City of Sarasota considers opposing proposed fish farm

Sarasota city commissioners are considering a letter that offers a “strong and formal opposition” to a pilot project by Kampachi Farms

SARASOTA — Sarasota city commissioners are considering whether to send a letter that condemns a controversial precedent-setting fish farm planned for waters off the coast of Sarasota to the federal regulators who will decide whether to authorize it.

Commissioners may have a “strong and formal opposition” to a pilot project by Kampachi Farms that plans to anchor a chain-link mesh pen offshore of Southwest Florida, according to a draft letter addressed to Kip Tyler, an environmental engineer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project aims to raise 20,000 almaco jack about 45 miles southwest of Sarasota County.

Commissioners will debate sending the letter at Monday’s [Feb. 6th] regular meeting at City Hall. The draft letter is proposed by Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch, who attended a hearing this week at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. That meeting was part of the EPA’s permitting process to determine if discharges from the fish will adversely affect the water. Kampachi Farms will need several additional permits, should the EPA greenlight the project.