Q&A with Aquaculture Policy Expert Kat Montgomery

In 2021, Congress will be tasked with finding solutions to address the many pressing and critical challenges we face, including support for the struggling economy and solving our food security and environmental challenges.

Offshore aquaculture, a resource-efficient and environmentally responsible way to produce animal protein, is a unique solution to help address these challenges, which is why legislation that supports the expansion of farming in federal waters in the U.S. should be passed by federal lawmakers this year.

Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) had a conversation with an aquaculture policy expert on Capitol Hill, Kat Montgomery, who currently works as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in Senator Roger F. Wicker’s (R-MS) office. Kat Montgomery discussed the opportunities for aquaculture in the new Congress and the need for federal legislation to support the growth of the industry, as well as the benefits that aquaculture would provide the U.S.

What are the opportunities for aquaculture in Congress this year?

In the last Congress, bipartisan aquaculture legislation called the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act of 2020 was introduced in both chambers. Senators Wicker (R-MS), Schatz (D-HI), and Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Senate version and Representatives Palazzo (R-MS-4) and Peterson (D-MN-7) introduced the House version. These two introductions sent an important message that aquaculture is a bipartisan issue. I hope we will see both bills reintroduced this year, with a push to advance the AQUAA Act in the Senate and the House during the 117th Congress. With a Democratic presidential administration, a Democrat-controlled Congress, and a renewed federal focus on environmental protections and climate change, aquaculture advocates have an opportunity this year to communicate to policymakers how an increase in sustainable U.S. aquaculture would benefit not only our country’s economy but also our planet.
Why is federal legislation needed to advance aquaculture in the U.S.?

Legislation is needed because this is a relatively new, innovative industry and the federal government just doesn’t have an effective framework in place to permit or regulate it. For example, the existing permits and regulations that apply are administered by several different agencies, none of which have marine aquaculture expertise, and the permits need to be renewed every few years. It is so expensive and time-intensive to get the necessary permits that only one commercial farm has been successful. Others have been trying for decades and still others have given up and moved their operations abroad. That’s a problem! That kind of uncertainty makes it very difficult for potential farmers to secure investment, which is absolutely critical in order for offshore aquaculture to advance. Legislation is needed in order to provide more certainty to the industry by giving one federal agency the statutory authority to create regulations and to offer long-term permits that are specific to offshore aquaculture.
 
What opportunities can aquaculture provide American communities?

An increase in U.S. offshore aquaculture production would benefit coastal communities by creating jobs, both directly and indirectly. Aquaculture operations would need to hire people to work at their facilities (maintaining offshore cages or lines, running onshore hatcheries, transporting farmed species between the two, etc.) and there would also be a benefit to the wider seafood supply chain (seafood processing facilities, distributors, etc.) The potential benefits to the U.S. seafood supply chain are particularly compelling, especially right now, when the pandemic has taken such a toll on our seafood sector. It’s also important to note that aquaculture’s economic benefits aren’t just constrained to coastal communities. One of the main ingredients in formulated fish feed is soy, so an increase in offshore fish farming would also benefit soy-producing states. Make no mistake: aquaculture, particularly offshore aquaculture, will continue to expand around the world. The question is, will we do it here in the U.S., where we can enjoy its economic benefits (and also ensure it is well-regulated!), or will we defer

What role can aquaculture play in feeding the world sustainably?

Seafood is a “low-impact protein” in the sense that it has a lower carbon footprint and less of an environmental impact than other animal proteins, especially when we eat low on the food chain. When we think about feeding the growing human population, seafood is an environmentally conscious choice. But we can only harvest so much fish, shellfish, and other seafood from wild populations before the harvest becomes unsustainable. Aquaculture can fill the gap between wild harvest and global demand for seafood - in fact, it has been doing that for decades. I expect that as the human population continues to grow, aquaculture will play a critical role in providing sustainable seafood to meet the rising demand.