76% of U.S. voters support expanding open ocean aquaculture in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way
A new poll released by the Environmental
Defense Fund (EDF) shows 76 percent of U.S. voters support expanding open ocean
aquaculture in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way. A further 82 percent of surveyed voters
said research can help ensure the safety of the seafood we consume.
The survey was conducted by Global Strategy Group, which polled 800 registered voters, and had a margin of error of 3.5 percent, according to EDF.
The nonprofit conservation group suggests that the poll's results support the aims of the US Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food (SEAfood) Act – proposed legislation that EDF has endorsed. If passed, the bill would establish an offshore aquaculture assessment program, require government reports on offshore aquaculture regulation, and create a grant program under NOAA Fisheries supporting minority-serving educational institutions in building aquaculture centers of excellence.
The legislation has drawn opposition, though, from groups opposed to offshore finfish aquaculture, such as Don't Cage Our Oceans, which claims the practice allows chemicals, diseases, and untreated waste to flow into the open ocean where it poses harms to wildlife, fishing, and coastal communities.
"We can all agree that everyone deserves access to fresh, local, and healthy seafood, but this so-called SEAfood Act flies in the face of this goal," Don't Cage Our Oceans Legislative Director James Mitchell said after the bill was introduced last fall. "Its harmful provisions would put local businesses at a disadvantage while encouraging big corporations to construct risky trial facilities without proper oversight to safeguard against environmental disaster."