FWW Sues Army Corps of Engineers Over Fish Experiment

Food & Water Watch last week filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop its experimental fish farm in Buzzards Bay, Mass.

The Washington, D.C., consumer advocacy group wants the project suspended until research and public review are completed. The experiment intends to train fish to associate a specific sound with being fed, thereby making the fish easier to catch after they're released. The project's goal is to harvest farmed black sea bass without the use of net pens.

FWW says the Army Corps of Engineers violated the law because it failed to hold a public hearing and complete an environmental review of the project, required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rushed through the permitting process, ignoring over 1,000 citizen requests for a public hearing and disregarding a wide range of public concerns about the experiment," says FWW Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. "There are serious questions that have yet to be answered about the project's impacts on the environment and communities surrounding Buzzards Bay."

The group also contends releasing farmed black sea bass into the wild can alter the genetic composition and behavior of wild fish populations and jeopardize the recovery of depleted or endangered species.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson told SeaFood Business today that the Corps does not discuss ongoing litigation.

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