Casting doubt on fish farming - Environmentalists don't want the big net farms in the gulf

St. Petersburg Times ^ | August 30, 2003 | CRAIG PITTMAN

[muawiyah]

Who cares whether it's a "wild" or a "tame" salmon that gobbles up fish food? They are all the same thing!

[TheOtherOne]

As long as my steak is still free-range cow I am okay. None of that 'farm' meat for me.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Does a fish poop in the ocean?

[angkor]

Looking at their web site, it appears Ocean Conservancy is as much concerned with aesthetics as science.

And that line about "2 million" cultivated fish being destroyed in Canada couldn't possibly compare with the number killed by Mother Nature during a single red tide event.

Finally I'd be interested to know whether there's any real biological difference between a Mahi Mahi raised in an ocean net, and one that's grown up not-in-a-net. I suspect there's not, and that it's again a simple matter of aesthetics.

[marktwain]

it's again a simple matter of aesthetics

More of a matter of religion. These people tend to be true believers in Mother Earth.

[muawiyah]

Great Mother Earth and Her faithful servant, Baby Fish!

[Imal]

I see a legitmate cause for concern, but no reason why limited experiments should not proceed.

The results of these experiments would be the fairest, most logical and most authoritative basis for a policy decision on this matter.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's innovative and could be very productive.

[wita]

Taken to the extreme, do radical environmentalist morons poop, and if they do can they say anything until they stop?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Excellent point. Does an environmentalist's poop stink? I say it does.

[eno_]

It is more significant than that. Aquaculture has the potential to insure high quality food for all mankind. Radical environmentalists think there are far too many humans already. The prospect of all humans, even when there are 10 billion of us, having a high-quality diet is anathema to them.

[Between the Lines]

None of the men who founded the company in February 2002 has experience with aquaculture.
Joseph "Jody" Symons, 55, is a retired Motorola salesman who filed for bankruptcy three years ago. Tommy Butler, 35, is a charter boat captain on probation for growing marijuana in his home.
And Thomas D. Powell, 55, is a computer expert who, in the 1970s, launched the Sound Advice electronics chain as a vehicle to launder profits from his drug smuggling operation. He lost his stake in the company while serving six years in federal prison.

I don't think I would be investing in this company. Sounds like your typical Florida scam to me.

[wita]

To a normal person, a burning forest spells disaster. Lost wood, lost animals, and birds, ugliness is the result. Contrast this with the radical invironmental midget view, burning is natural so burn baby burn, besides that it p o 's the normal folks. How in holy you know what, did a "so call" environmentalist ever get listened to in the first place. If I want truth I won't find much were inviros tread, and since the "left wing" media gives them audience, I must conclude, if I ever needed concluding, that neither the media nor the environmentalists pass the common sense test.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Well, the paper has gone to great lengths to "expose" the background of these men. If it was something a LIBERAL media could get behind, it would have been reported differently.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Contrast this with the radical invironmental midget view, burning is natural so burn baby burn, besides that it p o 's the normal folks.

Unless it is land being cleared for farming, then it's a big no-no.

[Held_to_Ransom]

Does a fish poop in the ocean?

Nah, it comes ashore and uses public restrooms. Geezeee.....

There would be a potential pollution problem, but I don't know anything about it except that fish poop from my gold fish in my little ponds feed all sorts of algae. Of course they poop, and not they don't have legs.

The real issue though is the cloning of vast numbers of GM fish, and the release of them into the wild. In particular, this posed very severe problems on wild species in Britain because of variations in the mating habits. Wild fish were breeding with the GM ones, but the GM's were not able to reproduce. Bart Simpson would have understood.

Another matter is that fish farms on a huge scale will cost fisherman their eonomic independence. They will become relatively poorly paid employees of much larger firms instead of entrepeneurs, but that's probably unavoidable.

Given the history of these guys, I can't imagine they would not cut corners all over the map to get started. Perhaps they should consider running for political office, as there we can more readily afford a modest increase in the number of crooks employed.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Interesting points.

But why not harvest the fish poop? It would make excellent fertilizer.

[wita]

True, I live near the mountainous woods, not the rain forest. They don't clear for farming here, and at the moment, the mountain pine beatle, plus the forty years of fuel buildup from enviro activity, are the most serious problems, and the enviros hope it stays that way, bless their little misguided hearts.

[yankeedame]

And that line about "2 million" cultivated fish being destroyed in Canada couldn't possibly compare with the number killed by Mother Nature during a single red tide event.

Well, that's different. That's natural.
Sort of like if lightening sets a forest on fire, that's natural. But if you burn a pile of leaves in autumn, that's pollution. (/sarcasm)