Bill Would Allow Caged Fish Farming In Great Lakes

A move is underway in the Michigan Legislature on a bill that environmentalists say will open a wide door for caged fish farming in the Great Lakes.

Supporters of so-called “net pen” fish farming say it’s a way to turn Michigan into a much larger fish producer.

Supporters include State Senate Republican Darwin Booher of Evart.

But James Clift of the Michigan Environmental Council says fish farming should stay inland, and allowing caged farming in the Great Lakes would create an ecological hazard because nutrient levels would be too high.

High phosphorous levels can cause severe algae problems.

Booher points to a small effort on the Canadian side of Lake Huron where he says it has not hurt nearby wild fish populations.