Critical meeting for campaign to boost US aquaculture
The United States Senate’s Commerce Committee will tomorrow examine an aquaculture bill before deciding whether it should progress.
The cross-party Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act is intended to simplify the country’s labyrinthine permitting process by introducing a science-based approach to the development of commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture farms in US federal waters.
The bill is on the agenda for the Senate committee’s “markup” meeting, where members debate, change, and vote on proposed legislation before deciding whether to send it onwards to the full Senate.
Fallen behind
“For too long, the US has fallen behind as other countries build thriving aquaculture industries, despite having the science, technology, and ocean resources to lead,” said Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager for pro-aquaculture lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS).
“The Senate Commerce Committee’s consideration of the MARA Act is a critical step toward establishing a federal permitting pathway for open ocean aquaculture, which would enable us to grow more seafood in US waters and build a stronger, more resilient American seafood industry.”
The Commerce Committee markup is scheduled to begin at 10am Eastern Time.
