Republican senator Roger Wicker, left, and Hawai'i Democrat Brian Schatz are sponsoring the MARA Act which is aimed at making it simpler to gain permission for offshore aquaculture in the US.

US aquaculture act campaigners buoyed despite delay in Senate committee

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Consideration of a proposed United States aquaculture law has been delayed to allow additional time for bipartisan discussions but is expected to return to the US Senate’s Commerce Committee in the near future.

The MARA (Marine Aquaculture Research for America) Act is intended to simplify the permitting process by introducing a science-based approach to the development of commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture farms in US federal waters.

The bill was on the agenda for last week’s Commerce Committee “markup” meeting, where members debate, change, and vote on proposed legislation before deciding whether to send it onwards to the full Senate.

Years of work

“It’s hard to overstate how promising it is that the MARA Act was scheduled for markup in the Senate,” said Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager for the Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) lobby group.

Drue Banta Winters: "Reaching this point sends a clear message that Congress recognises the importance of this issue."

“After years of work to build support for a federal framework for open ocean aquaculture, an effort supported by environmentalists, seafood industry leaders, chefs, and academics, reaching this point sends a clear message that Congress recognises the importance of this issue and that there is strong bipartisan momentum to move legislation forward.

“We are encouraged that Senate offices are remaining actively engaged and committed to advancing the legislation, and we look forward to seeing the bill return for consideration in the near future.

“SATS will continue educating policymakers on the urgent need for legislation to grow more seafood here at home, create new jobs and economic opportunities, and build a stronger, more resilient American seafood industry. The time for action is now.”

Cross-party initiative

Republican senator Roger Wicker and Hawai'i Democrat Brian Schatz are sponsoring the MARA Act, which incorporates key provisions from both the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture, or AQUAA Act, and the Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food, or SEAfood Act, which were both introduced in previous congresses but timed out.

Schatz and Wicker previously sponsored the AQUAA Act, along with Florida representative Marco Rubio, who is now President Donald Trump's Secretary of State (foreign minister).

The MARA Act (S.2586) would:

  • Establish an assessment programme to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects.

  • Create a dedicated Office of Aquaculture within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to coordinate federal permitting for a US aquaculture programme.

  • Set clear timelines and establish a consolidated environmental review process during the permitting approval process.

  • Authorise grant funding to modernise American working waterfront communities, including infrastructure that benefits both commercial fishing and aquaculture.

  • Invest in workforce training and curriculum development to train the next generation of aquaculture professionals.

mara act aquaculture permitting united states senate news open-ocean aquaculture national oceanic and atmospheric administration