PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2022
Americans expect their meals to not only be delicious, but sustainable and local, too. They’re increasingly turning to seafood options as a nutritious and more environmentally friendly source of protein. Part of the solution is to make more sustainable, homegrown aquaculture – the farming of seafood in U.S. waters – a reality. While some states permit seafood farming near shore, the U.S. needs comprehensive standards for farms more than 3 nautical miles offshore, in federal waters, to allow a sustainable industry to develop. the the Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food Act (SEAfood Act) is so important. It would drive the studies necessary to ensure regulatory standards for aquaculture in offshore federal waters that limit the effects on marine ecosystems and protect coastal communities. Only such a science-backed approach can protect our oceans while also meeting consumer demand. ~ Eric Schwaab, Environmental Defense Fund; Mary Sue Milliken, Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture