Saving Seafood

Aquaculture cited as strong tool for climate resilience

December 26, 2024 — A new aquaculture report released by NOAA Fisheries on Dec. 17 cites aquaculture as increasingly important in the nation’s commitment to food security, climate resilience and protection of threatened and endangered marine and freshwater species.

The updated National Aquaculture Development Plan credits aquaculture as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce healthy food and also cites aquaculture for its important role in fisheries restoration.

Hatchery-reared fish are released into the wild to help boost populations of wild marine species.

According to NOAA Fisheries, aquaculture has helped more than 70 endangered or threatened species – including Pacific salmon, white abalone, and queen conch – and has also helped restore habitats and mitigate impacts of climate change.

Read the full article at The Cordova Times

Statement From Glenn Cooke Commending President Donald Trump On His Executive Order That Will Improve US Aquaculture Competitiveness and Economic Growth

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Seafood:

Glenn Cooke, CEO of the Cooke family of companies, provided the following statement after President Donald Trump signed the first ever Executive Order that includes provisions to improve U.S. aquaculture competitiveness and economic growth on Thursday.

“I am very pleased President Trump has recognized that domestic farmed production of aquaculture seafood is vital to help correct the severe trade imbalance and strengthen local food security. This should be viewed as a call to State and local governments that the country is in dire need of domestically produced seafood protein and that they should find ways to support, promote, and expand this essential food sector as other countries have.

As a family company, with marine fish farming operations in Maine and Washington and shellfish farming in North Carolina, and wild fisheries in other states including Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alaska, we are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication that our people put in every day to produce healthy seafood meals for families across the USA. Cooke Aquaculture USA in Maine was very proud to have been chosen as the supplier of sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon for the President’s 2017 inauguration. Our strong operations have shown that aquaculture presents a tremendous opportunity to create thousands of jobs and build vibrant working waterfronts co-existing with traditional fisheries in rural coastal communities.

President Trump and his Executive Agencies are to be commended for their leadership to address the regulatory challenges with establishing seafood farms by revising the National Aquaculture Development Plan and implementing a Nationwide Permit authorizing finfish, seaweed or multi-trophic culture in federal marine waters.”

Read the full release here