June 8, 2023 — U.S. lawmakers are making yet another attempt to pass the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, a bill that would establish national standards for offshore aquaculture and streamline development.
First introduced in 2018, the legislation has gone through multiple iterations as lawmakers push for a comprehensive framework that encourages aquaculture operations in federal waters. The bill would make NOAA the lead federal agency on marine aquaculture, create a more uniform permitting system for offshore aquaculture in federal waters, and build a grant program to incentivize aquaculture innovation.