Aquaculture can help produce more US seafood

The Hill

5 days ago

Demand for sustainable protein is on the rise, but the U.S. already harvests the sustainable limit of wild-caught seafood. Our solution is to import up to 85 percent of our seafood — half of that sourced from fish farms in other countries.
So why aren't we instead eating seafood from sustainable American fish farms in our own deep ocean waters?
Members of Congress have proposed a solution to tackle the chief obstacle to American open ocean aquaculture. The bipartisan Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act of 2025, introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), would help create a pathway for open ocean aquaculture in America by establishing an assessment program to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects in federal waters.
Open ocean aquaculture is supported by the nation's most influential environmental groups, but to date, not a single commercial-scale finfish farm operates in U.S. federal waters. Recently, a small, single-pen demonstration farm proposed off the coast of Florida was the first offshore project to receive a permit after being mired in the permitting process for more than seven years.
The project, which has federal grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, still faces more regulatory hurdles ahead before it is fully approved to enter the water.
The challenges faced by Ocean Era and other entrepreneurs seeking to farm in U.S. waters demonstrate that the current federal permitting process is not equipped to support the expansion of aquaculture. These businesses face lengthy, duplicative and costly environmental reviews by multiple federal agencies and no clear authority or regulatory framework to guide them. It's a process that makes it nearly impossible to establish fish farms in U.S. waters.
The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act lays the groundwork for developing an open ocean aquaculture industry in America. Building on years of legislative effort from previous congresses, the bill would create a dedicated Office of Aquaculture within NOAA to coordinate federal permitting for U.S. aquaculture. It would also set clear timelines for permit approvals and establish a consolidated environmental review process during the permitting approval process.
Additionally, the bill would authorize grant funding to modernize American working waterfront communities, including infrastructure that benefits both commercial fishing and aquaculture. It also invests in workforce training to develop the next generation of working waterfront professionals.
The bill would allow the U.S. to demonstrate what we already know: we can responsibly grow more of our own seafood in deep waters off our shores, just like it's already being done today in other countries, as well as U.S. state waters, like in Hawaii, for example.
This incredible and sustainable opportunity is why there is growing consensus in Congress, as well as among leading environmental groups, seafood industry leaders, chefs and academics, who all agree that open ocean aquaculture is not a threat to our oceans, it's a much-needed complement to our nation's wild fisheries.
With today's advanced technology, the responsible farming of seafood can sustainably complement our nation's wild-capture harvest to meet the growing demand for fresh, American-raised seafood, create new job opportunities and encourage investment in working waterfront communities. As aquaculture demand grows, it would create new jobs and business opportunities throughout the seafood supply chain, including at hatcheries, equipment manufacturers, feed suppliers, processing plants and retailers.
Demand for crops like soy, corn and peas — key ingredients for sustainable feeds — would also create new markets for American farmers in our nation's heartland.
The solution to strengthening our seafood supply chain and feeding more families isn't overseas. It's just off our shores.