Courtesy of SeafoodSource.com:
U.S. legislators in Congress have introduced a handful of seafood-related bills in recent weeks, ranging from the creation of a new office of aquaculture to developing ocean innovation clusters all over the country.
This month, U.S. representatives in Congress proposed creating an office of aquaculture within the U.S. Department of Agriculture focused on promoting shellfish, seaweed, and land-based aquaculture operations.
“Shellfish harvesters and seaweed farmers play an essential role in our food supply, but historically they haven’t received the support they need to reach their full potential,” U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) said, adding that a USDA aquaculture program office “will help shellfish harvesters and seaweed farmers grow their small businesses while expanding blue carbon ecosystems that help address the climate crisis.”
At the same time, lawmakers are once again trying to pass the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, which would establish national standards for offshore aquaculture development and streamline development.
“The aquaculture industry is growing rapidly, but the lack of a national permitting system for federal waters has held back development and prevented American producers from growing more seafood at home,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) said. “This legislation would establish comprehensive standards for offshore aquaculture, helping U.S. producers meet the growing demand for fresh, locally-sourced seafood.”
Other bills introduced in recent weeks would fund the creation of nonprofit ocean innovation clusters, enable fishery-related business to access a federal loan program, and expand a prohibition on imported seafood from Russia.