"The Obama administration released new guidelines that would make it easier to farm fish in federal waters, a move that could transform the nation's coasts and the food Americans will consume in years to come.

The proposal, which sparked immediate criticism from some environmental groups, aims to increase the amount of farm-raised seafood in the United States by authorizing regional fisheries management councils to approve aquaculture operations off the coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently there are no fish farms in federal waters, only in the three-mile band of state waters. Some operators have applied to build fish farms in federal waters in the past, but none have won approval yet."

Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post June 10, 2011.
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