White House unveils new economic plan to boost seafood farm industry

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Biden administration released a new set of guidelines Tuesday meant to support the aquaculture industry, primarily centered on seafood production, to better compete against overseas competition.

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture — part of the National Science and Technology Council — finalized the economic portion of the three-part plan this week, the first updates to the nation’s Aquaculture Development Plan since 1983.

The subcommittee released and finalized two earlier segments targeting the complex regulatory landscape within the industry and research improvements in 2022.

“In a changing climate, aquaculture is becoming increasingly important as a climate-smart and healthy means of food production,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement announcing the economic plan. “Seafood farming, if done responsibly — as it is in the United States — is one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce healthy food.”

According to a 2023 census conducted by the Department of Agriculture, there are approximately 3,453 seafood farms in the United States, an increase from the 2,932 farms reported in 2018.

The subcommittee outlined four goals for federal agencies to achieve: increase aquaculture education and engagement; support infrastructure and workforce development; improve industry investment and growth; and increase market opportunities for American aquaculture products.

The subcommittee works closely with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ideally, the subcommittee said, those goals will also advance efforts to make the aquaculture industry and relevant communities “climate ready,” make the industry economically equitable and improve the health of aquatic ecosystems.

Industry groups welcomed the new plan, noting that they had been pushing for the economic development plan for year to better deal with other nations with their own established plan.

Paul Zajicek, executive director of the National Aquaculture Association, said in an interview that he hoped the new plans would “push the needle” toward making domestic seafood farmers more competitive.

Zajicek, whose organization represents such farmers, explained that due to the overwhelming amount of imported seafood the United States consumes, most domestic farmers are forced to sell their fish live or at local markets to “avoid the tidal wave of cheap seafood.”

According to a February report by the Department of Agriculture, approximately 79% of all seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, primarily from Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

“We should be contributing to global seafood production, rather than just being a consumer,” Zajicek said, adding that seafood has significant nutritional value.

In the plan, the subcommittee highlighted nutrition as a key benefit from the aquaculture industry, along with economic resilience — the industry produces $2.3 billion in annual sales — food security, job opportunities in underserved communities, climate resilience and environmental benefits such as improved water quality.

While those benefits are currently baked into the industry, certain challenges need to be addressed to grow aquaculture. Those challenges include improved aquatic animal health management practices, cheaper fish feed ingredients, regulatory costs, climate change and workforce development.

Zajicek highlighted regulatory costs, like permits, as a major concern and primary culprit for consolidation in the industry. Further, he said that the regulatory landscape seafood farmers face stifles any innovation.

According to the National Aquaculture Association, salmon farms pay a total of $16.1 million in regulatory costs, 62% of which comes from EPA effluent discharge permitting, 26% from county regulations, 7% for fish health, 4% for water rights and 1% for food safety. Overall, the association found, the scheme leads to $7.1 million in lost market sales.

An earlier portion of the subcommittee’s plan, released in February 2022, aimed to address such regulatory issues, specifically to improve efficiency, predicability and timeliness, as well as reduce the costs of reviewing and enforcing permits.

Zajicek said that the regulatory portion allows seafood farmers to petition Congress and request amendments to major environmental statutes, such as the Clean Water Act, based on the subcommittee’s plan.

That step will be particularly important after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month, but will not be any more difficult, Zajicek said, noting that he and other industry advocates pushed for the economic plan during Trump’s first term.

“These plans are a good foundation, but they’re only good if the agencies act on them, if the administration acts on them and if Congress acts on them,” Zajicek said.

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