US politicians urged to support ‘essential’ aquaculture expansion
Lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) has urged the US Congress to support aquaculture expansion to establish a “vibrant seafood future that would benefit the American economy, industries and communities nationwide”.
Through a new industry campaign titled “Essential Aquaculture”, SATS hopes to create a sense of urgency for Congress to act swiftly on aquaculture.
“As Congress debates ways to address the many pressing challenges we face, including economic recovery, food security and environmental challenges, aquaculture should be considered as one of the solutions,” said Margaret Henderson, campaign manager of SATS.
New jobs
“The expansion of American aquaculture is essential to the US economy. Aquaculture can strengthen American communities by supporting new jobs and a diverse workforce in a post-pandemic world.
“Increased seafood production would also ensure families have a steady supply of affordable American-raised seafood produced sustainably with minimal impact on the environment, which is essential to climate and conservation efforts.”
Campaign materials, including a fact sheet, social media shareables and an infographic, will outline how essential aquaculture is a solution to some pressing problems. They can be accessed here.
Executive Order
SATS will call on Congress to facilitate the expansion of fish farming, including offshore, in US federal waters, by clarifying aquaculture regulatory and management activities across federal agencies.
A labyrinthine permitting process can entangle US fish farming projects in red tape for years, although some progress has been made in simplifying procedures.
Former President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order in May last year in an attempt to increase coordination among agencies and clarify existing regulations to reduce barriers that limit offshore aquaculture in federal waters.
The Order sets a time limit of two years for the environmental review or authorisation of aquaculture projects when two or more agencies are involved.
Aquaculture Opportunity Areas
It also required the identification of at least two geographic areas - Aquaculture Opportunity Areas - containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture within 12 months.
Two additional geographic areas were to be identified in each of the following four years, making 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in total.
This was followed in January by a new rule from the US Army Corps of Engineers authorising finfish aquaculture in federal waters. Gaining permission from the Corps, which regulates development federal waters but had no specific provision for finfish aquaculture, has been one of most difficult parts of the permitting process.
A bipartisan bill promoting aquaculture, the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act (AQUAA Act), was introduced in Congress last year, but has not been enacted. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the Senate.
