Organic Aquaculture Standards coming to the US
Less than a week after the release of the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standards, the USDA announced through a memorandum to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) that it was preparing the rule, which would allow for farmed seafood to be certified as organically produced. The memo- sent to the Chair of the NOSB by Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program (NOP) of the USDA Mr. Miles McEvoy on May 16, suggests that the rulemaking process is expected to take place over the next two years.
“In anticipation of this rulemaking, the NOP has received a number of petitions for substances to be added to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) for use in organic aquaculture. These petitioned substances must be reviewed by the NOSB. The petitioned substances that the NOSB recommends for addition to the National List may be included in a proposed rule for organic aquaculture production” reads the memo, which explains that the purpose of the memo is to formally ask the NOSB to review these petitioned substances for compliance with a list of regulations and criteria under the Organic Foods Production Act. “Since we will be developing the proposed rule based on aquaculture-related NOSB recommendations already submitted to the NOP, those recommendations should be used to guide your review”, McEvoy said in the memorandum.
The NOSB had previously recommended the establishment of four new sections of the National List for aquaculture materials, but the memo suggests that the NOP has not determined whether this will be done, or whether aquaculture materials should be incorporated into the existing framework for National List substances. The NOP also expects that the majority of the aquaculture substances petitioned for inclusion will already be in the National List, which excludes the use of antibiotics except; When preventive practices and veterinary biologics are inadequate to prevent sickness, a producer may administer synthetic medications: Provided, That, such medications are allowed under §205.603. Ironically the use of Ivermectin is allowed under organic livestock production.
Deputy Administrator McEvoy says in his memo that “The NOP would like the NOSB to use the following framework for review of aquaculture petitions:
- The NOSB Livestock Committee should review petitions for aquatic animal production.
- The NOSB Crops Committee should review petitions for aquatic plant production.
- The NOSB Committees should request third-party technical reports for petitioned substances which do not have reports available. Committees should refer to technical reports previously prepared for substances used in crop or livestock production and determine whether supplemental information is necessary for the Committee to review the substance in the context of aquaculture.
