Benefits of Aquaculture Expansion

By Hermann Kugeler, Director of Business Development and Greg Rocheleau, Chief Executive Officer, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.

Aquaculture production has been growing in the U.S. in recent years, and has the potential to become a large industry for coastal U.S. states, including Hawaii. Recent advances, focused on offshore farms, along with well-defined federal support and regulation, will allow for reduced aquaculture costs and wider adoption of the industry within the U.S.

Demands for more seafood and projections of global population growth outpacing current food production will create the need for additional, sustainable, sources of food. Hawaii is exemplary of these issues, importing 85-90% of its food, which puts the state and its residents at risk when that supply chain is broken or delayed. While the extent of imported food is unique to Hawaii, it remains a similar, if less extreme, problem for the U.S. as a whole. NOAA estimates that the U.S. imports over 80% of the seafood we consume. Aquaculture provides a valuable opportunity, if done responsibly, to reduce reliance on imported foods and to increase U.S. food exports. Doing so would not only provide locally grown and farmed food, but also support job markets across numerous sectors, including fundamental science and research, engineering, management, sales, servicing, and labor.

Hawaii provides another example of the benefits of an ocean-based economy for the U.S. It is a state where over 215,000 jobs and 23% of economic activity are reliant on tourism, and where the effects of the current global pandemic have been acutely felt. Hawaii has often struggled with diversifying its economy, and aquaculture can provide the state and the country, with the opportunity to be a leader in this growing industry and generate an additional independent revenue stream for the economy. The ancient Hawaiian people knew the value of the waters surrounding the islands and the values of sustainable aquaculture practices, and Hawaii today has the potential to be a leader in the industry.

The research and technology grant program associated with the AQUAA act, and similar federal support, will help in reducing development costs and risks associated with the early stages of the industry. Bottom line is that domestic offshore aquaculture has the potential to build a stable and sustainable industry that will provide the U.S. with more jobs.

The AQUAA Act is the first step in providing the framework that the industry needs to succeed and grow. Federal support of this industry is critical in ensuring it both meets its growth potential across U.S., and is executed in a thoughtful and sustainable manner.

-Hermann Kugeler, Director of Business Development and Greg Rocheleau, Chief Executive Officer, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.