Senator Lisa draws a bead on fish farms

ALASKA - Fish farming in federal waters would face significant new hurdles under a bill introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski late last week.

Her proposed Natural Stock Conservation Act would stall development of aquaculture in offshore waters until federal agencies receive instructions from Congress requiring "rigorous studies" for the new industry, Murkowski spokesman Eliot Bundy said Friday.

Fish farms - which can spread disease and non-native fish to surrounding waters - need the same level of scrutiny that has been given to national ocean policy reform in recent years, Murkowski said in a Friday press statement.

"We cannot afford a rush to judgment on this issue," she said. "It is far too dangerous if we make a mistake."

Her bill, introduced Thursday night, will go head to head with a couple of pro-aquaculture Congressional bills anticipated by fishermen and the aquaculture industry later this spring.

Source: juneauempire.com