US aquaculture lobby flies in seafood leaders to ‘educate’ law makers

US aquaculture lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) met with open ocean aquaculture advocates in Washington this week in their campaign to develop an American aquaculture sector.

The country ranks 20th in global seafood production, and imports most of its seafood, with roughly half sourced from overseas aquaculture.

Despite its vast coastline, estimated by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) at 153,646 km (95,471 miles), the US does not have a single operating commercial-scale finfish farm in federal waters, due to overlapping environmental reviews across multiple agencies and the lack of a clear permitting framework.

Bipartisan legislation

In what SATS called a “legislative fly-in” and seafood reception on Capitol Hill, seafood leaders met members of Congress to make the case for expanding domestic production through bipartisan legislation, the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025.

SATS said support for the legislation is growing, with backing from leading environmental groups, seafood leaders, chefs, and academics.

Introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (Republican, Mississippi) and Brian Schatz (Democrat, Hawaii) and Representatives Mike Ezell (Republican, Mississippi), Ed Case (Democrat, Hawaii), Kat Cammack (Republican, Florida), and Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, California), the Act would advance a science-based approach to the development of commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture farms in US federal waters.

Responsible expansion

“If the US wants to keep up with countries like China, Indonesia, and India, who are actively prioritising and expanding their aquaculture industries, federal legislation is needed to establish a clear, coordinated framework for responsible expansion,” said Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager of SATS. 

“Now is the time for Congress to act on growing more American-raised seafood in a way that helps build dockside infrastructure for wild-catch fishermen and creates new opportunities for Americans across the entire seafood supply chain.

“We have the strongest bipartisan momentum for federal legislation to expand open ocean aquaculture in years, reflecting growing agreement that the US must do more to sustainably produce more of its own seafood.”

Significant benefits

Participants in the SATS event in Washington included Cargill, Innovasea, Sysco, and Zeigler Bros, who highlighted the significant benefits open ocean aquaculture would bring to communities nationwide.

Coastal states would benefit from increased investment in port infrastructure and stronger working waterfronts, with more seafood flowing through their ports.

Inland states would see growing demand for American farmers producing key fish feed ingredients such as soybeans, corn, peas, wheat, and barley.

New jobs

While across the country, open ocean aquaculture would create new jobs and support the seafood supply chain, from hatcheries and farms to equipment manufacturing, feed production, processing, and restaurants.

“We know there are numerous priorities in front of Congress right now, and open ocean aquaculture should be among them,” said Winters.

“Our members came to Washington to ensure Congress recognises and acts on the bipartisan legislation that sits before it. This needs to move forward this year, for the sake of our ecosystems, our farmers, and families who rely on sustainable protein to meet their dietary needs.”