Fish farms facing foes - al.com

Fish farms facing foes - al.com: "As federal authorities seek public comment this summer on a plan to establish offshore fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico, about three dozen members of Congress — including Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor — have asked that the aquaculture proposal be nixed.

'Should the National Marine Fisheries Service approve the plan, it would lay the groundwork for a fragmented regulatory system for offshore aquaculture in the United States that threatens marine ecosystems, wild fish and coastal communities,' states the June 12 letter signed by federal lawmakers, including Taylor, a Democrat who represents coastal Mississippi.

The plan recommended by the regional Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in January would establish offshore fish farm permits for federal waters, creating an industry in which fish such as snapper could be raised by the thousands in underwater cages and pens."