Opinion: Why Florida’s local leaders are standing up for the Gulf

Local leaders across Southwest Florida recently took bold new steps to protect Florida’s natural resources. City commissioners in Sanibel, Sarasota and Holmes Beach formally opposed a proposed industrial fish farm, which could have far-reaching implications for Fort Myers residents, in letters to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Velella Epsilon fish cage, and accompanying equipment, is slated for construction in federal waters off Florida, but recently, it has faced growing opposition from local residents and environmental experts.

On January 28, dozens of Floridians rallied outside a public EPA hearing. With over 250 people in attendance, nearly 60 people presented testimony opposing the permit. Florida residents are coming together because we know that this offshore facility, if approved, would harm the marine ecosystem that Floridians depend on and cherish. While the facility would be located near Sarasota, its impacts and the precedent it would set for further development could affect all of Florida’s coastal communities, including Fort Myers and nearby communities.

A Hawaii-based corporation is pushing to build this facility, where thousands of fish would be bred in a giant pen. These types of facilities discharge antibiotics and other chemicals into the ocean, polluting the delicate ecosystem. And floating fish pens often break, releasing farm-raised fish into the ocean where they can pass on diseases, parasites and different genes to wild fish. They also can increase competition with wild fish for resources like habitat, food and mates.

In 2019 alone, dozens of major fish spills were reported around the world, releasing hundreds of thousands of farmed fish.

According to the proposal from Ocean Era, formerly known as Kampachi Farms, this facility would breed 20,000 Almaco Jack in a floating cage. Untreated fish waste, feed and antibiotics would be released into the Gulf, which could increase ammonia and nitrogen and decrease oxygen in the surrounding ocean. That could contribute to red tide, resulting in massive fish kills. 

Millions of dollars in losses were reported by Florida businesses due to red tide damage in 2018, and we’re already grappling with “no swim” advisories from red tide blooms and other environmental threats. Residents throughout the region value our unique beaches and understand that tourism drives local economies. Is a new project that may increase the possibility of blooms worth the risk? 

There’s simply too much at stake to jeopardize our coastal economy, communities and ecosystem.

Even worse, our community would not be the only one affected by this project. This facility would currently be the only of its kind in federal waters and could open the door for industrial development throughout the Gulf and across the nation.

Other states are already recognizing the dangers of industrial finfish farming. For instance, Washington has banned non-native ocean fish farming after a massive fish spill wreaked havoc on wild salmon populations. We must insist on adequate, impartial, public environmental review processes. We must not allow net pen proponents or the EPA to industrialize our oceans.

Now, local leaders across Florida’s coast have the opportunity to step up and protect our environment, our economy and our values — while setting an example that can also prevent harmful development around the country.

I urge representatives in Fort Myers, Tampa Bay and other neighboring cities to join us in this fight and speak out against this dangerous project. This is our best chance to say no to outside corporations trying to industrialize our oceans and show the EPA that Floridians know what’s best for our community — and we’re here to protect it.

Dr. Neal Schleifer is a writer and educator residing in Sarasota.