Saving Seafood

Broad coalition promotes Senate aquaculture bill

December 4, 2025 — The seafood industry, environmentalists and researchers are aligned in pressing Congress to speed the permitting and development of open-ocean aquaculture trials.

In a Tuesday letter to leaders of both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, supporters of S. 5286, the “Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act,” said agencies should permit pilot projects that “generate the robust, real-world data” necessary to evaluate aquaculture activities in federal oceans without harming water quality or marine ecosystems.

“The MARA Act will equip federal and state agencies with the evidence needed to establish high environmental standards and ensure that any growth of U.S. aquaculture proceeds responsibly and sustainably,” states the letter with 140 signatures.

Read the full article at E&E News

Offshore aquaculture advocates send joint letter to US lawmakers pushing for MARA passage

December 2, 2025 — Advocates of enabling and expanding offshore aquaculture in the U.S. sent a joint letter to lawmakers in Congress urging them to pass the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act.

“The U.S. has the science and technology, ocean resources, and skilled seafood workforce to lead in sustainable seafood production,” Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS), said in a release. “The MARA Act would put in place a pathway to allow us to demonstrate that we can grow more of our seafood here at home both responsibly and sustainably while strengthening coastal economies, supporting America’s terrestrial farmers, and strengthening our nation’s food security.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US House introduces twin version of aquaculture legislation

October 21, 2025 — United States legislators have introduced the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act in the House of Representatives, a bill meant to enable and govern offshore aquaculture in the U.S. that has been backed by the domestic aquaculture sector.

“The MARA Act ensures that as we grow our offshore aquaculture sector, we do it the right way with science, transparency, and public engagement at the center,” U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi) said in a release. “This bill puts the U.S. on a path to food security, environmental stewardship, and coastal economic development. Offshore aquaculture, when done responsibly, holds enormous potential to feed more people, create jobs, and protect wild fisheries. The MARA Act gives us the tools to lead the world in sustainable seafood production.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

With Wild Fish Stocks Dwindling, Congress Considers Backing Aquaculture

August 22, 2025 — Advocates for increasing Hawaiʻi’s aquaculture production are buoyed by the introduction of federal legislation that could supercharge the almost $2 billion national fish farming industry, a sector many believe has been neglected by state authorities for too long.

The bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaiʻi, intends to streamline permitting, build the aquaculture workforce, facilitate research and development, and eventually pave the way for offshore, commercial-level demonstration facilities across federal waters.

The draft Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act, or MARA Act, aims to boost production throughout the country to lessen the nation’s reliance on imported products, which account for 75% to 90% of its seafood — and 63% in Hawaiʻi. The legislation is a streamlined revival of a previously failed bill, although aquaculture industry leaders say it may now be primed for success.

Read the full article at Civil Beat

New tariffs could boost Gulf Coast seafood industry, as lawmakers push for sustainable aquaculture

August 8, 2025 — New tariffs ranging from 15% to 20% take effect this week on a wide range of imported goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and fish.

While shoppers may feel the pinch at the checkout, some in the U.S. seafood industry see an opportunity.

Nearly 85% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, according to Galveston fisherman, Scott Hickman. Major seafood suppliers including Vietnam and Indonesia both now facing new tariffs of up to 20%. The changes, part of the latest round of President Donald Trump’s trade war, are prompting renewed focus on sourcing food domestically.

For longtime Galveston fisherman Hickman, this is a welcome shift.

“America’s become addicted to cheap seafood that’s raised in ways they wouldn’t approve,” Hickman said. “Most Americans, I think, would rather spend a little bit more for the shrimp po’ boy or the crab fingers if they know it’s American-produced.”

Hickam says tariffs level the playing field for fishermen. He’s also pointing to new legislation in Congress looking to expand seafood production in the United States.

Read the full article at Click 2 Houston

Aquaculture can help produce more US seafood

August 8, 2025 — Demand for sustainable protein is on the rise, but the U.S. already harvests the sustainable limit of wild-caught seafood. Our solution is to import up to 85 percent of our seafood — half of that sourced from fish farms in other countries.

So why aren’t we instead eating seafood from sustainable American fish farms in our own deep ocean waters?

Members of Congress have proposed a solution to tackle the chief obstacle to American open ocean aquaculture. The bipartisan Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act of 2025, introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), would help create a pathway for open ocean aquaculture in America by establishing an assessment program to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects in federal waters.

Open ocean aquaculture is supported by the nation’s most influential environmental groups, but to date, not a single commercial-scale finfish farm operates in U.S. federal waters. Recently, a small, single-pen demonstration farm proposed off the coast of Florida was the first offshore project to receive a permit after being mired in the permitting process for more than seven years.

The project, which has federal grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, still faces more regulatory hurdles ahead before it is fully approved to enter the water.

Read the full article at The Hill

Bipartisan bill introduced in U.S. Congress to advance open ocean aquaculture

August 6, 2025 — The introduction of the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025 in the U.S. Congress marks a major step forward for sustainable U.S. aquaculture. This bipartisan bill establishes a momentous step forward to support the responsible research of open ocean aquaculture in the U.S. while prioritizing strong environmental standards and community resilience.

“The bipartisan consensus is clear: Congressional action is needed to build a robust American open ocean aquaculture industry, and the MARA Act lays the groundwork towards that goal,” said Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS). Banta Winters thanked Senators Schatz and Wicker for their leadership in advancing the legislation. The act aims to boost domestic seafood production in a responsible and sustainable way, similar to practices already in use both internationally and in U.S. state waters.

The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) also celebrates the bill introduction. “As someone deeply invested in sustainable seafood and responsible food systems, I believe the MARA Act is a landmark opportunity for American aquaculture,” said Barton Seaver, chef and founding member of the CSA. He emphasized that the bill supports a food system grounded in environmental responsibility, while also bolstering food security and coastal economies.

The U.S. currently imports the majority of its seafood, with half of that supply farmed abroad. As seafood demand grows domestically, exploring sustainable seafood production through open ocean aquaculture holds the potential to reduce reliance on imports, foster American ingenuity and innovation, bolster U.S. food security, and lower carbon emissions associated with international seafood transport—while creating jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities.

Read the full article at Aqua Feed