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COMMERCE SECRETARY ANNOUNCES BILL TO BOOST OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE
March
12, 2007 � Commerce Secretary Carlos
M. Gutierrez today unveiled proposed federal legislation to promote
safe and sustainable aquaculture in order to meet the growing demand
for seafood, help the U.S. industry better compete and reduce the need
for U.S. imports. The bill will allow aquaculture in federal waters—seafood
farming beyond three miles off the coast—with stringent environmental
provisions and is designed to complement efforts already underway in
the states. Aquaculture
is currently a $1 billion U.S. industry and a key area for future sustainable
economic growth in the fishing industry. (Click NOAA image for
larger view of Kona Blue aquaculture in Hawaii. Click
here for high resolution version. Please credit “NOAA.”)
"Because we don't encourage aquaculture in federal waters, we're letting technology, investment and jobs go overseas," said Gutierrez, speaking at the International Boston Seafood Show. "This bill will provide a federal aquaculture framework that meets the long term needs of the seafood industry and the growing demand of U.S. consumers."
With an $8 billion seafood trade deficit, the United States is largely dependent on farmed seafood imported from other nations to meet domestic market demand. Last year, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization reported that half of global seafood production came from aquaculture.
"The United States accounts for only one percent of the global $70 billion per year aquaculture industry," added Gutierrez. "The U.S. is not in the game and this bill will help the U.S. compete in this highly profitable industry."
The Department of Commerce, through NOAA, has invested in aquaculture research and technology over the past 30 years. Development of this legislation was recommended by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and prioritized in President Bush's 2004 U.S. Ocean Action Plan. In 2005 and 2006, Congress held two hearings on a previous version of the bill. In November 2006, NOAA released its 10-year plan for aquaculture for public comment.
The National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007 will bolster domestic seafood production by allowing aquaculture (fish and shellfish farming) in the open ocean, beyond three miles offshore. In addition to creating jobs and enhancing revenue in coastal communities, this new industry will benefit other industries, including soybean and grain producers, equipment and technology providers, seafood processors, transport, marketing, food service, veterinarians, and commercial and recreational fisherman through stock enhancement.
America's wild fish stocks are rebuilding to sustainable populations, and the nation has committed to stop overfishing by 2010. However, even fully restored wild fish stocks will not be able to fill the growing demand for seafood. Nutritionists, medical researchers and government agencies have encouraged increased consumption of fish and shellfish for its wide range of scientifically documented health benefits.
"The United States needs both a strong commercial fishing industry and a robust aquaculture industry to meet growing market demand for healthy seafood, so we envision the two industries complementing, not competing with, each other," said Gutierrez.
"By adopting industry best practices and through tightly controlled and monitored aquaculture operations, the United States has a unique opportunity to set a high global standard for seafood farming," said retired Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
The aquaculture bill was developed in close consultation with industry, conservation groups, states, the research community and others. Their collective input led to specific environmental protections; an opportunity for states to opt out of aquaculture within 12 miles of their coasts; streamlined permitting requirements and enhanced research focus.
"Today's action opens the door for close collaboration and partnerships between NOAA and our stakeholders as we work with Congress to enact the bill and later, as we develop an environmental impact statement and during rulemaking and permitting for aquaculture," said Bill Hogarth, director of the NOAA Fisheries Service. "We will be counting on public involvement every step of the way so the end product will be something we are all proud of."
NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Aquaculture
Program
Media
Contact:
Susan Buchanan, NOAA
Fisheries Service, (301) 713-2370