August 1, 2o23 — On July 18 Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced the Improving Agriculture, Research, Cultivation, Timber, and Indigenous Commodities (ARCTIC) Act, which, among other things, seeks to protect Alaska’s fishing industry by limiting open-ocean aquaculture.
Back in May 2020, then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order that gave the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authority to approve fish farming in the open ocean. Murkowski’s ARCTIC Act will, if enacted, prohibit the arbitrary authorization of fish pens in the federal waters.
According to a summary released by Murkowski’s office, the ARCTIC Act aims to strengthen those communities, food security, and the seafood economy. Specifically, it supports domestic seafood production by increasing seafood processing in coastal communities.