Industrial Fish Farming Reform
IATP's
Industrial Fish Farming Reform Campaign works to end the most environmentally
damaging practices of industrial aquaculture through regulation, standards, and
consumer pressure campaigns. We are focusing primarily on salmon aquaculture
for two reasons. First, because it is the fastest growing and the most
environmentally damaging sector of industrial fish farming here in North
America. Second, there are positive alternative products, like Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable, and some organic Alaska wild
salmon, as well as abundant Pacific salmon species, readily available for
consumers, supermarkets, and chefs to purchase instead of imported farmed
salmon.
Reforming Industrial Fish
Farming
We
will continue to expand our national campaign designed to end the most serious
environmental impacts of factory fish farms. Over the next two years, we will
focus on the following specific objectives:
·
Reduce
the use of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and other drugs now leading to
widespread aquifer, coastal and surface water contamination.
·
Reduce
the intentional killing of sea lions, seals and other marine mammals, and
millions of cormorants and other birds exterminated to “protect” industrial
fish.
·
Stop
the introduction of untested genetically engineered (transgenic) salmon.
·
Reduce
the level of environmental disruption from fish farms brought on by accidental
introduction of exotic species.
·
Reduce
the level of fish farm contamination from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, food
coloring additives, heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins.
·
Protect
wild runs of salmon and other fish by reducing habitat loss, net-pen escapes
and spread of disease and parasites from fish farms.
·
Protect
world food supplies by reducing the use of harvested wild fish as food for
industrial fish farms.
·
Reduce
the competitive advantage of industrial aquaculture that results from their
ability to "externalize" and therefore not pay for any of these
environmental costs.
·
Protect
the environmental and social integrity of rural communities.
We
will establish benchmarks and specific evaluation criteria for measuring our
progress.
We will rely on four major strategies to achieve these specific objectives -- Increased regulation and enforcement, adoption of voluntary standards by producers, buyers, and sellers, organized consumer pressure through market campaigns, and direct assistance to help local communities protect themselves from industrial fish farming. IATP staff will engage in the following specific activities with each of these major strategic areas.
1. Regulation and Enforcement
a)
Use
of both "carrot and stick" activities to get government agencies to
enforce existing laws and regulations related to fish farming, including water
quality protection, food safety issues related to colorants and dyes, workplace
safety, endangered species act, etc.
b)
Introduction
of more sophisticated and comprehensive environmental laws and regulations at
the local, county, state, and federal levels designed to achieve one or more
campaign objectives. Our top focus will be on new laws to reduce contamination
from toxic chemicals, heavy metals, antibiotics, and other pharmaceuticals.
c)
Convince
policymakers and industrial aquaculture companies to adopt a moratorium on the
further expansion of industrial aquaculture until adequate environmental and
social protection laws and regulations are in place and fully implemented.
2. Voluntary Standards
a)
Work
with major buyers, including at least one major restaurant chain, to develop
and adopt purchasing/procurement guidelines that result in their increased
purchasing of sustainably certified fish and marine products.
b)
Encourage
the completion and adoption of standards for organic certification of fish
products so that companies who meet very high standards can receive proper
economic benefits from their good performance in the marketplace.
c)
Encourage
state-level aquaculture associations to adopt rigorous ethical, environmental,
and social standards as a basis for membership.
3. Consumer Pressure
a)
Expanding
of our public education campaign aimed at informing consumers and the general
public about the environmental dangers of industrial fish farming.
b)
Organizing
local committees dedicated to talking with grocers, fish market owners, and
chefs to encourage them to choose wild over farmed fish.
c)
Securing
the active support and participation by major membership organizations that
agree to urge their members to buy sustainably harvested wild fish instead of farmed
fish. Our goal is to have endorsements from membership groups representing 10
million members and to have 10,000 of their members (10,000) actively engaged.
d) Increased national media outreach to raise the level of newspaper, radio, and television coverage of this issue and to educate reporters about the important environmental and health issues at stake.
4.
Assisting
Rural Communities
In the United States,
industrial aquaculture is often promoted to rural communities as a way to
create employment and to expand the local tax base. Unfortunately, these promises of new jobs, enhanced community
income, and a better quality of life fail to materialize. In addition, the siting of large industrial
aquaculture facilities can lead to significant environment, social, and health
concerns including the escape of exotic species, water pollution, and unsafe
chemical use. Another problem is
absentee ownership, which can both drain money from the community and lead to
the abandonment of facilities without concern for the community impacts or for
the mess that is being left behind. Like similar “smokestack chasing”
development schemes, industrial aquaculture is not a viable way to enhance
local community development.
IATP's hot line (1-877-565-1287) for technical assistance was opened near the end of 2001 and is now ready for full-scale publicity and promotion throughout the United States. We will be mounting a marketing and promotion campaign targeted in the "hot zones" where industrial fish feedlots are the most likely to be locating or creating problems for local residents. We will expand out team of experts ready to help local communities threatened with the introduction of industrial fish feedlots to protect their communities.