Sec. 2. Findings and purposes

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Congress finds the following: There is increasing interest within the United States in developing commercial marine aquaculture, in order to provide nutritious, sustainable seafood for domestic consumption and export to global markets. There is a need for a Federal program in the United States that specifically provides a comprehensive, nationwide permitting system for, or management of, marine aquaculture facilities in the exclusive economic zone. Regulatory certainty and security of tenure are needed to make business investment decisions about marine aquaculture.

Potential economic, environmental, and social benefits can be derived from marine aquaculture technologies. To balance those benefits against concerns about environmental and socioeconomic impacts, additional research and development is needed to adequately assess the potential for adverse impacts on the environment and coastal communities, to develop tools and practices for proper siting and operation of marine aquaculture facilities, and to ensure that those impacts, if any, can be mitigated through improvements of marine aquaculture technologies.

The United States is the leading global net importer of fish and fishery products, with over 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States, by value, imported from other countries, about 50 percent of which is derived from aquaculture. The United States, as a result, runs a substantial trade deficit in seafood. Increasing the overall effectiveness and productivity of Federal aquaculture research, technology transfer, and assistance programs is coordinated by the Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture (referred to in this section as IWGA and formerly known as the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture), which was created by Congress in the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 ( Public Law 96–362 ).

The IWGA is chaired by the Department of Agriculture, with vice-chairs from the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior, and reports to the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council. The IWGA addresses issues of national scope and importance and may form national task forces or special projects to facilitate a coordinated, systematic approach to addressing critical issues and needs. As affirmed by Congress in the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 ( Public Law 96–362 ), marine aquaculture conducted in Federal waters is in the public interest.

The purposes of this Act are— to support the development of a sustainable marine aquaculture industry in the United States; to safeguard the marine environment, wild fish stocks, and our coastal communities; to support research and technology development to further these goals; to provide new jobs and to support existing jobs within the seafood industry of the United States, including jobs for traditional fishing industry partners; and to reduce the United States seafood trade deficit by expanding the domestic supply of seafood through the production of marine aquaculture.

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Pub. L. 96-362

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Sec. 2

Findings and purposes

Pub. L.Pub. L. 96-362

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