The Sierra Club supports environmentally sound and sustainable aquaculture, including research that seeks to advance its efficiency and global sustainability. However, it finds that open ocean finfish aquaculture poses numerous potential environmental risks, including spread of diseases and parasites to nearby wild fish populations and impacts on wild forage fish populations. We prefer lower-risk alternatives such as recirculating aquaculture systems.

Our support for a proposed open ocean finfish aquaculture project will depend upon there being: 

1. an effective and comprehensive state or federal regulatory and monitoring system in place to prevent anticipated harm, and to detect the onset of environmental damage early enough to stop it and avoid unanticipated harm, and
2. evidence that the project meets or exceeds the applicable regulatory requirements. At this time, no existing open ocean finfish aquaculture project meets the environmental and safety standards for our support. 
    

The Sierra Club supports environmentally sound and sustainable aquaculture, including research that seeks to advance its efficiency and global sustainability. The environmental impacts of aquaculture depend on when, where, and how projects are sited and operated. This policy document focuses on environmental aspects of shellfish and seaweed aquaculture, including recommendations for evaluating the design, siting, and disease and pathogen protection aspects of these types of aquaculture projects. It builds on the Open Ocean Finfish Aquaculture policy, and is supplemented by the attached white paper document.

Shellfish aquaculture projects are often related to larger restoration projects such as those promoting oyster reef restoration on the Atlantic coast. Such projects often include nurseries to provide oyster larvae for re-seeding restoration sites. Because shellfish are filter-feeders, shellfish aquaculture projects may offer environmental benefits of improved water quality.

Climate change has added a new dimension to Sierra Club policies, including seaweed aquaculture projects which may foster climate change mitigation and adaptation via carbon capture and sequestration. Kelp, in particular, appears to offer the potential for permanent sequestration of carbon in the deep ocean.

Shellfish aquaculture projects may need to include adaptation measures to reduce local levels of ocean acidification.   
The shellfish and seaweed aquaculture policy has two components, (1) those applying to open ocean aquaculture projects in general, and (2) those specific to shellfish or seaweed aquaculture.
 

The project:

A. Will not restrict the use of surface waters or the ocean bottom by the public or other parties, or protrude above the surface of the water so as to mar scenic vistas.

B. Will not be located in or near marine reserves, replenishment areas or areas of natural beauty such as coral reefs or in sensitive habitat, including any marine protected area, marine reserve, Habitat Area of Particular Concern, Special Management Zone, National Marine Sanctuary, or other marine protected area, and will not be on or attached to any portion of an oil or gas platform, including one that is no longer in service.

C. Will include a contingency plan for dealing with natural disasters such as hurricanes or tsunamis.

D. Will be designed and engineered to prevent entanglement of marine life in nets or equipment related to the aquaculture facility. Use of underwater acoustic deterrent devices is prohibited.

E. Will be operated with a density of populations within the project sufficiently low as needed to prevent nutrient overloading and creation of disease breeding conditions.

F. Will be respectful of, and does not threaten the sustainability of, subsistence fishing practiced by Native Hawaiians or Native Americans.

G. Separates multiple aquaculture facilities from each other by a distance of 1.5 miles or greater as needed to prevent cumulative impacts from the separate projects.
 

The project will be designed, located, and operated to prevent the incubation and spread of disease and pathogens and ecosystem impacts from disease and pathogen introduction.

The use, including the prophylactic use, of antibiotics, pesticides, prescription and nonprescription drugs, or other chemical treatments will be prohibited; except that such use may be allowed as necessary to treat a diagnosed disease in accordance with the following requirements:

A. After consultation with the Commissioner, or a Commissioner's appointee, of the Food and Drug Administration, and

B. Such use is strictly monitored; and is minimized to the maximum extent feasible.