Aquaculture advocates pool resources in US Congress
Bipartisan caucus will push for AQUAA Act
Pro-fish farming members of the US House of Representatives have formed a caucus to educate fellow politicians about the economic opportunities that an expanded US aquaculture industry would provide.
The bipartisan House Aquaculture Caucus – similar to a cross-party Parliamentary group in the UK - will also provide policy updates and share initiatives in Congress that they believe will help make American aquaculture more competitive globally.
Representatives Kat Cammack (Republican, Florida), Ed Case (Democrat, Hawaii), Steven Palazzo (Republican, Mississippi) and Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, California), are inaugural co-chairs of the caucus.
In addition, the introductory caucus members include Representatives Salud Carbajal, Jerry Carl, Buddy Carter, Rick Crawford, Scott Franklin, French Hill, Maria Salazar, Abigail Spanberger, and Rob Wittman.
US aquaculture industry coalition Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) has welcome the move.
Legislation is needed
“SATS thanks Reps. Cammack, Case, Palazzo and Panetta for establishing a congressional caucus for lawmakers to learn about the benefits that a robust aquaculture industry would provide communities nationwide,” said Horace Dawson, III, general counsel of seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster and member of SATS.
“The growth of American aquaculture would create new jobs across the seafood supply chain while supplying our communities with local, sustainable seafood. For the US to realise the full economic potential of aquaculture, federal legislation is needed.”
The US imports 80% of its seafood and ranks only 17th in aquaculture production, something that SATS blames on inefficient federal permitting processes.
The bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act (AQUAA) Act, introduced in November 2021 but not yet passed, is intended to establish a clear, predictable permitting process for offshore fish farms.
