Letters to the Editor: Fish farms foul ocean water and ruin ecosystems. Don't allow them off our shores
To the editor: Of all the ways humankind devises schemes to feed its ever growing numbers, fish farms might be one of the most troubling.
As reported, a prestigious San Diego research institute and a Long Beach social-benefit investment group are teaming up to build such a fish farm four miles off the coast of San Diego. Understandably, environmentally concerned readers share the fears of scientists who study such enterprises and are profoundly troubled by the negative outcomes for our marine environment should this project go ahead.
Off-shore aquaculture has been shown to foul water and upset fragile ecosystems. What seems initially like an easy solution for our need to provide both employment and nutrition to our population may have disastrous consequences beyond first glance.
Many years ago, I adopted a plant-based diet after studying the dire consequences of animal consumption. Today, plant-based substitutes for fish exist to serve human needs and tastes.
Please, let us rethink and study the consequences before allowing for a large, open-ocean fish farm.
Elaine Livesey-Fassel, Los Angeles
