Picture of the OOA experiment from HOT, Inc.
From Marti:
The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources just took 250 acres of ocean along the North Kohala coast out of the public trust and gave it all to a private company for experiments in Open Ocean Aquaculture (OOA).
OOA is the practice of raising finfish under controlled conditions, in exposed, high-energy ocean environments. It is distinct from the traditional practice of small scale aquaculture, which raises a limited number of multiple marine species in nearshore fishponds.
On October 23, 2009, the Land Board granted a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) to Hawaii Ocean Technology, Inc. so that it can experiment with a new OOA technology. If it works, HOT, Inc. will make millions (maybe even billions). If it doesn’t, HOT, Inc., will walk away and we, the public, will be left with whatever harm their botched experiment causes: impaired water quality, harm to the ocean ecosystem, fish disease, escaped fish, affects of genetically modified material in the ocean, damage from rogue cages…. the list of risks is long.
The loss of public trust ocean resources is a less obvious, but equally long-lasting harm to our oceans.
The CDUP approved last month grants HOT, Inc. an exclusive right to use 250 acres of ocean for their caged fish experiments forever. This means that HOT, Inc. can deny people access to the area, stop them from fishing, harvesting, or boating in the area — kind of like the way “entrepreneurs” came to Hawaii, fenced up open forest land, and “experimented” with raising cows. We all know what *that* experiment did to Hawaii.
Indeed, OOA-proponents seek to “farm the sea as we farm the land, thereby using the vast ocean resource more effectively than is the case presently,” said John Forster in Open Ocean Aquaculture–Moving Forward. It appears he means “effectively” in the “exploit it better and faster” sense of the word.
Is the maze of fences decorated with “no trespassing” signs over every inch of land the future we want for our oceans? That is exactly what we are going to get if this trend is allowed to continue. As outlined in its Ocean Resources Management Plan, the state wants at least 10 OOA ventures in Hawaiian waters. This HOT, Inc. project is the third to come online, and the existing two are already seeking similar privileges to limit public access to the ocean around their cages.
The ocean is a collective resource. A fisherman fishes the sea, but lays no claim to the sea itself or the fish, for that matter. Erecting massive industrial commercial fish farms in the place where fish once swam wild will not save our ocean from the brink of catastrophe. It will push it closer.
We need to stop this mahele of our ocean. Instead, we need to better regulate the commercial (that is exploitive) use of our oceans. We have to enforce the “take what you need and only what you need” mantra of traditional resource management systems that ensured that everyone was fed and the resources endured for generations to come. At same time, we need to better support community-based loko ia, the small-scale nearshore fishponds that not only restore natural ecosystems, but help to provide fish for everyone to eat.
Aloha
I can understand that no one wants to feel that land, or ocean, is being taken away from them, but the arguments and comparison you make are out of reasonable perspective.
Modern technology applied today to make a fish growing experiment cannot be compared to the launch of cattle farming in the Victorian age.
““no trespassing” signs over every inch of land” is not the likely result of this experiment – that is only in your mind.
You say the ocean is a collective resource but even the Kingdom has awarded individuals the exclusive rights to fish certain areas. It just sounds like you don’t like this project because some other governing body other than You has legal authority over this particular resource.
If you look at the population statistics you will see that there are simply more people living on earth today than there used to be – more mouths to feed, so the claim that small scale fishing can feed “everybody” is no longer true. It is unfortunate, but that is the reality and no amount of clinging to old ways will change that.
“Erecting massive industrial commercial fish farms” is not what is going on here. These are experiments to figure out how to make fish farming work in a balanced and appropriate way to try to do exactly what you say you want to see done – feed all the people.
If they are successful, these fish farming bubbles would have to be spaced out – separated from one another and never in such density where access to significant portions of the shore and ocean would be restricted.
From the sound of it you are just being protective of any amount of access being taken from you and that is possessive, self-centered and just plain wrong.
I’m not a progress-at-any-cost kind of guy, in fact I’m pretty protective of all “our” natural resources. These fish farming experiments are not the potential problem you say they are. The truth is that they are just in what you consider to be your back yard and you don’t like it.
That’s not a good enough reason to stop them from working out a good new way to feed all the people.
And yes let’s do regulate better the commercial fishing that takes place in “our” waters. Many of those practices are exploitative. That’s what these experiments are designed to fix. If you weren’t so focused on your own feelings of lack you might see that.
Blessing to all that our time on this planet can be sustained in ways that are to the betterment of all beings.
Apparently Kimo is not informed on this issue of Open Ocean Aquaculture. The Federal government and all coastal state governments intend to “erect massive industrial fish farms” to feed the world at the expense of our resources. The proponents are concerned with the bottom line; how much money there is to be made.
Hawaii Ocean Technologies Inc., IS conducting an experiment is our pristine waters. The technology has not been proven to work with fish. It’s all hype! They’ve used data for their FEIS from the 80′s; which is irrelevant today. Also, not conducting baseline data because it’s too expensive; that’s irresponsible.
Furthermore, using terms of sustainable and environmentally friendly is disingenuous. Fish farms are merely aquatic feedlots.
More oversight, regulations and enforcement will perhaps clean up this industry.