Trump-Era Aquaculture Executive Order Under Fire

Haylie Shipp

An executive order put into place by the Trump administration is now under fire. More than 175 fishing, food advocacy and environmental groups are now calling on the Biden administration to revoke the order. The orders is “Promoting Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.”

According to these groups, they say this executive order shortcuts the regulatory process for developing industrial offshore finfish aquaculture facilities in federal waters without Congressional oversight.

Offshore finfish aquaculture is a type of finfish farming using massive net pens to raise fish. In a letter to President Biden, the groups say, “Industrial offshore fish farms would contaminate our marine waters with drugs, chemicals, and untreated wastes, while creating a breeding ground for pests and diseases.”

Organizers of the letter with the Don’t Cage Our Oceans group estimate that the organizations in total represent at least nine million individual members across the country and 250,000 businesses, including some 5,000 fishing businesses.

So again, environmental groups and some of the fishing industry urging President Biden to roll back the Trump executive order entitled, “Promoting Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.”