« September 2007 Table of Contents 
Point of View: Offshore aquaculture fills the supply gap
By William T. Hogarth, Ph.D.
September 01, 2007
When it comes to seafood production, the United States is at
a crossroads. Study after study confirms the health benefits of
eating seafood, and consumers in America and abroad have gotten
the message. Meanwhile, wild catch levels worldwide have
remained relatively stable over the last 20 years. Because wild
harvests can no longer keep up with growing demand, increases
in the seafood supply will come from aquaculture.
We've done a good job managing America's marine resources,
but even the best-managed wild fisheries can't meet the growing
demand for seafood. Aquaculture must fill the gap - the
only
question is, where will it come from?
Aquaculture is a $70 billion annual enterprise worldwide;
almost half of the seafood consumed is farmed. However, U.S.
aquaculture accounts for just 1.5 percent of the global
aquaculture production. Experts say we'll need another 40
million tons of seafood annually
by 2030 to meet current
consumption rates.
In this large and growing market, the United States remains
a net importer of seafood - more than 80 percent of the seafood
consumed in the United States is imported, of which 40 percent
is farmed. Marine aquaculture therefore presents tremendous
opportunities for the Unit-
ed States.
Enactment of the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007
will allow the United States to become more self-sufficient in
the production of healthy seafood by growing more at home. By
laying the foundation for aquaculture expansion, the bill will
help create jobs in coastal communities and help reduce our $8
billion seafood trade deficit. The United States must develop
aquaculture as a complement to commercial fishing or it will be
forced to import
increasing amounts of farm-raised
seafood.
Food safety is another issue. U.S. consumers want to know
that their seafood was produced in a safe and sustainable way,
and many turn to local products when given a choice. Producing
seafood locally allows us to test and develop new technologies,
equipment and alternative feeds. This makes us more competitive
in the global market and allows us to lead by example - our
sustainable production will encourage our trading partners to
adopt best management practices, thereby improving the quality
of all seafood reaching
U.S. consumers.
For some time, many coastal communities have suffered from
overcapitalization and limited harvests in the commercial
fishing industry. With a robust domestic aquaculture industry,
fishing boats could also service aquaculture operations and
seafood-industry infrastructure could process and distribute
both cultured and wild sea-
food products.
Domestic aquaculture could provide a steady source of
product and, in some locations, prevent processing facilities
from closing down due to insufficient wild harvests.
Preliminary production estimates indicate that domestic a
quaculture production of all species (both marine and
freshwater) could increase from about 500,000 tons today to
more than 1.5 million tons per year by 2025. The additional
production could include 760,000 tons of seafood from finfish
aquacul-ture and 245,000 tons from mollusk production.
In addition to creating new job opportunities at hatcheries
and grow-out facilities, environmentally sound aquaculture
expansion will have a ripple effect on other aspects of the
economy since aquaculture relies on other producers and
manufacturers for goods and services, including soybean and
grain producers; equipment and technology providers;
cold
storage, transport, marketing and foodservice providers; and
veterinarians. In turn, these activities will strengthen the
coastal communities in which the businesses operate and provide
healthy seafood
to consumers.
Successes to date of aquaculture-related businesses
demonstrate direct economic benefits from an increase in
domestic aquaculture production, including offshore
aquaculture. More and more communities and fishermen are
recognizing that environmentally sound aquaculture can present
development opportunities for areas hit hard by job losses,
natural disasters and other challenges. As interest grows,
these communities are beginning to integrate aquaculture into
their economies. Stock enhancement of commercial and
recreational fisheries adds
to the economic benefits accruing
from U.S. investment in marine aquaculture.
The bill strikes the proper balance between aquaculture
development and environmental protection and will allow for
timely permit decisions and adaptive management approaches. It
also includes provisions for R&D to support all types of
marine aquaculture, not just off-
shore technologies.
Marine aquaculture has the potential to contribute greatly
to our seafood supply and to the economy. But this potential
will be realized only if we can provide the regulatory
certainty for businesses to make sound investment decisions.
The National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007 will give NOAA
the authority it needs to provide that regulatory
certainty.
William T. Hogarth, Ph.D., is director, National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration