A company growing food fish in giant pens off the North Kona coast proposes to more than double its operation by increasing the number and size of its pens.
In a draft environmental assessment published Tuesday by the state Department of Health Office of Environmental Quality Control, the company, Blue Ocean Mariculture LLC, asserts that extensive monitoring of water quality during eight years at the current farm has shown no significant environmental impact, and expansion is not expected to have a significant environmental impact either.
Blue Ocean seeks to increase its maximum growing volume from 24,000 cubic meters to 64,000 cubic meters by increasing the allowable pens from six to eight, and increasing the maximum size of individual pens from 7,000 cubic meters to 8,000 cubic meters. The farm site is just offshore from the Kona International Airport off Unualoha Point.
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