Entering 2025 with Growing Bipartisan Momentum for U.S. Aquaculture

Aquaculture is quickly emerging as a key bipartisan issue – increasingly recognized bylawmakers on both sides of the aisle as a critical industry to boost our nation’s economy and ensure a steady supply of healthy, sustainable, American-raised protein.

The growing bipartisan momentum for this commonsense seafood solution suggests that Congress should be able to agree on a clear pathway forward to support and expand open ocean aquaculture into U.S. federal waters.

Here are some promising bipartisan history highlights:

- In 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first administration, the president signed an Executive Order that began setting the stage for sweeping changes that would streamline regulations to enable the aquaculture industry to grow. In that order, Trump cited aquaculture benefits such as strengthening the nation’s economy, food security, job creation, and ensuring a more competitive industry and a supply of environmentally safe and sustainable seafood.

- Then, over the last four years, during President Biden’s administration, theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has continued advancing the industry. Just this November, NOAA Fisheries released two draft programmatic environmental impact statements (PEIS) to support then identification of proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico.

- On December 16, the White House’s National Science and Technology Council released an updated National Aquaculture Development Plan – the first update since 1983 – marking a significant step forward. This report clearly emphasized aquaculture’s role as “an essential part of a climate-resilient, sustainable food strategy” and “advances national priorities by producing high-quality and nutritious food, recreational opportunities, good jobs, and development in rural, urban, and coastal areas, where it produces $2.27 billion in annual direct-to-consumer sales.”

“Increasing domestic aquaculture production and increasing the amount of seafood consumed in the United States would have significant positive impacts for the seafood sector, human health, and local communities,” the Biden administration’s officials wrote in their report released this month.

Between President Trump’s executive order in his first administration and this administration’s work through NOAA, we have seen real bipartisan support for growing the American aquaculture industry.

Now, Congress must take the next step to pass legislation that establishes a clear pathway forward to support and expand open ocean aquaculture into U.S. federal waters.