June 13, 2023 • 10 mins
The owners of an aquaculture project about 40 miles off Sarasota in the gulf have filed with the EPA to change the species being farmed as well as caging requirements. That has environmental activists calling on the feds to restart the permitting process. They say aquaculture in that area of the gulf has the potential to feed red tide algae blooms. We speak with Cris Costello, senior organizing director of Sierra Club Florida.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Aquaculture has been growing in and around
Florida. You may not be awarethat there is an effort to get a
facility going about forty miles off thecoast of Sarah Soda that's called Villela Epsilon.
It has been permitted by the EPAfor aquaculture for fish farming, if
you will. But now some activistswho opposed the original permitting want that EPA
(00:24):
permit revoked because they say that theproject is turning out to be something different
from what was originally green lighted bythe FEDS, as they put it,
a case of bait and switch.We have Chris Costello, she's senior organizing
manager for US year A Club Florida, and we welcome you to Beyond the
News. Thank you, Gordon.It's good to be here, all right.
(00:45):
So what are you saying in yourcomplaint has changed about the facility from
what was originally agreed to by theEPA. I believe that they got the
permit last year, that's correct.This recent change actually just scores our current
opposition, our long sitting opposition tothis project. We are in the process
(01:06):
of lead challenging the permit that wasgranted to ocean Era. So the new
change just gives us more more fodderfor our complaint against the project and a
problem. Sure, go ahead,No, I was just going to ask
you if you could kind of outlinewhat has changed about the facility from the
(01:26):
original permit, from the original proposal. You got it, so, um,
just a few weeks ago, abouta month ago on May tense,
ocean Era, the company that ishas asked for this permit, acknowledge that
it does not intend to implement theproject as it is currently permitted. They
(01:47):
actually want to change the type offish that they grow and the type of
pen system or cage system that theyuse, and that's that's a serious problem.
The The bottom line here is thatfor us, we oppose this project
no matter what kind of fish theyuse and no matter what kind of open
(02:08):
cage they use. But as faras the permit concerned, ocean Era has
admitted that it cannot, it willnot, as a practical matter, be
able to implement a project as itis currently permitted, and so that current
one should be revoked in our opinion. And if they want to go through
(02:31):
a new permit process, well thatis their right, But this particular permit
because of the changes alone, notwithstandingall of our arguments, and are very
good for revoking the permit for otherfor other reasons, this one in itself
(02:52):
is enough that should shut the permitdown, all right, And we have
reached out to ocean Era for theirresponse. We're awaiting that. Now.
What is the difference if they changeto another species? I believe that red
drum is the species they want tochange to. I think that is,
if I'm not mistaken, native tothat area. And what is the difference
(03:14):
if they change the two different speciesand change to a different type of cage
facility? What is the Is therea meaningful difference in the way this,
let's say, impacts the environment inthat section of the gulf well as far
as the kind of cage. I'mnot a cage expert, but that is
(03:35):
a question for the permit process todeal with. I think what's important about
the type of fish that there totwo is that red drum is, from
what I understand, a viable farmsc in many parts of the Gulf of
Mexico, in many other readers ofthe Gulf of Mexico. And so our
(03:58):
question then becomes why here near Sarasota, right off the Gulf codes where we
are played by red tide bloom afterred tide, bloom after red tide have
been pretty much consistently since two thousandand five two thousand and six. This
is not the place for an industrialfish that would be a direct source of
(04:24):
nutrient pollution, nitrogen and phosphorus pollutionright into the waters where Brevis lived,
waiting to be fueled into its nextlong tense outbreak. We don't need more
Cornnia Brevis population explosions. And whilelocal government are trying despot stop land sources
(04:45):
of nutrient from getting into the Gulfto fuel those longer more harmful algal red
tide Specifically, why in the worldEPA allow a direct input of the same
kind of nutri tramp pollution right intothe waters where Corinnia Brevis lives and is
just waiting to be fed and explodeits population. So has the red tide
(05:10):
issue been one that you have hadwith this project all along? Does it
go back to your original objection tothe permit? Absolutely? This is a
case of you know the old phrase, location, location, location. This
is one of those cases where thelocation again our golf waters are beliaguered here,
(05:32):
and the people who depend upon themand the wildlife who depend on upon
them are beliaguered also from catastrophic andthe public health wise catastrophic red tide event.
This has been our major, certainlythe Sierra Club's major opposite reason for
opposite to this fish farm since thevery beginning. What in the bigger picture,
(05:55):
what do you want to see theEPA, the federal government do with
regard to aquaculture, particularly aquaculture inthe Gulf in close to Florida waters.
What do you want to see happen? What safeguards, if you will,
would you like to see in placefor this and future aquaculture projects. I
would say that the look extremely important. I would say that where the waters
(06:21):
have they or are current under thethreat of prolonged additional red tide or other
harmful algoribum outbreak, that a directinput of what is a centralized animal feeding
operation in fish form right directly intothose waters should be prohibited. They should
(06:44):
be offen. There should be anexpress tension and action by the EPA help
to stay and help the people ofFlorida prevent these kinds of harmful algobium explosions,
and the only way that they cando it is to help us keep
that nutrient pollution from the water.No new inputs and stop the inputs that
(07:08):
we already have, and that meansno new fish farms in the Gulf of
Mexico where harmful algal blooms impact theeconomy and public health and quality of life.
So there are the arguments or concernsyou have beyond the possibility of this
contributing to red tide, the fishfeed and the elements therein, and I've
(07:29):
presumed possibly from waste as well.Are there arguments other than red tide behind
your opposition? There certainly are.There are issues of bees, the transfer
of these from caged fish to thenatural population. There is certainly the concern
about escaped fish. Escaped farmed fishare different from the natural population. They
(07:56):
are raised in order to survive betterand need better in a cage situation,
and that puts our natural population offish, um and other animals at risk.
That's that's one of them. There'sanother concern with the kinds of things
that they're putting into the water inthe cages that are open. So whether
(08:20):
they be antibiotic or any other chemicaladdition that that is all subcerned. This
is not the time to be puttinganything in the water, um, not
even not even fish right, noteven fish food, and certainly not chemicals,
antibiotics, etc. We don't needthat in our near shore waters.
(08:43):
So you have a protest that isplanned for Tuesday the thirteenth, even thirty
in the morning down by the VenicePier. Who's taking part in that?
We have a number of organizations.UM speakers will be from the Sierra Club,
Coast water Keeper also the CSG kindof Minium Civic Association and Florida Commercial
(09:09):
Waterman's Conservation of Commercial Watermen that areopposed. Those are some of the speakers
that will be there. I believethere will be people from many other organizations
and neighborhoods from around Sarah Economy andbeyond to voice their opposition. Also,
we're speaking with Chris Costello with theSierra Club, Senior organizing manager for Sierra
(09:31):
Club Florida about their concerns about anaquaculture project that has been permitted by the
FDA rather about forty miles off thecoast of Sarah Soota. What's the status
of that project right now? Weare currently challenging it. So we have
a legal case challenging that permit,and that process is unfortunately a long one,
(09:54):
but we are currently challenging that permit. They actually engaged in aquaculture at
the site, or are they?Are they awaiting the process? Here?
Are they because they had to changegears? Are they? Are they not
currently involved in fish farming at thesite. No, they are not,
to my understanding, they are not. All right, very good. I
(10:18):
appreciate your taking the time to talkwith us. Chris Costello, Senior organizing
manager see here A Club, Florida, Thank you very much for joining us
on beyond the News My Pleasure Garden. Thank you,
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Aquaculture has been growing in and around
Florida. You may not be awarethat there is an effort to get a
facility going about forty miles off thecoast of Sarah Soda that's called Villela Epsilon.
It has been permitted by the EPAfor aquaculture for fish farming, if
you will. But now some activistswho opposed the original permitting want that EPA
(00:24):
permit revoked because they say that theproject is turning out to be something different
from what was originally green lighted bythe FEDS, as they put it,
a case of bait and switch.We have Chris Costello, she's senior organizing
manager for US year A Club Florida, and we welcome you to Beyond the
News. Thank you, Gordon.It's good to be here, all right.
(00:45):
So what are you saying in yourcomplaint has changed about the facility from
what was originally agreed to by theEPA. I believe that they got the
permit last year, that's correct.This recent change actually just scores our current
opposition, our long sitting opposition tothis project. We are in the process
(01:06):
of lead challenging the permit that wasgranted to ocean Era. So the new
change just gives us more more fodderfor our complaint against the project and a
problem. Sure, go ahead,No, I was just going to ask
you if you could kind of outlinewhat has changed about the facility from the
(01:26):
original permit, from the original proposal. You got it, so, um,
just a few weeks ago, abouta month ago on May tense,
ocean Era, the company that ishas asked for this permit, acknowledge that
it does not intend to implement theproject as it is currently permitted. They
(01:47):
actually want to change the type offish that they grow and the type of
pen system or cage system that theyuse, and that's that's a serious problem.
The The bottom line here is thatfor us, we oppose this project
no matter what kind of fish theyuse and no matter what kind of open
(02:08):
cage they use. But as faras the permit concerned, ocean Era has
admitted that it cannot, it willnot, as a practical matter, be
able to implement a project as itis currently permitted, and so that current
one should be revoked in our opinion. And if they want to go through
(02:31):
a new permit process, well thatis their right, But this particular permit
because of the changes alone, notwithstandingall of our arguments, and are very
good for revoking the permit for otherfor other reasons, this one in itself
(02:52):
is enough that should shut the permitdown, all right, And we have
reached out to ocean Era for theirresponse. We're awaiting that. Now.
What is the difference if they changeto another species? I believe that red
drum is the species they want tochange to. I think that is,
if I'm not mistaken, native tothat area. And what is the difference
(03:14):
if they change the two different speciesand change to a different type of cage
facility? What is the Is therea meaningful difference in the way this,
let's say, impacts the environment inthat section of the gulf well as far
as the kind of cage. I'mnot a cage expert, but that is
(03:35):
a question for the permit process todeal with. I think what's important about
the type of fish that there totwo is that red drum is, from
what I understand, a viable farmsc in many parts of the Gulf of
Mexico, in many other readers ofthe Gulf of Mexico. And so our
(03:58):
question then becomes why here near Sarasota, right off the Gulf codes where we
are played by red tide bloom afterred tide, bloom after red tide have
been pretty much consistently since two thousandand five two thousand and six. This
is not the place for an industrialfish that would be a direct source of
(04:24):
nutrient pollution, nitrogen and phosphorus pollutionright into the waters where Brevis lived,
waiting to be fueled into its nextlong tense outbreak. We don't need more
Cornnia Brevis population explosions. And whilelocal government are trying despot stop land sources
(04:45):
of nutrient from getting into the Gulfto fuel those longer more harmful algal red
tide Specifically, why in the worldEPA allow a direct input of the same
kind of nutri tramp pollution right intothe waters where Corinnia Brevis lives and is
just waiting to be fed and explodeits population. So has the red tide
(05:10):
issue been one that you have hadwith this project all along? Does it
go back to your original objection tothe permit? Absolutely? This is a
case of you know the old phrase, location, location, location. This
is one of those cases where thelocation again our golf waters are beliaguered here,
(05:32):
and the people who depend upon themand the wildlife who depend on upon
them are beliaguered also from catastrophic andthe public health wise catastrophic red tide event.
This has been our major, certainlythe Sierra Club's major opposite reason for
opposite to this fish farm since thevery beginning. What in the bigger picture,
(05:55):
what do you want to see theEPA, the federal government do with
regard to aquaculture, particularly aquaculture inthe Gulf in close to Florida waters.
What do you want to see happen? What safeguards, if you will,
would you like to see in placefor this and future aquaculture projects. I
would say that the look extremely important. I would say that where the waters
(06:21):
have they or are current under thethreat of prolonged additional red tide or other
harmful algoribum outbreak, that a directinput of what is a centralized animal feeding
operation in fish form right directly intothose waters should be prohibited. They should
(06:44):
be offen. There should be anexpress tension and action by the EPA help
to stay and help the people ofFlorida prevent these kinds of harmful algobium explosions,
and the only way that they cando it is to help us keep
that nutrient pollution from the water.No new inputs and stop the inputs that
(07:08):
we already have, and that meansno new fish farms in the Gulf of
Mexico where harmful algal blooms impact theeconomy and public health and quality of life.
So there are the arguments or concernsyou have beyond the possibility of this
contributing to red tide, the fishfeed and the elements therein, and I've
(07:29):
presumed possibly from waste as well.Are there arguments other than red tide behind
your opposition? There certainly are.There are issues of bees, the transfer
of these from caged fish to thenatural population. There is certainly the concern
about escaped fish. Escaped farmed fishare different from the natural population. They
(07:56):
are raised in order to survive betterand need better in a cage situation,
and that puts our natural population offish, um and other animals at risk.
That's that's one of them. There'sanother concern with the kinds of things
that they're putting into the water inthe cages that are open. So whether
(08:20):
they be antibiotic or any other chemicaladdition that that is all subcerned. This
is not the time to be puttinganything in the water, um, not
even not even fish right, noteven fish food, and certainly not chemicals,
antibiotics, etc. We don't needthat in our near shore waters.
(08:43):
So you have a protest that isplanned for Tuesday the thirteenth, even thirty
in the morning down by the VenicePier. Who's taking part in that?
We have a number of organizations.UM speakers will be from the Sierra Club,
Coast water Keeper also the CSG kindof Minium Civic Association and Florida Commercial
(09:09):
Waterman's Conservation of Commercial Watermen that areopposed. Those are some of the speakers
that will be there. I believethere will be people from many other organizations
and neighborhoods from around Sarah Economy andbeyond to voice their opposition. Also,
we're speaking with Chris Costello with theSierra Club, Senior organizing manager for Sierra
(09:31):
Club Florida about their concerns about anaquaculture project that has been permitted by the
FDA rather about forty miles off thecoast of Sarah Soota. What's the status
of that project right now? Weare currently challenging it. So we have
a legal case challenging that permit,and that process is unfortunately a long one,
(09:54):
but we are currently challenging that permit. They actually engaged in aquaculture at
the site, or are they?Are they awaiting the process? Here?
Are they because they had to changegears? Are they? Are they not
currently involved in fish farming at thesite. No, they are not,
to my understanding, they are not. All right, very good. I
(10:18):
appreciate your taking the time to talkwith us. Chris Costello, Senior organizing
manager see here A Club, Florida, Thank you very much for joining us
on beyond the News My Pleasure Garden. Thank you,
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