected to be less favourable than for the existing units. Their establishment is expected to be scrutinized according to a set of criteria (technological, financial, managerial, etc.). The marketing prospects of aquaculture products will play a substantial role in every development, because a decisive factor for the achievement of the targets will be the conditions prevailing both in the local as well the international market. The potential for further increase of local market of aquaculture products, the replacement of imports and the development of exports will dictate the rate of production increase, as well as the levels of production. The further growth of offshore mariculture will safeguard the potential for production of good quality fish, in sufficient quantities, at reasonable prices.
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