Kona Blue Water Farms dismissed as unwarranted the claim by Food and Water Watch and the Kanaka Council Moku O Keawe that the company’s open ocean fish farm off the Kona Coast has caused negative cultural impacts.

The company also expressed support for the peer-review process undertaken by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program in ranking Kona Blue Water Farm’s yellowtail, or Kona Kampachi, as a “Good Alternative” in its rating system that looks at environmental impacts and feed efficiencies.
Food and Water Watch, an anti-aquaculture activist organization based in Washington, D.C., and the Kanaka Council are calling for the removal of U.S. farmed yellowtail from the Seafood Watch card, based on their concerns about cultural impacts, fish feed, and impacts on wild fish populations.
Kona Blue dismissed as untrue claims that the company’s open ocean mariculture farm in Hawaii has caused negative cultural impacts. Company officials said sensitivity to cultural issues has been a priority for the company since its inception, and that cultural concerns have been repeatedly addressed throughout extensive environmental assessments.