Producers welcome US aquaculture plan

The Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development is the latest version to be drafted by the White House National Science and Technology Council. It has now been passed to NOAA Fisheries as part of the agency’s Draft Aquaculture Economic Development Plan, detailing support for many components and offering additional focus areas.

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the US government’s leading environmental regulator.

The Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development outlines actions that federal agencies can take within their existing statutory authorities and budgetary resources to “support a robust, resilient, globally competitive, and environmentally sustainable domestic aquaculture sector.”

The plan complements two other National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) plans to fully comprise an update to the National Aquaculture Development Plan and lay out a framework to support expansion of the domestic commercial and conservation aquaculture sectors.

Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager for SATS said, “Aquaculture expansion not only addresses food security needs, but also presents an opportunity to create quality jobs and reduce our reliance on seafood imports, strengthening America’s food independence.

“Yet, to build a robust, resilient, globally competitive, and environmentally sustainable domestic aquaculture sector, federal agencies must have clear statutory authority and a timely and affordable regulatory process to establish farms in US waters. Until that is established, aquaculture will remain hindered in the US.”

SATS stated in its letter to NOAA that it finds the following proposals of the Economic Development Plan valuable:

• ·      expanded siting analysis for future Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in federal waters
• ·      interagency coordination on National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) review and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
• ·      development of science-based tools and modelling
• ·      workforce training and community planning activities
• ·      expanded financing opportunities through grants and loans
• ·      investments in development of aquaculture technology and transfer
• ·      increased investment in physical infrastructure, such as hatcheries and nurseries, port facilities and cold storage facilities
• ·      economic analyses of the viability of marine species in the marketplace
• ·      trade policy, market access, and trade promotion to support legal and sustainable US seafood products, and
• ·      community outreach strategies to increase aquaculture literacy among various stakeholders, including the public, environmental organisations, community development leaders, and Congress.