Fish farming policy for federal waters proposed, debated

Congress held its first hearing today on the latest version of a Bush Administration proposal to allow aquaculture in federal ocean waters. Conrad Lautenbacher, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), appeared before a U.S. House Natural Resources subcommittee. He said the administration feels it has a plan for boosting domestic seafood production to meet growing demand while doing it in an environmentally-sensitive way. Critics point to risks of comingling farmed and wild fish.Joel Southern, APRN - Washington, D.C. (read by Lori Townsend, APRN)