Have You Heard About the SEAfood ACT?

As our population grows, so does our demand for food. And for many communities across the U.S., seafood is an invaluable source of nutrition. It’s no wonder then that the U.S. is the world’s second largest consumer of seafood and one of the top importers. But as our appetite grows, so does our need for safe and delicious food with a smaller carbon footprint.

That’s why we’re excited to support the Science-based Equitable Aquaculture Food Act (or SEAfood Act for short). This bill will help the U.S. chart a responsible path forward for U.S. seafood farming, also known as “aquaculture,” which means more local and sustainable seafood and more seafood jobs!

Take action today and tell your members of Congress to support the SEAfood Act! It’s a responsible, science-backed policy that’s good for the economy, for our domestic seafood industry, for our ocean and for our families!

You can send your comment to Rep. Mike Quigley on his website, https://quigleyforms.house.gov/forms/writeyourrep/.

The U.S. imports up to 90 percent of our seafood, half of which is farmed (and not always under safe and environmentally responsible conditions). Unfortunately, even under the best management scenarios, our wild-caught fisheries cannot meet our current or growing seafood demand. That means offshore seafood farming in the U.S. is a matter of when, not if, and more importantly how.

The U.S. is just beginning to explore offshore aquaculture, a process for raising and harvesting seafood right off our own shores. That makes it our responsibility to ensure this new industry protects marine ecosystems and their wild populations. That’s why we are advocating for Congress to use science to address uncertainties about offshore aquaculture and use what we learn to set strong standards and regulations based on that science to ensure safe and sustainable seafood farming.
The SEAfood Act is an immediate opportunity to lay the groundwork for an equitable and inclusive seafood economy. If passed, the SEAfood Act will:

• Charge the Government Accountability Office to produce a report detailing permitting, monitoring and regulatory options for governing offshore aquaculture in the U.S.;
• Direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to complete a study on the scientific basis for efficient and effective regulation of offshore aquaculture;
• Authorize National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an offshore aquaculture assessment program to gain data from on-the-water demonstration projects that close significant knowledge gaps necessary to determine strong, science-based standards; and
• Create a grant program for minority-serving institutions to establish aquaculture centers of excellence to develop or enhance undergraduate and graduate aquaculture curricula to meet the needs of a growing, domestic and sustainable aquaculture industry and supply chains, and for career development and extension programs.

Let’s build a strong, sustainable supply-chain for our seafood! Reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to support the SEAfood Act.