A coalition of commercial and recreational fishing groups and conservation public interest groups has filed a lawsuit challenging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new federal regulations authorizing aquaculture in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
"NOAA lacks authority to allow aquaculture, but has created a federal permitting scheme as an end-run around Congress after multiple bills that would have granted the agency proper authority failed to pass," the group is claiming.
“Offshore industrial aquaculture will cause irreparable harm to the Gulf ecosystems and fishing communities,” said George Kimbrell, senior attorney for Center for Food Safety and counsel for the plaintiffs.
“This
