Stronger America Through Seafood brings a diverse board of directors from various backgrounds.
Stronger America Through Seafood
Open ocean aquaculture in the U.S. is not developing satisfactorily due to a lack of federal legislation to support industry growth, according to the Industry coalition Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS).
For this reason, the organization has decided to launch a month-long campaign to educate Members of Congress and congressional staff about the urgent need for Congress to support a thriving aquaculture industry in the country.
This initiative includes a fact sheet, social media resources, and targeted paid advertisements, highlighting everything the U.S. is forgoing in economic and environmental terms. Also, digital ads will be published in two Washington, D.C.-based media outlets: Politico and Axios.
"As one of the most environmentally friendly methods for producing protein, open ocean aquaculture is a vital food production method being embraced by nations worldwide but it remains an untapped industry here in the U.S.," remembered Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager of SATS.
"Without federal action, the U.S. will continue to miss out on the benefits that a thriving aquaculture industry would provide, including job creation and economic growth in congressional districts and communities across the country. Legislation to support aquaculture in federal waters would strengthen our economy, ensure a more secure seafood supply chain, and help increase access to affordable, American-grown seafood," she stated.
Just a month ago, Washington court blocked finfish farming in US ocean waters as the previous permit, issued by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, did not sufficiently account for potential environmental impacts and violated federal law.
The ruling holds significant implications for the future of ocean fish farming in the United States, declaring that the permit did not comply with several federal environmental protection laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
In the same line as SATS, the American Fisheries Society sent a letter last week to Washington Department of Natural Resources highlighting that "aquaculture is an opportunity to sustainably address America's ongoing dependence on imported seafood, relieve local pressures on wild stocks, and bolster waterfront communities."