Ocean Lease Information:
01/17/2008
What might be referred to as our "coming out party" was our
first meeting where we stated our intention of leasing the
proposed ocean site. Members from many state and federal
agencies including The US Army Corps of Engineers, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Hawaii
Department of Land and Natural Resources with the Division
of Aquatic Resources attended.We have received good
feedback from many who attended.
Maui Fresh Fish Scoping
Meeting Literature (Word Document)
Leasing land in Hawaiian State waters is a very detailed
process. Many permits are required from State and Federal
agencies. We feel the most important part of the process is
our Environmental Assessment. For the past year we have
been gathering data which includes:
OCEAN CURRENT SPEED AND DIRECTION
From September 2007 to January 2008 we submerged an S4
current meter and collected data to make sure our proposed
site could accomodate an open ocean aquaculture facility.
On a number of occasions we dove down, retreived the meter,
and moved it to another spot while searching for a location
which would optimize our dual objective of fish and ocean
health.
Survey Readings (Excel
Spreadsheet)
NO WHALE, DOLPHIN, OR SEAL INTERFERENCE
Through careful site selection and ocean pen design we feel
we have nearly eliminated risk to marine mammals. This
includes choosing a site 30 miles from base operations in
order to practice open ocean aquaculture responsibly. There
have been virtually no documented whale sitings at or
around our site. The Aquapod net pen is manufactured with
vinyl coated steel as opposed to nets which are more
susceptible to sea mammal interaction.
Whale Sightings (PDF)
BOTTOM TESTING
Our highly experienced divers have completed dozens of
dives. Samples of the sandy ocean bottom have been
collected to create a baseline for the extensive
monitoring. Steel bars were pounded in the ocean floor
throughout the site to aid in engineering and mooring
design.
Ocean Site and Mooring System
(PDF)
WestPac Presentation
(Doc)
Links:
Popular Science Magazine: "The Farmer Goes to Sea"
In April of 2006, Popular Science magazine published an
article describing open-ocean aquaculture. The article
explains the need for industry expansion and provides
examples from open-ocean aquaculture companies that were
operational at the time the article was written.
LA Times: "Altered Oceans" series
In 2006, the LA Times published a Pultizer Prize-winning
article about the problems facing the world's oceans due to
the pressures imposed by modern society.
Hawaiian Aquaculture
The homepage for Hawaii's Aquaculture Development Program
describes existing aquaculture practices in Hawaii, and
provides resources for prospective aquaculturists. A good
source of information about the specifics of the
aquaculture industry as it relates to the State of Hawaii.
Ocean Farm Technologies, Inc.
Ocean Farm Technologies, Inc. is a designer and producer of
the finest submerged-cage technology in the world.
Maui Today .TV Sustainable Aquaculture with Maui Fresh
Fish, LLC
Interviews about and overview of the project
Video
