Future supply of fish will depend on expanding U.S. aquaculture to meet growing demand, according to the National Fisheries Institute.
As Oceans Week 2007 concluded in Washington, D.C., the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) reaffirmed its support for a national dialogue about the benefits of aquaculture – or the farming of seafood – to Americans’ diets, the economy and the environment.
There has been much debate in recent months regarding the sustainability of our oceans, specifically regarding the supply of global fish stocks. In reality, the seafood industry is largely sustainable because of international regulatory systems for wild capture as well as aquaculture, which is part of the solution to growing global demand for healthy fish. Critical trade issues tied to the supply and demand of seafood will be discussed during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aquaculture Summit, scheduled for June 26-27.
According to NFI President John Connelly, “The opportunity exists to grow more fish here in U.S. waters, but we run the risk of ‘missing the boat’ without the domestic infrastructure that is necessary for our nation to significantly invest in aquaculture. NFI is working with the Administration and Congress to strengthen the regulatory process that can help provide sustainable, reliable sources of seafood to future generations of Americans.”
Legislation currently before Congress aims to provide the regulatory framework for aquaculture in federal waters known as the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), located three to 200 miles off U.S. coastlines. Specifically, NFI supports a streamlined permitting process, increasing research to develop aquaculture technologies in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and allowing coastal states to opt out of offshore operations within 12 miles of its shores.