© Ocean Era
In Southern California, NOAA experts identified 10 prime locations for potential aquaculture development — eight in the Santa Barbara Channel and two in Santa Monica Bay — ranging from 500 to 2,000 acres, totalling 16,500 acres. NOAA found these areas may be suitable for seaweed, shellfish and finfish aquaculture.
In the Gulf of Mexico, three locations off the coast of Texas were identified, each ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 acres, totalling 4,500 acres. NOAA found these areas may be suitable for seaweed, shellfish and finfish aquaculture. NOAA is also investing in baseline environmental surveys in the Gulf to provide valuable data to prospective farm applicants.
The announcement follows the release of two final programmatic environmental impact statements for the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California and identifies prime locations that may be suitable for developing multiple commercial aquaculture projects, fulfilling President Trump’s 2020 Executive Order “Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth” and supporting the 2025 Executive Order “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness”. These orders champion a robust, America-first seafood industry that puts US workers and consumers first.
Each year, Americans eat roughly $15 billion in farmed seafood imports, where – according to NOAA – labour and environmental standards “often fall short of America’s rigorous standards”. By expanding domestic aquaculture to complement wild-harvest fisheries, NOAA aims to create jobs, support coastal communities and ensure high-quality, homegrown seafood.
“The U.S. leads the world in aquaculture science and technology, yet we rank 20th globally in marine aquaculture production,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator, in a press release. “By growing our domestic aquaculture industry, we will strengthen American health, create good-paying jobs and drive sustainable, long-term economic growth for our nation.”
