Alaska reacts to proposed federal aquaculture plan: as far as finfish, Alaskans in the fishing industry agree that the answer is not engaging in fish farming with its inherent risks to both the environment and wild stock markets, but in promoting Alaska's wild stock fisheries as a premium product.

• Author: Vick, Gale

Alaska's fishing industry is being revisited by an old threat. Since the 1980s, Alaska has had a statutory moratorium on finfish farming within state waters (0 to 3 miles). But now, a bill proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will expand the opportunities for federal off-shore open ocean aquaculture (OOA) in the EEZ--the Exclusive Economic Zone--that rings the American coastline from 3 to 200 miles out.

Senate Bill 1195, the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 9005, was introduced in the Senate Commerce Committee by Sens. Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye on June 7 of this year. Sen. Stevens, a long-time advocate of protecting Alaska's wild stocks, introduced the bill at the request of President George Bush, but noted in a Senate Commerce press release that he wanted states like Alaska and Hawaii to be able to "decide for themselves whether this law and offshore aquaculture are best for their citizens and economies."

The proposed bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to issue ocean-farming licenses for 10 years and extend them in five-year increments. No environmental standards are set in the bill, but there is a requirement to establish them. The bill does include provisions for allowing the government to monitor and search fish pens and revoke licenses.

Alaskan's reaction was quick and visceral. Gov. Frank Murkowski and the Alaska Legislature and many others came out with resolutions that opposed open oceans finfish aquaculture for the same reason that they oppose it within state waters.

PROTECTING WILD STOCKS

Because Alaska has the most coastline in the country and a seafood industry that has a total economic output of more than $4.6 billion annually, Gov. Murkowski has called for a five-year ban on new aquaculture sites in federal waters pending studies of possible harm to the environment and the state's wild fish harvests.

"As Alaskans, we have watched the growth of the seafood aquaculture industry around the world while wild stocks, except in Alaska, have declined," Murkowski said. "We are very concerned about the advent of a federal open-oceans aquaculture program off the shores of Alaska. I have submitted comments to the U.S. Oceans Commission, Congress and the Department of Commerce recommending a five-year moratorium on offshore aquaculture and recommending that governors have the ability to reject offshore aquaculture in their states. This moratorium would allow sufficient time for the social and economic consequences...