随着美国环境保护署许可的临近，公海养鱼之战升温

随着美国环境保护署许可的临近，公海养鱼之战升温

Americans eat an average of 16 pounds of fish each year, and that number is growing. But how to meet our demand for fish is a controversial question, one that is entering a new chapter as the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to approve the nation's only aquaculture pen in federal waters.

美国人平均每年吃16磅鱼，而且这个数字还在增长。但是，如何满足我们对鱼类的需求是一个有争议的问题，随着美国环境保护局寻求批准建立美国唯一的联邦水域水产养殖场，这个问题正在进入一个新的篇章。

Fish farming has been positioned by its boosters as a sustainable alternative to wild-caught seafood and an economic driver that would put our oceans to work. So far, restrictions on where aquaculture operations can be located have kept the U.S. industry relatively small.

养鱼业的支持者将其定位为一种野生海产品的可持续替代品，并将使我们的海洋发挥作用的经济推动力。到目前为止，对水产养殖业经营地点的限制使得美国水产养殖业规模相对较小。

In 2016, domestic aquaculture in state-controlled waters accounted for about $1.6 billion worth of seafood, or about 20 percent of the country's seafood production.

2016年，在国家控制水域的国内水产养殖价值约16亿美元，约占该国海产品产量的20%。

States control up to three miles offshore from their coastlines, but between three and 200 miles falls under federal control.

各州控制着距海岸线3英里的海域，但联邦政府控制着3至200英里的海域。

Attempts to introduce aquaculture in federal waters have so far been stymied by concerns about aquaculture's impact on ocean ecosystems and wild fisheries.

到目前为止，由于担心水产养殖对海洋生态系统和野生渔业的影响，在联邦水域引入水产养殖的努力受到了阻碍。

Now the tide could be turning. On Aug. 30, EPA issued a draft permit for a pilot aquaculture project in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. The project, despite its small scale, would be a watershed moment in the debate surrounding ocean aquaculture, which has divided environmental groups and pitted fishermen who catch wild fish against those who farm.

现在，潮流可能正在变化。8月30日，美国环境保护署发布了一份草案，允许在佛罗里达州海岸外的墨西哥湾开展一个水产养殖试点项目。尽管该项目规模较小，但它将成为围绕海洋水产养殖辩论中的一个转折点。海洋水产养殖已使环保团体产生分歧，并使捕捞野生鱼类的渔民与养殖鱼类的渔民产生对立。

It is also the latest chapter in a long battle about which agency should regulate ocean aquaculture.

这也是有关哪个机构应该监管海洋水产养殖这一长期斗争的最新篇章。

The pilot project would allow Kampachi Farms, a veteran aquaculture company, to raise 20,000 Almaco jack fish in a net pen in the ocean 45 miles southwest of Sarasota.

该试点项目将允许经验丰富的水产养殖公司坎帕奇农场在萨拉索塔西南45英里的海洋中用网圈养殖2万条长鳍鱼。

Kampachi Farms previously established aquaculture pens in state-controlled waters off the coast of Hawaii and in Mexico's Gulf of California. Kampachi CEO Neil Anthony Sims says the Gulf of Mexico pilot project is essential to helping aquaculture's critics understand the many upsides of bringing open ocean fish farming to the U.S.

坎帕奇农场以前在夏威夷海岸和加利福尼亚湾国家控制的水域建立了水产养殖围栏。坎帕斯首席执行官尼尔·安东尼·西姆斯表示，墨西哥湾的试点项目对于帮助水产养殖的批评者了解将开放海洋养鱼业引入美国的诸多好处至关重要

"First and foremost, we want to be able to demonstrate to the Florida fishing that offshore aquaculture can be a real positive benefit," says Sims.

西姆斯说:“最重要的是，我们希望能够向佛罗里达州的渔业证明，近海水产养殖可以带来真正的积极的效益。”