Howard County fish farm proposal has residents worried

RUSSIAVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - A fish farming company is in talks with Howard County to build their next fish farm.

The Perfect Ocean is looking at sites in Kentucky and Indiana to raise more than 20 kinds of food grade fish.

"Indiana and Howard County have been very friendly," says corporate spokesperson Austin Davis.

Kokomo and Howard County are looking for more jobs for residents but the big farming operation proposed near Russiaville has some neighbors worried.

"It started out as a rumor, and we started doing some fishing," says Norm Schmitt. " And we found a fish farm was going to be in our backyard in our neighborhood."

The company wants to grow per year11 million pounds of its trademarked brand, Enviropure fish.

"(It's) a fish that has never been touched by the outside environment. All our growing is done indoors in perfect conditions," says Davis.

"We as elected officials are meeting tomorrow morning to discuss what information we need to get out to taxpayers, promises Commissioner Tyler Moore. "Because obviously there's a lot of talk about a proposed food processing plant."

It will be a closed doors meeting as county commissioners, the company and the owner of the property in question have all signed confidentiality agreements.

"Well it was presented to us as a profit business," says landowner Jon Marley. "It'd be very profitable for myself, and I think it'd be profitable for the community."

Neighbors know it would bring up to 200 badly needed jobs, but their issue is the location.

Janet Glover stated that local residents wanted to maintain their rural area.

"It's never been commercial and throughout the county there are many places where there could be commercial development. Places that have highways and water and sewage and all of the things that are necessary," said Glover.

The neighbors have started a Facebook page and are using a petition drive to fight the plant.