EPA Approves Permit for Aquaculture Demonstration Project in Gulf off Sarasota County
May 29, 2025 | 1 min to read
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a permit for Velella Epsilon, the first industrial-scale fish farm in federal waters, after a six-year delay. This approval aligns with President Trump’s April order to deregulate aquaculture and open protected waters for commercial fishing. The farm is projected to produce 20,000 red drum annually, approximately 40 miles off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, highlighting ongoing debates about ocean farming.
The pilot project in the Gulf has been stalled for years; its approval follows President Trump’s order to deregulate aquaculture.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a permit that will allow the first industrial-scale fish farm to begin operating in federal waters.
The pilot project, called Velella Epsilon, has been stalled for about six years; its approval follows an executive order signed by President Trump in April ordering the deregulation of aquaculture and the opening of some protected waters to commercial fishing.
It’s particularly significant because Velella Epsilon, which is expected to produce 20,000 red drum annually about 40 miles off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, has been at the center of a larger debate over farming the oceans for years.
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