Today, President Biden announced Dr. Rick Spinrad as the new Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As NOAA lead, Dr. Spinrad will oversee agency policies on weather, climate, and ocean science, including environmental and business policies that affect fishing and coastal economies.
In response to Biden’s selection, Friends of the Earth, Recirculating Farms and Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, founding members of the Don’t Cage Our Ocean Coalition, issued the following statement:
We are excited about the strong conservation and science background that Dr. Spinrad will bring to NOAA leadership. We urge Dr. Spinrad to turn the page on the past administration’s unpopular agenda to push development of an outdated and unwanted marine finfish farming industry in the U.S. Our oceans are a precious resource, and NOAA should prioritize protecting the health of our marine ecosystems that so many fishing and tourism businesses depend on. This could start easily with ending the agency’s support for expanding offshore finfish aquaculture in our waters.
Contact: kara.watkinschow@berlinrosen.com