April 9, 2021 — U.S. aquaculture advocacy group Stronger America Through Seafood has launched a new campaign this week, titled “Essential Aquaculture,” that aims to create a sense of urgency for Congress to act swiftly on aquaculture expansion in the country.
Specifically, SATS is calling on Congress to clarify a regulatory pathway for permitting offshore aquaculture.
April 6, 2021 — A seafood pressure group is calling on the US Congress to support the expansion of the country’s aquaculture sector in order to benefit the American economy, industries and communities.
Through a new industry campaign titled “Essential Aquaculture,” Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) aims to create a sense of urgency for Congress to act swiftly on aquaculture.
“As Congress debates ways to address the many pressing challenges we face, including economic recovery, food security and environmental challenges, aquaculture should be considered as one of the solutions,” said Margaret Henderson, Campaign Manager of SATS.
“The expansion of American aquaculture is essential to the US economy. Aquaculture can strengthen American communities by supporting new jobs and a diverse workforce in a post-pandemic world. Increased seafood production would also ensure families have a steady supply of affordable American-raised seafood produced sustainably with minimal impact on the environment, which is essential to climate and conservation efforts.”
April 5, 2021 — As offshore aquaculture becomes a more viable enterprise globally, a variety of regulatory approaches have emerged that reflect conflicting perspectives of the sector as either an economic opportunity or an environmental threat.
The governments of Canada and Denmark have both taken aggressive actions to curtail offshore aquaculture, with Denmark banning any new projects as of December 2020 and Canada adopting increasingly restrictive policies on net-pen aquaculture.
March 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
In the United States, sustainable seafood is not only a possibility, it’s our priority. Fish, shellfish, and marine algae are renewable resources—they can reproduce and replenish their populations naturally. That means we can sustainably harvest fish within certain limits without depleting their populations. Fishery management is the process of using science to determine these limits—catching some fish while leaving some to reproduce and replace the fish that are caught. The United States is a global leader in seafood sustainability.
Our global population is rising, but our global abundance of wild fish is not. Aquaculture, or farming in water, plays a critical role in ensuring that our need for seafood is met sustainably. It is a resource-efficient way of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production. The future of sustainable seafood must include both farm-raised and wild-capture seafood. Seafood farming, if done responsibly as it is in the United States, is increasingly recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein.
Read on to learn more about what sustainable seafood means in the United States and how we are working to support healthy fisheries and provide safe sources of seafood.
1. U.S. fishermen abide by some of the most rigorous environmental measures in the world.
The United States has a well-earned reputation as a global leader in sustainability. U.S. fisheries management is guided by several laws, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act.
Learn more about the laws and policies that keep our ocean resources productive and sustainable
2. U.S. fisheries are managed under 10 national standards of sustainability.
These standards aim to prevent overfishing, protect other species and habitat, and minimize bycatch on non-target species. They ensure sustainable and responsible fishery management in the United States.
Learn more about the National Standards
3. Managing wild fish populations sustainably and keeping fishermen on the job is a dynamic process.
U.S. fisheries management is a transparent and robust process, based on strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. NOAA Fisheries works closely with eight regional fishery management councils, whose members represent commercial and recreational fishing, environmental, academic, and government interests.
Learn more about how we manage fisheries in the United States
4. Expanding aquaculture can stabilize and diversify seafood supply.
Aquaculture is a sustainable way to produce food, using fewer resources than other protein sources. This is especially important when considering the impacts of climate change on land-based farming and wild-capture fisheries.
Learn more about how aquaculture supports a sustainable Earth
5. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing leads to unsafe and unsustainable practices and harms law-abiding fishermen around the world.
Combating IUU fishing is a top priority for the United States. NOAA Fisheries is proud to be a leader in the nation’s comprehensive approach to this battle. We work with U.S. and state agencies to promote compliance with import requirements that help prevent IUU fish and fish products from entering our markets. We also work with foreign governments and regional fisheries management organizations to promote international cooperation to achieve effective, responsible marine stewardship and ensure sustainable fisheries management.
Learn more about how NOAA is working to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing globally
Sustainable seafood is a continuous journey and science is a big part of our success. Effective management for both wild-caught and farmed species starts with accurate scientific information about fish and fisheries. Be sure to visit our site regularly to learn even more about how we support safe sources of seafood by ensuring our fisheries are productive and sustainable.
March 26, 2021 — The following was released by the Global Aquaculture Alliance:
Seaspiracy, a documentary-styled film released on Netflix this week, intends to shock, and on that count it succeeds.
The 90-minute exposé shows ocean pollution and its vast effects on marine life; it displays grotesque images of dolphins and whales being slaughtered and of vast bycatch species dying, alleging that commercial fisheries have little regard for marine animals and birds; and it outright dismisses aquaculture for its use of marine ingredients and for what it says are poor culture environments.
With the financial backing of Hollywood star and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, Seaspiracy follows in the footsteps of the similarly produced film Cowspiracy, released in 2014. Like its predecessor, this new film’s clear aim is to turn viewers off of animal proteins in favor of plant-based diets. It doesn’t pull any punches in doing so, alleging:
To make his case, director Ali Tabrizi exhibits victims of forced labor on fishing vessels, notably those from previously documented cases in Thailand. One person who survived tells of physical abuse and the constant threat of death from vessel operators.
March 25, 2021 — Despite aquaculture’s potential to feed a growing world population while relieving pressure on badly depleted oceans, the industry has been plagued by questions about its environmental impacts.
But over the years, the diverse industry—which ranges from massive open-ocean salmon cages to family farm freshwater tilapia ponds—has made significant strides toward sustainability, according to a new Stanford-led analysis.
The study notes, however, that in order for the global aquaculture sector to deliver on its full promise, more effective oversight measures are needed to help ensure that its environmentally sound systems are economically viable.
The findings, published March 25 in Nature, could help shape how consumers think about the seafood they buy, and inform governance strategies critical to global food and nutrition security.
“As the demand for seafood around the world continues to expand, aquaculture will keep growing,” said study lead author Rosamond Naylor, the William Wrigley Professor of Earth System Science in Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). “If we don’t get it right, we risk the same environmental problems we’ve seen in land-based crop and livestock systems: nutrient pollution, excessive use of antibiotics and habitat change that threatens biodiversity.”
March 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
1. Support Sustainable Fisheries
The United States has some of the largest and most sustainable fisheries in the world—both wild-caught and farmed seafood. Any U.S.-harvested seafood in the marketplace is inherently sustainable based on 10 national standards.
2. Support Our Fishermen
U.S. fishermen work hard to follow robust regulations and only catch what they are allowed within sustainability limits. When buying seafood from U.S. fishermen, you’re supporting their families and coastal communities as a whole. U.S. fisheries also make a significant contribution to the economy and the broader seafood supply chain. They provide jobs and recreation, and keep our coastal communities vibrant.
3. Boost Your Health
Seafood provides a variety of benefits to your diet. It is a healthy source of low-fat protein and high in omega 3s which are good for your heart and brain.
4. Strengthen Our Seafood Supply
If done responsibly, as it is in the United States, aquaculture is increasingly recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein. Marine aquaculture is a resource-efficient method of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production. It can expand and stabilize U.S. seafood supply in the face of environmental change.
5. Contribute to a More Sustainable Planet
Purchasing sustainable seafood helps support larger sustainability goals for the globe. It can help end world hunger, and provide clean water and more economic opportunities.
6. Give Your Taste Buds a Treat
Last but not least, seafood is delicious! This summer, take your tastebuds on vacation with seasonal dishes featuring fresh seafood. Try out a new recipe from FishWatch. You can also stock your freezer and use seafood swaps in burgers, tacos, pizzas, pastas, skewers, salads, and more.
March 25, 2021 — Twenty years ago, as farmed salmon and shrimp started spreading in supermarket freezers, came an influential scientific paper that warned of an environmental mess: Fish farms were gobbling up wild fish stocks, spreading disease and causing marine pollution.
This week, some of the same scientists who published that report issued a new paper concluding that fish farming, in many parts of the world, at least, is a whole lot better. The most significant improvement, they said, was that farmed fish were not being fed as much wild fish. They were being fed more plants, like soy.
In short, the paper found, farmed fish like salmon and trout had become mostly vegetarians.
Synthesizing hundreds of research papers carried out over the last 20 years across the global aquaculture industry, the latest study was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
March 24, 2021 — On Tuesday, 23 March, Atlantic Sapphire suffered a mass mortality event at its recirculating aquaculture system salmon farm in Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
In a press release issued via the Euronext Market, where the company’s stock is listed, Atlantic Sapphire said it expected a loss of 500 metric tons (MT), or around 1.1 million pounds, of head-on, gutted salmon. The company said the average weight of the deceased fish was one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, meaning an estimated 500,000 individual salmon died due to the accident. The total represents around 5 percent of its phase-one harvest volumes.
March 23, 2021 — Maine is setting the stage with its response to climate change, the need for greater sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Aquaculture plays an important role in all three.
The United States imports about 90 percent of the fish eaten in the country. Those imports ship consumer dollars out of the country, while also having a direct impact on the environment from the transportation required to deliver the food.
With wild fisheries under pressure from overfishing and warming oceans, aquaculture provides an opportunity to produce food closer to the people who will eat it and in a controlled and sustainable way.
That’s why American Aquafarms has proposed a new aquaculture facility along the working waterfront in Gouldsboro with pens located in Frenchman Bay.
We believe that this project will produce salmon safely and sustainably, while helping to fight climate change and creating good jobs for Maine people.