The Future of the Seafood Industry

By Tony Dal Ponte, General Counsel at Pacific Seafood and Vice President of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS)

The President’s recent Executive Order constitutes a major step forward for the U.S. seafood industry and the competitiveness of America’s seafood supply chain.

More than half of all seafood consumed today is farmed. And, while commercial fishing and wild harvest are and always will be an important part of the seafood supply chain, aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the world and is responsible for nearly all global supply growth since the 1990s.

 At present, the U.S. lags far behind the rest of the world in farmed seafood production. The single biggest reason for that is the lack of a clear regulatory pathway for permitting new projects, a challenging reality that has forced many American businesses to invest in other countries. The Executive Order helps address some of the uncertainties that have deterred businesses from instead investing here at home, helping pave the way for the U.S. to expand seafood production through the expansion of domestic aquaculture.

 Aquaculture is already driving major economic gains and providing supplemental employment for fishermen and others in some coastal communities. In New England, fishermen hurt by declining stocks and increasing government restrictions on cod and lobster are now looking to aquaculture to grow oysters, mussels, seaweed, and fish. New England’s aquaculture industry now generates nearly $150 million worth of seafood annually. The Pacific Northwest also benefits from aquaculture. In Washington state, shellfish aquaculture employs over 3,000 full time and seasonal workers and generates an estimated $270 million in economic contributions to the state.

These examples demonstrate aquaculture’s potential to help get Americans back to work and provide much-needed economic relief in rural and coastal communities across the country, which is more important now than ever in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 The Executive Order is an important first step.  For the U.S. to continue to expand the aquaculture industry and tap into the full economic potential that aquaculture can provide though, Congress needs to further solidify the regulatory framework, provide clear guidance, and allocate additional funding through new legislation.