Don't Cage Our Oceans

02/06/2026

More than 420 organizations, community leaders, and businesses have signed a joint letter to Congress urging lawmakers to reject the Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act of 2025 (MARA). The letter, which was delivered to lawmakers this week, was endorsed by fishing groups, food advocacy organizations, conservation organizations, farmers, businesses, aquaculture producers, chefs, Tribal groups, and faith-based organizations. They warn that the bill would open the door to industrial-scale fish farms in U.S. federal ocean waters for the first time – under the misleading label of “research.” These waters stretch from about three miles to more than 200 miles offshore and currently support commercial fishing communities, coastal economies, and marine ecosystems that depend on clean water and biodiversity.

🐟 Full statement at dontcageouroceans.org.

🚫 Tell your Senators NO to MARA: tinyurl.com/NOMARA-Sen

🚫 Tell your Reps NO to MARA: tinyurl.com/NOMARA-Rep

12/30/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re celebrating two of this year’s biggest victories for fighting offshore fish farming in Europe!

🌊 The Greek Ministry of the Environment announced its unanimous decision to cancel fish farm expansion on Poros. This means that the plan to expand fish farming 28-fold along 25% of the tiny island’s coastline — with a projected production of seabass and seabream surpassing that of France — will not go ahead. This is not just a win for Poros, but for every coastal community in Greece that has fought for over 15 years to have its voice heard!

🌊 The Scottish Government has finally committed to introducing official guidance on the welfare of farmed fish. This is a long-overdue measure that will impact the lives of millions of fish and strengthen legal protections in one of Scotland’s largest farming sectors. This is a major win for coastal ecosystems!

These triumphs were the result of determination, advocacy, and organizing in Europe. In the United States, we can follow their example and push government officials to challenge false claims and harmful activities. Together, we can create meaningful policy change.

12/26/2025

IceNews reports that Icelandic artist Björk has filed four lawsuits to stop the expansion of salmon farming in Iceland. She is using funds from her 2023 single “Oral,” created with Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía, to support the legal actions.

The cases target a proposed fish farm and a marine spatial plan in Seyðisfjörður, the escape of farmed fish in the Westfjords, and a farm in Sandeyri that was built against a landowner’s wishes. Björk says the goal is to better protect Iceland’s waters. She has joined AEGIS, an Icelandic group that campaigns against industrial fish farming, and other environmental organizations in opposing open-net pen salmon farming.

Head to namanet.org/movementnews (🔗 in bio) to read the full story from IceNews.

12/16/2025

In a letter to the editor at IntraFish, farm policy expert Anthony Pahnke says AI and automation won’t fix offshore aquaculture because the real problem is the industry’s intensive, industrial scale.

“The promise is that cameras, sensors, and automated feeders will make fish farms more efficient and environmentally sound. In reality, these new technologies expand a hotly debated industry that has tightened corporate consolidation while inflicting harm on marine ecosystems and failing to improve food security.” - Anthony Pahnke

Visit dontcageouroceans.org/latest-news for a 🔗 to the full commentary on IntraFish.

12/09/2025

10/16/2025

NAMA is hosting a FREE 90-minute media training webinar called Covering Aquaculture with Confidence on Tues, Oct. 21 at 3pm ET. We welcome journalists from any beat to attend, as aquaculture intersects with a range of issues, including environment, economy, policy, food systems, labor, public health, and culture.

Aquaculture, or farmed seafood, is the fastest-growing source of seafood worldwide and at a flashpoint in the United States. Corporations and government agencies are pushing for the expansion of large-scale production in federal ocean waters, a move that would be unprecedented. This 90-minute webinar will help journalists cut through the noise and ask questions that get past industry spin — from who owns what, to which communities benefit or are harmed, to what’s really meant by “sustainability.”

Journalists who attend will leave with:
🐟 Guidelines on discerning between different kinds of aquaculture
🐟 Key players, policies, and narratives to have on your radar
🐟 Sources and practical tips for digging in, researching, and shaping stories

Panelists include:

Jennifer Jacquet (University of Miami), Boyce Upholt (Sea Change / FERN), Monique Brouillette (Freelance Journalist), Carsten Pedersen (Transnational Institute), William “Bubba” Green (Gullah Man Oysters), and James Mitchell (Don’t Cage Our Oceans).

REGISTER at bit.ly/aquaculture_media and share with your networks!

10/08/2025

Octopus farming isn’t just cruel — it’s dangerous.

On this World Octopus Day, we are ringing the alarm on octopus aquaculture, which:

🐙 Depletes wild fish populations and threatens marine ecosystems
🐙 Pollutes our oceans through nutrient and chemical runoff
🐙 Poses food safety dangers through pathogens that can spread rapidly in industrial aquaculture
🐙 Puts coastal communities and other ocean industries at risk

Ecologists advise against farming aquatic carnivores -- like octopuses – because the practice exacerbates overfishing. Octopuses require three times their weight in food to sustain themselves, most of which is sourced from wild fish at the base of marine food webs, such as anchovy, herring, and sardines. Commercial octopus aquaculture operations seek to exploit marine ecosystems to satisfy luxury markets. It’s time to take action.

The OCTOPUS Act is a proposed federal law that would prohibit commercial octopus aquaculture in the United States and the import of commercially farmed octopus or octopus products.

07/24/2025

For years, the public has been relentlessly fed the claim that farmed fish is the “sustainable” protein of the future, a message bankrolled by powerful aquaculture lobbies. But the real story behind this bluewashing? The world’s fish farming supply chain is wreaking havoc on West African shores: fueling ecosystem collapse, crushing food sovereignty, and wiping out people’s livelihoods.

The exploitative fishmeal trade has been making a big splash this month in the news, with recent coverage in Forbes, The Guardian, and DeSmog.

The salmon farming industry likes to brand itself as climate-smart and sustainable, but a new report from the FAIRR Initiative tells us otherwise. The industry depends heavily on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) made from wild-caught fish, despite warnings that 90 percent of global fisheries are already at or beyond sustainable limits. The Forbes article explains that companies claim to be shifting to alternatives like algae and insect protein, but adoption is minimal and progress is slow.

A joint, two-year investigation by The Guardian and DeSmog followed the fishmeal trail from Senegal to Turkey to the UK — and uncovered a disturbing picture. Small, edible fish central to Senegalese diets are being siphoned off by multinational factories to produce feed for farmed sea bass. Eventually, these farmed fish make their way to British supermarkets.
Women fish workers are losing their livelihoods, local fish stocks are collapsing, and entire coastal communities are being pushed into crisis — all so that major retailers can stock a farmed product they misleadingly label as “responsibly sourced.”
Head to namanet.org/movementnews (🔗 in bio) to read the full stories from Forbes, The Guardian, and DeSmog.

06/12/2025

In an Alaska Beacon op-ed, fourth-generation Bristol Bay fisherman and wild salmon advocate Melanie Brown makes a compelling case for why Alaska should steer clear of industrial-scale finfish farming. Melanie affirms her support for the Keep Finfish Free Act (KFFA), which would prevent these fish farms from setting up shop in U.S. waters without congressional approval.

Drawing from personal experience and multi-generational knowledge, Brown explains how farmed salmon has flooded the market, slashed prices for small-boat fishers, and harmed marine ecosystems.

With Alaska lawmakers considering legislation that could open the door to inland finfish farming, Melanie urges readers to protect what makes Alaska’s seafood wild, sustainable, and worth fighting for.

Head to namanet.org/movementnews (🔗 in bio) to read the full commentary in The Alaska Beacon.

06/04/2025

Unchecked offshore aquaculture threatens working waterfronts, coastal economies, and ocean health. 

These massive fish farms use millions of pounds of wild fish to feed farmed carnivores, spread pollution and disease, and are often run by multinational companies. They function like factory farms in the ocean, contaminating U.S. waters at the expense of fisheries, tourism, and local communities.

Doug Feeney, Massachusetts fisherman and co-founder of the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative, says: “The Keep Finfish Free Act will help keep the seafood supply in our hands, not at the mercy of global supply chain breakdowns.”

Tell your senators to support the Keep Finfish Free Act! 🔗 in bio!

And instead of buying factory farmed fish, support fishermen-led cooperatives like . The Local Catch Network () has a great Seafood Finder on their website for locating values-based seafood providers near you.  

05/29/2025

The Keep Finfish Free Act ensures offshore finfish farming will not be permitted in federal waters without congressional approval. This protects our oceans and abundant seafood supply in U.S. wild fisheries for all Americans to enjoy.

James Mitchell, legislative director of the Don’t Cage Our Oceans coalition, says: “With this bill, we can nip rogue agency action in the bud and protect wild fish and the communities that depend on clean oceans and healthy seafood.”

Tell your senators to support the Keep Finfish Free Act! 🔗 in bio!

05/27/2025

The Keep Finfish Free Act would:

🐟 Defend community-based fishing livelihoods
🐟 Protect the public from contaminated, farm-raised fish
🐟 Keep harmful waste and chemicals out of our waters

Cassandra Loftlin, chef and owner of Goodness Gracious Grocery () in Augusta, GA, says: “As a Southern chef who cares about good food, clean water, and the people who make it all possible, I support the Keep Finfish Free Act to protect our oceans and small family fisherfolk.”

Tell your senators to support the Keep Finfish Free Act! 🔗 in bio!