The ocean waters a few miles off the San Diego coast are perfectly suited for large-scale, sustainable, environmentally friendly aquaculture at a time when the world would really benefit from large-scale, sustainable, environmentally friendly aquaculture.
As detailed by U-T business columnist Dan McSwain, the San Diego-based Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute has a long history of expertise in fish farming. It’s working with Rose Canyon Fisheries, a startup firm supported by Christy Walton, reportedly the world’s richest woman, so it has the money to pursue an ambitious project to build a huge aquaculture operation four miles west of Mission Beach. This team’s plan addresses the environmental issues that have plagued other fish farms – an easier task because of the proposed location far from shore.
The aquaculture project is being pursued against a backdrop of warnings about pollution and heavy water and resource use associated with meat production. Experts call aquaculture a “relatively benign system for the production of nutritious food,” as McSwain noted.
But here’s the kicker: The Rose Canyon fish farm is unlikely to begin operations for several years or more – and maybe not even then. At a time when overfishing in oceans around the world is a giant problem, how can a wonderful project with a huge upside have such a daunting path to completion?…
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