© Blue Ocean Mariculture
The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) is visiting Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. this week to urge lawmakers to support the development of aquaculture in the United States’ open ocean waters. This visit follows a recent letter from another coalition to Congress, also urging investment in sustainable offshore aquaculture.
Consumers are increasingly demanding high-quality local seafood, yet the United States imports the vast majority of its current seafood supply. According to CSA, sustainable and science-based aquaculture presents an untapped opportunity to increase the supply of nutritious American seafood, complementing their world-renowned wild-caught fisheries and creating jobs in coastal communities. By funding research and enacting policies that focus on spurring economic opportunity and minimising environmental risk, Congress can help inform science-based standards to scale domestic aquaculture and bolster American seafood competitiveness.
The Coalition has supported legislation in previous Congresses to catalyse studies and on-the-water demonstration projects that assess best practices to minimise the environmental and social risk of aquaculture farms. These studies would inform future efforts to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for open ocean aquaculture and support a seafood industry that benefits all Americans. CSA also backs training programs that aim to develop a new workforce in this emerging industry.
The coalition membership represents a wide range of interests – including fishermen, aquaculture technology specialists, seafood farmers, researchers, environmental advocates and chefs – demonstrating broad support for expanding United States aquaculture as a way to meet the demand for seafood and improve America’s competitive advantage. CSA members will bring these perspectives to policymakers and reaffirm their commitment to advancing a viable path for open ocean aquaculture.
This year, the coalition welcomed 21 new members, including research institutions like Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems, as well as seafood companies such as Pine Island Redfish and Gulfstream Aquaculture. Prominent chefs, such as Rick Bayless of the Frontera Family of Restaurants and Jordan Rubin of Tuna & Company, have also joined the effort
Mike Coogan, Research Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, said in a press release, "As we enter a new frontier in open ocean aquaculture, we must do so with both innovation and foresight to ensure the health of our oceans, marine life and the communities that rely on them.”
Chef Bayless added, “Supporting sustainable aquaculture is a no-brainer for us at the Frontera Family of Restaurants. We want to be able to serve quality seafood to every generation that steps through our doors.”
The full list of members can be accessed here.
