From poultry, to beef, to pork, the USDA statistics make it clear, the United States is a powerhouse in animal protein production. American consumers have benefited from this abundance of land animal protein available at affordable prices. Yet most Americans do not realize that when it comes to seafood, as a nation, we can’t feed ourselves. This is especially true when it comes to aquaculture, which is the farming of aquatic species for human consumption.
The U.S. lags far behind much of the world when it comes to farming our seafood. U.S. aquaculture production is valued at around $1.5 billion, while total world aquaculture is estimated at $281.5 billion. This means the U.S. contributes less than 1% of the world’s total aquaculture output. What a stark contrast to the amazing success of our terrestrial protein production.
Meanwhile, U.S. wild-caught fisheries are unable to sustainably meet increasing seafood demand. The U.S. recorded a $20.3 billion seafood trade deficit in 2023, with approximately 80% of our seafood coming from imports. A Department of Homeland Security report stated, “This dependency creates an economic and food supply vulnerability.” The report continued, “The U.S. government needs to promote domestic aquaculture for food production.” and identified it as one of 6 key recommendations it provided on Threats to Food and Agricultural Resources.
Seafood is already the primary protein choice for much of the world, and its benefits to both our physical and mental health are widely recognized. Aquaculture is also one of the most efficient forms of farming. Aquatic organisms are cold-blooded and live in reduced gravity environments, decreasing their energy requirements and allowing them to convert feed to biomass more efficiently than land animals. Leading environmental organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund, The Natural Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund, now advocate for responsible aquaculture production to play a more central role in feeding the world.
So, how can domestic aquaculture have a bigger role in the U.S. food supply? The most important step we can take is to establish a clear permitting process for aquaculture in U.S. federal waters. The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 3.4 million square nautical miles that could be tapped for aquaculture.
These deep offshore environments optimize water exchange, mitigating environmental impacts, and allow animals to be reared in their natural environments, enhancing their health and well-being. Moving further from the coastline also reduces competition with other stakeholders.
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Currently, there are no farms in federal waters because there is no reliable, timely, or clear regulatory pathway. The Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, a bipartisan bill introduced into the House and Senate, would create a clear and reliable way forward for aquaculture in the EEZ.
New aquaculture farms will revitalize struggling coastal communities by generating jobs, investing in portside infrastructure, and supporting ancillary businesses while providing locally raised seafood for these communities to consume and sell.
Offshore farms also create additional markets for farmers in the heartland whose crops go into aquafeeds. By taking control of our entire seafood supply chain, we can mitigate our dependency on imported seafood and ensure that what we farm and eat in the U.S. will meet the highest standards.
As an aquaculture professional who has traveled the world for two decades working with foreign producers, I have seen the positive impacts of aquaculture on rural coastal communities. I have also witnessed how exported U.S. technologies have helped drive the global aquaculture industry forward. Yet, we also need to apply these technologies here at home.
The success of U.S. terrestrial protein production is the result of decades of research, the tremendous backing of the U.S. government, and lots of hard work by our farmers. It is time that U.S. aquaculture farmers receive similar support so we can erase our seafood trade deficit while setting the standard for responsible and efficient practices to raise seafood in U.S. waters. It is time for lawmakers to take up legislation and pass the AQUAA Act.
Jacques Cousteau once said, “We must plant the sea and herd its animals using the sea as farmers instead of hunters.” We are well past the time to act on this here in the U.S.
Chris Stock is the President of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) and Global Director of Aquaculture Sales at Zeigler Bros., Inc