Environmental NGO supports US offshore aquaculture -- with caveats

Creating a pathway for offshore aquaculture to become a reality in the United States remains murky, as lawmakers and NGOs can't seem to hash out the details.

Offshore aquaculture in the United States has been slow to take off.
Offshore aquaculture in the United States has been slow to take off.Photo: NOAA Fisheries

The Washington DC-based nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in recent years has moved toward supporting the development of offshore aquaculture in the United States, but whether its support is even attainable remains to be seen.

EDF at this point does not support any specific pilot projects for offshore aquaculture in the United States, Ruth Driscoll-Lovejoy, senior manager of seafood policy for the Environmental Defense Fund, told IntraFish.

"We're not at the point where we could pick and choose what should move forward or what shouldn’t," she explained.

There are still too many knowledge gaps at the moment, the group believes.

From executive order to stalled legislation

Ever since former President Donald Trump attempted two years ago to streamline aquaculture development with a sweeping executive order, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) has been pushing to kick-start the sector despite the stalling in Congress of critical legislation necessary to really push things forward.
Last year, for example, the agency authorized its first nationwide permits for offshore aquaculture that included activities for shellfish mariculture, seaweed mariculture and finfish production.

The topic of offshore aquaculture, however, is still very niche on Capitol Hill, Driscoll-Lovejoy said.

EDF has not taken a position on the legislation, known as the “Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture" (AQUAA) Act, which aims to provide a federal framework permitting and regulating US offshore aquaculture.

The environmental group believes more work on the legislation is needed.

Specifically EDF wants legislation that would task the US Government Accountability Office to produce a report detailing regulatory options for governing offshore aquaculture, including which agency will lead offshore aquaculture permitting, the group said during its first webinar on the subject earlier this month.

It's also looking for legislation that directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the most effective and efficient methods for regulating offshore aquaculture.

Both of those directives are not included in current AQUAA Act bills.

Sarah Brenholt, the new campaign manager for AQUAA Act's offshore advocacy Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS), told IntraFish earlier this year her goal was to engage with more environmental organizations, including EDF, about creating an offshore aquaculture industry in the United States.

"We do talk to SATs on occasion. They are trying to advance the AQUAA Act," Driscoll-Lovejoy said.

"SATS and EDF are both seeking a future for seafood farmed in offshore waters. Similarly, EDF sees a future in which sustainable offshore aquaculture can be a part of a safe and sustainable seafood supply chain in the United States if it’s done right. Our approach varies from SATS in that we want to first ensure that the research and knowledge gaps are addressed."

A new NOAA grant program?

The latest Senate version of the AQUAA Act includes a provision to establish a research and development grant program for offshore aquaculture headed by NOAA and part of NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program.

Tasking that research to Sea Grant is problematic, EDF's Driscoll-Lovejoy said, noting the program struggles with funding.

EDF is instead asking for legislation to create an entirely new NOAA grant program.

That program would "create aquaculture centers of excellence at institutions of higher education that serve minority populations to educate and train students to working in the US aquaculture sector.

"Part of what we’re advocating for would be grants under NOAA to advance training, have education expanded at minority-serving institutions, at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)," Driscoll-Lovejoy said.

The AQUAA act does direct a NOAA-led R&D grant program "to study the traditional aquaculture methods and practices of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to evaluate economic, environmental, and sociological impacts," but does not mention HBCUs. It also does not go into detail about how it would create economic pathways for historically excluded individuals in offshore aquaculture.

The legislation EDF could support for offshore aquaculture in the United States simply doesn't exist yet, EDF's Driscoll-Lovejoy confirmed.

It's also unclear whether US lawmakers are even on the same page with NGOs when it comes to creating legislation both sides can get behind.

SATs' Brenholt told IntraFish she could not speak directly for the lawmakers behind the AQUAA Act in regards to incorporating the points EDF requests, but said they are taking comments from stakeholders and view the legislation as a living document.

"SATS is dedicated to advocating for the passage of legislation that would clarify the regulatory process for the permitting of offshore aquaculture in the United States," she said.

"We would be more that willing to work with EDF and others in the environmental non-governmental organization community to ensure a sustainable and practical pathway forward for expanding aquaculture development in the United States."

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