Tag NOAA

New U.S. policies for offshore aquaculture permitting will soon be put to the test in the Gulf of Mexico. With imported products dominating the U.S. seafood landscape, some argue the time has come for the industry to take a leap forward. 

Something must change if the U.S. government hopes to encourage rather than discourage aquaculture, particularly in federal “offshore” waters. Neil Sims says it’s time to stop exporting knowledge, innovation and investment. 

The challenges of farming fish in U.S. federal waters were the focus of a panel discussion at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Malta. Despite recent policy updates, U.S. aquaculture chiefs oversee an industry with high barriers for entry. 

Social license – a community’s acceptance and support of an industry’s presence – is a key factor in aquaculture’s growth prospects. It’s a major obstacle U.S. waters, in particular. Michael Rubino of NOAA Fisheries discusses the challenges. 

The culture of yellow tang represents a considerable economic opportunity and critical conservation strategy in coral reef ecosystem protection. The Oceanic Institute is working to establish aquaculture techniques to reduce the capture of wild fish. 

U.S. policies are intended to facilitate sustainable marine aquaculture, restore natural resources and enhance fisheries. Additional initiatives address shellfish production, aquaculture management in the Gulf of Mexico and technology transfer. 

The National Oceanic and Atmo­spheric Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture joined forces through the NOAA-USDA Alternative Feeds Initiative to identify feed ingredients that will reduce the amount of fishmeal and fish oil in aquaculture feeds while maintaining the human health benefits of seafood. Through research on a variety of sources, promising alternatives are beginning to emerge.