Companion Bill Introduced in U.S. House to Support Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture in America

U.S. House and Senate leaders are putting support behind expanding sustainable U.S. aquaculture.
 
Companion legislation to the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act was re-introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Ed Case (D-HI-01) and Mike Ezell (R-MS-4) this week.
 
The AQUAA Act, which would establish National Standards for offshore aquaculture and clarify a regulatory system for the farming of fish in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is companion legislation to the AQUAA Act introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) on June 7.
 
Drue Banta Winters, Campaign Manager of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS), said, “Establishing a robust American aquaculture industry would help address many of the pressing issues we face today. From strengthening the seafood supply chain, to creating new jobs in American communities, and helping grow more sustainable protein here at home as climate change threatens wild stocks, offshore aquaculture would provide many benefits for our nation. SATS commends Reps. Cammack, Case and Ezell for helping educate other Members of Congress about the need for federal legislation to establish a federal permitting process for offshore aquaculture in the U.S.”
 
"Aquaculture should be one of our priorities as we grow our focus on food security. In Florida, we've seen the benefits of aquaculture firsthand—breeding, raising, and harvesting shellfish, fish, and aquatic plants in our waters. We've demonstrated that it's possible to provide healthy, fresh food that's produced sustainably at home to support our growing population," said Rep. Cammack. "I'm pleased to introduce the AQUAA Act with my colleagues who share the same enthusiasm for growing our domestic aquaculture industries and improving our infrastructure to feed the American population."
 
"For decades we have pursued the promise of open ocean aquaculture as part of our larger goal of sustainable management of our marine resources. States like Hawai'i have led the way in developing sustainable and safe aquaculture in state waters, but development in federal waters throughout our exclusive economic zone has been hampered by a confusing and often contradicting regulatory scheme that does not sufficiently protect our marine environment," said Rep. Case. "Our bipartisan, bicameral AQUAA Act would provide a consistent efficient regulatory umbrella to help fully unlock the potential of open ocean aquaculture in a sustainable, environmentally sensitive and science-based way and grow economies for coastal states and food security for the nation. I thank Congresswoman Cammack, along with our counterparts in the Senate, Senators Schatz and Wicker, for partnering on this important bill and look forward to working with them and many others toward expanding sustainable aquaculture."
 
"In order to meet the demand for fresh, American seafood, we must find ways to increase aquaculture production across our coastal states and communities," said Rep. Ezell. "I'm proud to cosponsor the AQUAA Act that will create blue economy jobs along the Gulf Coast while protecting our most precious resources."
 
Due to inefficient federal permitting processes, the U.S. ranks only 17th in aquaculture production and imports up to 80% of the seafood we consume from overseas. Until federal legislation is passed, the growth of an American offshore aquaculture industry will continue to be hindered due to lack of regulatory certainty for investors.
 
An expanded aquaculture industry in the U.S. would create a plethora of jobs in the farming states that grow the fish feed; in coastal states with working waterfronts; in labs and research facilities and in retail. Locally grown seafood would feed a growing population that is projected to be 8.5 billion by 2030.
 
Earlier this year, the White House issued their Ocean Climate Action Plan that calls for the expansion of sustainable U.S. aquaculture production.