Dear John,
Friends of the Earth members across the nation have been standing up against factory fish farms. Supporters like you have protested against these polluting industries from Washington to Maine. Now we’re depending on you to stand up for the Gulf.
Trump’s EPA is planning to hand over the Gulf of Mexico, which is still struggling to recover from various climate disasters, to an industrial ocean fish farm. These massive operations are essentially floating factory farms. They devastate our ocean ecosystem, public health, and the local economy.
The good news: the EPA listened to demands from engaged supporters like you and extended the comment period on the proposed fish farm off Florida's west coast by an additional 90 days. But you haven’t submitted your comment yet. Can we count on you to help block factory fish farming in the Gulf, John?
Help protect our oceans: Tell the EPA to keep industrial ocean fish farms out of the Gulf of Mexico!
Industrial ocean fish farms contain hundreds of thousands of farmed fish that can spill into the surrounding ocean. They pollute the water with untreated fish waste, excess feed, agricultural drugs and pesticides, heavy metals, and chemicals. And they spread disease and pests, threaten wildlife, and are putting responsible seafood producers out of business.
But instead of cracking down on this harmful industry, the Trump Administration has poured resources into supporting floating factory farms. Now, the EPA is preparing to permit a facility in Gulf waters.
This would be disastrous for our marine ecosystem. After all, the Gulf is just starting to recover from the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010, which took the lives of 11 workers, harmed countless marine mammals, and devastated other plants and animals living nearby. Moreover, in the past two years, the region suffered the worst red tides in over a decade. Opening our waters to yet another industrial facility is far too risky. We don’t need any more pollution in the Gulf!
The EPA should be protecting our Gulf waters, not handing them over to mega-corporations and factory farms. And they need to hear that message from engaged environmentalists like you. But we must act fast!
Take action now: Demand that Trump’s EPA stop industrializing our Gulf by blocking future floating factory farms!
Industrial ocean fish farms are not the answer to meeting seafood demand. Farming massive populations of fish in the open ocean causes harm to existing wild fish stocks and their precious habitats and puts sustainable seafood producers out of business.
This project is far too risky -- it would only benefit factory farm mega-corporations at the expense of the environment and public health. Any new industrial farms would threaten fishing, tourism, and the livelihoods of millions of local residents.
Rather than throw its support behind an industrial fish farm off Florida’s coast, our government should be building more support for sustainable seafood production alternatives. But as we’ve seen, Trump’s administration will only do the right thing if they feel immense grassroots pressure from folks like you and me. Can we count on your support?
Help send 30,000 comments: Tell the EPA to keep floating factory farms out of our public waters!
Standing with you,
Hallie Templeton,
Senior Oceans Campaigner,
Friends of the Earth
