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NEWS

(Find previous news items on the News Archive page)

Please note that all articles are reprinted from other sources and are presented for information purposes only; specific sources are noted, but SBGA is not responsible for the contents, and does not promote any given source or publisher.

August 19, 2011 - NAA Industry Update

Test for Aquaculture

Programs - OMB Directs

Agencies Cut 2013 Budgets

It is now public knowledge that the Obama administration through OMB has directed department and agency heads to prepare budget requests for fiscal year 2013 that are at least 10 percent below their current appropriation level. The following are a few key points related to this new directive.

To identify savings, agencies cannot propose across-the-board reductions or reductions to mandatory spending in appropriations bills, reclassifications of existing discretionary spending to mandatory, or any new user fees to offset existing spending. Agencies can include funding reduction proposals that fall into those categories as separate items on their own merits, or for consideration as alternatives to the main cuts outlined in the budget request.

Agencies are directed to identify programs that are cost-effective and "provide the best opportunity for economic growth," by eliminating duplicate or inefficient programs. Agencies should consider program integration, reorganization, and realignment of resources.

This new budget environment will likely test the recognized importance and role of aquaculture programs in numerous federal agencies that standout as drivers of economic growth with high performance in outcomes in the context of other sectors in agriculture and fisheries. As referenced in a previous narrative on the role of federal research and development programs to advance aquaculture in the Nation, the future capacity and competency of our collective assets and resources will be challenged now more than ever before. I will continue to report on new developments related to federal aquaculture programs that may be of interest to some in our Nation’s aquaculture community. I also receive reports on new developments at state levels that are impacting state government services as well as programs in our diverse academic community with mission areas in research, education and extension.

Let’s challenge ourselves to seek innovative ways to address critical needs through novel collaborations, partnerships, information and communication technologies, and other new approaches that optimize the performance for desired outcomes with our existing assets and resources.

Regards,

Gary Jensen

National Program Leader for Aquaculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Washington, D.C.

Contact information:

Email: gjensen@nifa.usda.gov

Tel: 202-401-6802

August 18, 2011 - http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2011/08/18/no-commercial-taking-of-striped-bass-from-hudson/

No Commercial Taking Of Striped Bass From Hudson

ALBANY—Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has signed a law to prohibit the taking of striped bass from the Hudson River for commercial purposes, extending a ban that has existed since the 1970s.

“The law prohibits the taking of striped bass for commercial purposes from the Hudson River located between the George Washington Bridge and the federal dam in Troy. Striped bass fishing is popular among anglers and the Hudson River is New York’s main spawning ground for striped bass, attracting many recreational fishermen each year.

Because of PCB contamination, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation currently bans consumption of fish from approximately 40 miles of the Hudson from Ft. Edward downstream to Troy and also bans most commercial fishing in the entire river.

The New York State Department of Health also advises children and women of childbearing age against eating any fish from the Hudson River.

The legislation further ensures that striped bass with possible PCB contamination are not commercially sold, while also helping maintain the striped bass population in the Hudson River for recreational fishing. The law takes effect in 120 days and will sunset on April 1, 2015.

August 15, 2011 - http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/lake-46854-water-jordan.html

Striped bass dying in record numbers at Jordan Lake

McClatchy News Service

Visitors to Jordan Lake are finding the beaches littered with dead fish after the largest die-off of striped bass in the history of the reservoir.

More than 5,000 striped bass have died in Jordan Lake since Aug. 1; state wildlife officials counted 1,800 on Aug. 9 alone.

The affected area includes the Haw River near Robeson Creek to the main basin of the lake near the U.S. 64 bridge.

The fish kill is due to what biologists call a "dissolved oxygen/ temperature squeeze," according to Brian McRae, Piedmont Region fishery supervisor with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. In the deeper portions of the lake, the water is cooler, but there is less oxygen; meanwhile in the upper part of the water, the oxygen supply is more plentiful, but the water is hot.

"They get squeezed from both sides," McRae says. "The record summer temperatures finally put them over the edge."

The water temperature in Jordan Lake has hovered around 84 degrees since early July, chronically stressing the striped bass, which, more so than other fish in the reservoir, are susceptible to temperature extremes. They prefer water in the 80–81-degree range.

"The hot water increases their metabolism, which means they need to eat more, but they don't want to eat," McRae explains.

State wildlife officials have excluded other causes for the fish kill, such as excessive algae blooms, which can also deplete the water of oxygen, because so far only striped bass have been affected. Larger bass, those 18–30 inches, and a favorite of anglers, are dying in greater numbers than smaller fish, whose metabolisms are lower.

Although wildlife officials restock the lake every spring with about 70,000 striped bass, anglers could catch fewer of them this winter until the next crop of fish moves in.

Jordan Lake is a "pretty severe environment" for striped bass, McRae says, adding, "We never thought striped bass would do well in the system." However, under normal conditions, the bass have thrived, likely because the food supply is adequate and the fish have enough reserves to endure the stress.

However, this year's heat wave has stressed them beyond what they could withstand. More than 6,000 striped bass in the lake could die before temperatures return to normal.

And this summer has broken all semblance of normal.

* Raleigh has hit 100 degrees or higher nine days since July 1, including five consecutive days from July 20–24, according to data from the National Weather Service.

* The average temperature for July was 83.7 degrees, the warmest on record.

* Seven days in July had record highs.

* Record high minimums -- meaning day's low temperature -- happened on seven occasions that month, including July 24 when the low "dipped" to only 79 degrees.

"The only thing that will turn it around is colder weather," McRae says.

August 15, 2011 - NAA Industry Update

Clarification on

Proposed USDA Traceability Rule

APHIS is seeking public comment on a proposed change to existing regulations that pertain to the interstate movement of livestock. Under this proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock belonging to species covered by this rulemaking that are moved interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation. The purpose of this rulemaking is to improve the ability to trace livestock in the event that disease is found.

At this time, farmed aquatic animal species are NOT considered under this proposed rule. In the future, requirements pertaining to interstate movement of farmed aquatic animals may be considered by APHIS. This would involve regulatory changes through the official rule making process that includes public comment.

See below on how to obtain more information on this proposed rule and how to submit public comments.

USDA is proposing to establish minimum national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate. Under this proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock belonging to species covered by this rulemaking that are moved interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation. The proposed regulations specify approved forms of official identification for each species but would allow the livestock covered under this rulemaking to be moved interstate with another form of identification, as agreed upon by animal health officials in the shipping and receiving States or Tribes. The purpose of this rulemaking is to improve the ability to trace livestock in the event that disease is found.

USDA will consider all comments received on or before November 9, 2011.

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal - Go to: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0091-0001.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery - Send your comment to:

Docket No. APHIS–2009–0091

Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS

Station 3A–03.8

4700 River Road Unit 118

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238

The complete Federal Register notice is Docket No. APHIS–2009–0091.

August 9, 2011 - http://articles.boston.com/2011-08-09/news/29868865_1_striped-bass-long-island-sound-international-game-fish-association

Conn. man lands record-size bass

Associated Press

WESTBROOK, Conn. - A Connecticut man says he hopes an 80-pound bass that he caught in Long Island Sound will qualify for a record.

Greg Myerson of North Branford reeled in the striped bass Thursday night near Westbrook, Conn.

Jack’s Shoreline Bait & Tackle, a shop in Westbrook, said it weighs 81.88 lbs. and is 54 inches long.

Myerson said yesterday he is taking steps to have the fish certified by the International Game Fish Association. The association said the process could take weeks.

The association’s website says the current world record for striped bass was set by a 78-pound fish caught off Atlantic City.

Myerson, a 43-year-old life-long fisherman, says he hooked the fish just after sunset using live eels as bait.

August 2, 2011 - NAA Industry Update

Public R&D Role in

US Aquaculture Community

I am sharing some facts and personal perspectives regarding the impact of public (Federal and state) spending cuts in aquaculture R&D budgets that have occurred recently and are likely to become more dramatic in the near term. Having dedicated 40+ years to the aquaculture profession in various roles, this issue is near and dear to me. A recent study on public agriculture research spending concluded that future growth in U.S. agriculture is predicated on long-term investments in public agricultural research and development (R&D). Productivity growth also springs from agricultural extension, farmer education, rural infrastructure, private agricultural R&D, and technology transfers, but the force of these factors is compounded by public agricultural research. Unlike more established and larger agriculture industry sectors, there is very limited private sector R&D investment in aquaculture because the US sector is relatively small, diffuse, and diversified. Also because of its broad diversity, much research and development are done on a species, environment, and system specific basis.

Federal spending cuts coupled with cuts in state budgets dedicated to many higher education programs, such as land grant university agriculture experiment stations, are already closing out or reducing vital capacity for some aquaculture programs. Future increases in public spending for aquaculture are increasingly uncertain especially if there is a lack of optimism and new momentum for future growth. US aquaculture R&D and extension programs are relatively young compared to the long-standing programs in traditional agriculture and fisheries. Much of today’s aquaculture capacity and competencies have been created within the past 30 years. A critical mass of trained aquaculture expertise, experience and infrastructure have been achieved and have attracted industry partnerships and support by solving many important real-world problems. These programs have generated and moved new discovery knowledge and technologies to application by industry. Some people always question the value and impact of federal or publically funded research and development. Nevertheless, new sciences, basic discoveries, and novel tools often take time to reach an application stage as they create the foundation for new understanding and knowledge. Concerns about the value of public research are often related to anticipating tangible benefits or effectively solving some very complex problems in aquatic systems over impractically short time frames. We all need to continuously seek steps to shorten the time lag from discovery to application, and public efforts should focus on this sense of urgency in problem solving integrated with addressing longer-term questions. The short-term view can mislead the actual progress realized in efficiency and productivity gains over the past decade and more. Many improvements and achievements have come from day in day out scientific endeavor. Technologies, production levels, and profitability have improved for many species sectors and production systems that actually support and even enhance today’s often-cited sustainability goals. The examples of science driven progress are numerous and likely clear to all when evaluated over the past several decades (think catfish, salmon, trout, and oysters as some examples).

These public investments were made to realize the potential that existed and still is largely underdeveloped in the United States to grow an economically important and ‘sustainable’ industry across the diversity of our country’s natural resources and aquatic ecosystems from inland freshwater to coastal marine with a large menu of established, emerging, and new future species. In some cases, this potential has been developed but it still faces many diverse challenges for broader realization. Federal-state R&D and educational investments with private-sector entrepreneurs and pioneers created the current status of the blue revolution in the United States. Continued federal and state investments and those by private-sector companies and pioneers will also be the critical drivers for the future pace and direction of aquaculture development in our Nation. Certainly, other factors beyond traditional R&D and extension programs continue to challenge aquaculture growth attributed in part to profitability, risks, policies, regulations, public perception, global trade, and other factors.

The recent and further anticipated spending cuts to federal agency budgets should cause reflection on the long-term investments that have created our ‘core’ capacity of scientific and educational competencies over decades to help realize more of the Nation’s potential for balanced economic development and ecological sustainability. Extension programs in some states are being impacted particularly hard as budget savings are mostly tied to cutting salaries and positions. Many positions are not tenure track but continuing annual appointments. Publicly supported programs need to be accountable for their performance, relevancy, and quality in delivering valued public goods and benefits. The US aquaculture community should realize that these assets are critically important today and needed in the future. The industry and other vested stakeholders should assess those public assets regarded as vital to future development and profitable positions in real-world domestic and global markets. Because of budget line categories and new vulnerabilities in the budgetary process, some public programs with long-standing reputations for high performance have been terminated and others may be lost over the next several years. Many agency and departmental heads will be faced with difficult choices on which programs to maintain, reduce, or eliminate. Once some of the ‘core’ capacity and competencies erode and weaken, renewal of these programs in the future becomes even more uncertain. With the loss of core competencies and capacities comes concerns about recruiting top talent required to transition US aquaculture into the next generation of systems, technologies, and practices. This new talent will be required to gain competitive and profitable advantages in seafood markets as well as the ability to address new challenges related to shifting societal priorities and use of natural resources for commercial production.

The following are examples of the level of recent losses of funds for several USDA agencies and programs specific to aquaculture:

Animal and Plant Protection Service-Wildlife Services (APHIS): $223,000

Agricultural Research Service (ARS): $4,926,700

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): $800,000

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA): $9,793,000

The changing budgetary landscape will drive new relationships between and among publically funded research and extension programs, industry, and other NGO partners. It is not business as usual today, nor will it be in the future. The success of solving complex problems or implementing new initiatives will depend more and more on increasing efficiencies by smartly integrating unique program strengths into new models of collaboration to take full advantage of existing infrastructures for research, incubators, pilot programs, and demonstrations. This new era will require stronger leveraging of more limited resources that mobilize multiple disciplines on multidisciplinary problems as new standards for best management and business practices. Funding opportunities are becoming more competitive with more people vying for fewer assets. Remaining aquaculture assets will be more heavily relied upon by academia and industry. Funding pressures may shift expertise and research to more basic science programs in other federal agencies with limited interest in industry development compared to fundamental science. The aquaculture community may likely need to create new strategies, partnerships, and collaborations for success in extramural funding programs in an increasingly higher competitive funding environment. Previous non-competitive funding options (Congressionally directed line item grants) have been practically eliminated at this time.

The direct impacts of reduced public funding are especially difficult for early-career and junior faculty at universities and graduate students who depend upon stipends to support postgraduate studies, not to mention advancing science knowledge needed to solve industry problems today and into the future. Some top performers in our aquaculture research, education, and extension communities have already been released, reassigned, or retired. Many individuals trained in the large aquaculture cohort from the 1970s, who were lured into diverse fields of business, academia and government during an earlier pioneering era of challenges, will soon be retiring from aquaculture professionally, seeking new directions in their lives. Newer cohorts of pioneers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and educators will be needed to forge a new direction and the future legacy for aquaculture in the Nation. The extent of an aquaculture-trained workforce today and into the future will be driven by employment opportunities across all sectors. More public sector jobs will likely be directly linked to the vitality and growth of industry sectors at all levels. Critical thinkers, interdisciplinary team-builders, risk-takers, tacticians, industry leaders and practical problem solvers will be crucial to navigate successfully not only new industry growth, science, technology and education but equally important arenas of policy and regulations that are influenced by fluid political and societal norms.

With the diversity of aquaculture interests among the many stakeholders in the US, there are few issues or events of national scope that unify this diverse community into new effective coalitions with shared interests and objectives. Such national high impact issues can mobilize the breadth of our Nation’s aquaculture community from industry associations, academic institutions, professional organizations, and NGOs. It has taken over three decades and, in some cases longer, to build our Nation’s core capacity and competency at many institutions. Today many are at risk.

It is with this perspective in mind that the broader US aquaculture community might consider what vital assets need to be maintained and what are new effective models and approaches to optimize performance of the remaining public resources to gain the best public value to the US aquaculture industry and to the public. The challenges are real. These are extraordinary circumstances that should create a new sense of urgency and mobilize interested parties to craft a new vision for collaboration, cooperation, and communication as a united community to optimize efficiencies and productivities with highly valued public funded assets.

Regards,

Gary Jensen

National Program Leader for Aquaculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Washington, D.C.

Contact information:

Email: gjensen@nifa.usda.gov

Tel: 202-401-6802

July 15, 2011 - NAA Industry Update

NAA Responds to

Time Magazine Article

In response to the recent Time Magazine article “End of the Line” published July 7, 2011, NAA sent the following letter.

July 15, 2011

Richard Stengel

Managing Editor

Time Magazine
Letters@time.com

In order to provide a more accurate and balanced perspective of American aquaculture, we would like to clarify some of the points raised in Bryan Walsh’s recent cover story “The End of the Line.” The article reflected the author’s personal opinions and, to justify those opinions, some points were not clearly articulated and may have left the reader with misperceptions. In the interest of accuracy, we have provided citations from unbiased sources to support our position.

Efficient and sustainable food production systems are vital to the very survival of the human race. As world population grows at an alarming rate and hunger becomes a more pervasive problem, farming has advanced to meet those challenges. In the United States, rules and regulations have been implemented to help ensure that those farming practices are sustainable and environmentally sound. Most livestock production in the developed world has shifted from the small family farm to larger production systems. This has not been the case for U.S. aquaculture, which remains primarily a network of small family farms. Shifts in production practices have made high quality, nutritious food available to a larger segment of the population at a price that consumers can afford to pay.

Aquaculture product safety and environmental sustainability standards around the world differ country by country. It is a much more complex issue than is presented in this article, especially when we are dealing with a global ocean. In the United States, a vast regulatory network operated by an alphabet soup of federal, state, and local agencies armed with the mission of ensuring the sustainability of both wild harvest fisheries and aquaculture production is in place. The author neglects to mention the existence of these regulatory systems and, instead, uses a nebulous quote from Peter Bridson.

The author goes on to say that “the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program mostly discourages consumers from choosing farmed fish…” In reality, many of the best seafood choices are farm-raised fish and the list often goes on to specify “U.S. farmed”. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch clearly recognizes the steps that are being taken in the United States to help ensure sustainability and maintain environmental integrity. We would urge your readers to visit the Aquarium website themselves. (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org).

As to the comparisons between wild and farm-raised salmon, wild salmon can often have a gamier flavor and most Americans prefer the milder Atlantic salmon, which was actually brought back from the brink of extinction by aquaculture. Many people tend to focus on the omega-3 content of fish when the most important nutritional attributes of fish are that they contain high quality protein and are low in saturated fats, calories, and cholesterol. Farmed salmon and wild harvest salmon are virtually identical in their nutritional content.

The pigment used to color farmed salmon is astaxanthin, which is added to the feed. This is the same substance that many health-conscious consumers regularly use as a nutritional supplement because of its antioxidant properties. In the wild, salmon and shrimp absorb astaxanthin from the foods that they eat.

The Washington State Department of Health website has some interesting comments comparing wild and farmed salmon (http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/fish/farmedsalmon.htm). The website addresses concerns about escape of farmed salmon. “While some Atlantic salmon have escaped and reproduced, no known sustained runs have been documented despite the fact that the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries attempted to establish Atlantic salmon in the Pacific Northwest for over 50 years until the practice ceased in the 1980s.”

In the U.S. and Canada, regulations require that farmed salmon are regularly monitored for the presence of sea lice. If the presence of sea lice reaches certain limits, government authorities must be notified and action taken. Notification is also required by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Fish growers in order to preserve their profits must be concerned about the presence of sea lice and their effect on their livestock.

Fish are truly efficient protein producers. Unlike terrestrial animals that often expend large quantities of energy maintaining body temperature and building supportive bone structure, fish can convert more of their feed into muscle. Conservation International estimates that it takes approximately 5 times more feed to produce a pound of beef and 3 times more feed to produce a pound of pork than it does to produce a pound of fish. In 2008, the average U.S. per capita availability of beef was 61.2 pounds, pork was 46 pounds, and fish and shellfish was 16.0 pounds. In the United States, fish consumption figures remain dismally small although government and health organizations routinely recommend increased consumption.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/

Because fish contain an ideal balance of essential amino acids, many domesticated animals including chickens, swine, fish, dogs, and cats consume fishmeal and fish oil in their feeds. Recognizing the environmental concerns about use of forage fish, U.S. fish growers and scientists have been working to improve feed conversion ratios and feed formulations to limit the amount of fishmeal and fish oil used in aquaculture feeds. In many cases, fishmeal and oil is being replaced by easily renewal plant proteins. According to Naylor in “Feeding aquaculture in an era of finite resources,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (http://www.pnas.org/content/106/36/15103.abstract ), “the ratio of wild fisheries inputs to farmed fish outputs has fallen to 0.63 for the sector as a whole”. Because wild fish have to hunt their prey, expend energy avoiding predators, and utilize energy for reproduction, the fish input ratio for wild fish can be as high as 10 to 1.

Shellfish aquaculture actually provides positive environmental impacts. Because mussels, clams, and oysters are filter feeders, they remove organic matter from the water column. Presence of high levels of organic matter can compromise the oxygen levels in the water and negatively impact other marine organisms. Because of the three dimensional structure of their shells, these shellfish also provide habitats and hiding places for marine organisms. This adds to biodiversity, which is a cornerstone of a healthy ecosystem. In many communities, there are active groups of environmentalists who are working to restore shellfish populations and help improve the health of our coastal waters.

As early as 1973, Jacques Cousteau recognized the importance of aquaculture, when he said, “With earth's burgeoning human populations to feed we must turn to the sea with new understanding and new technology. We must farm it as we farm the land.” It is sound advice that we should follow today.

Sincerely,

Mike Freeze

Mike Freeze

President

National Aquaculture Association

MF/kg

July 13, 2011 - NAA Industry Update

USDA To Suspend

Aquaculture Census Indefinitely

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to suspend one currently approved information collection, (July Sheep and Goat Survey), and to indefinitely postpone the renewal of two periodic data collections (Census of Aquaculture and the Tenure, Ownership and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey formerly known as the Agricultural Economics and Land Ownership Survey (AELOS)) and their associated

publications due to budgetary cutbacks.

The primary functions of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) include the collection of data and the preparation and issuance of State and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition, prices, and environmental and economic factors.

The Census of Aquaculture is a follow on survey to the Census of Agriculture. This survey is normally conducted every five years. The last time this survey was conducted was in 2006 for the reference year of 2005. NASS will postpone the renewal of this data collection indefinitely.

NASS will suspend these information collections as of July 6, 2011 due to budget constraints. NASS will not publish the Sheep and Goat report for July or any reports for the Census of Aquaculture or TOTAL survey unless there is a change in the anticipated budget shortfall.

The Federal Register notice is FR Doc. 2011–16803.

For further information contact: Joseph T. Reilly, Associate Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202) 720–4333.

June 22, 2011 - http://www.wfga.net/news.php?id=23551

New Aquaculture Information Website Available

Aquaculture information is now available on a new website called eXtension. The site is a partnership between 70+ universities and contains information on a variety of topics. The aquaculture page is at www.extension.org/freshwater_aquaculture. It has many of the Extension publications that were on AquaNIC. Below is a very helpful note on how to participate in developing the site.

Hello all,

For those of you interested in joining eXtesion and providing the content you see on this website, as well as contributing to the Ask an Expert, Frequently Asked Questions, and news features. You can become an member of eXtension by setting up an ID at http://www.extension.org/people/signup. Anyone with a .gov or .edu email is automatically eligible to become a member. If you do not have an eligible email please contact me and I can send you an invitation and get you approved. Once you sign up select freshwater aquaculture as a community that you are interested in. We greatly appreciate all the input and content that our colleagues throughout the industry can provide in making this site a valuable asset to everyone in the aquaculture industry. The freshwater aquaculture site is only a few weeks old, but will be continuing to develop as we increase participation. If you have any questions please feel free to drop me an email or phone call, my info is at the bottom. I've also attached a "How-to" guide that can help you navigate the content development side of the eXtension systems. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Vanessa Weldon, PhD
Extension Associate - eXtension
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
vweldon@uaex.edu
870-575-8178 (office)
615-294-3830 (cell)

June 10, 2011 -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/administration-issues-new-rules-for-fish-farms/2011/06/10/AGvlmIPH_story.html

Administration issues new rules for fish farms

By Juliet Eilperin

The Obama administration released new guidelines that would make it easier to farm fish in federal waters, a move that could transform the nation’s coasts and the food Americans will consume in years to come.

The proposal, which sparked immediate criticism from some environmental groups, aims to increase the amount of farm-raised seafood in the United States by authorizing regional fisheries management councils to approve aquaculture operations off the coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently there are no fish farms in federal waters, only in the three-mile band of state waters. Some operators have applied to build fish farms in federal waters in the past, but none have won approval yet.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service officials said new ventures could ease fishing pressures on wild stocks and cut the nation’s seafood imports.

The new policy, released late Thursday, underscores the extent to which the United States and other nations are struggling to find enough seafood to supply their growing populations. Aquaculture — in which operators cultivate everything from oysters, mussels and algae to top predators such as salmon — now accounts for roughly half the fish consumed, as the world’s wild stocks continue to dwindle.

But it has also raised serious environmental questions, ranging from whether raising carnivorous fish ends up depleting forage fish stocks to concerns about farmed fish escaping and mixing with wild species.

Michael Rubino, who directs the aquaculture program for NOAA Fisheries, said the new rules seek to address the fact that the United States currently has a $9 billion seafood trade deficit. Of those imports, 84 percent are cultivated rather than caught.

Referring to the Agriculture Department’s new dietary guidelines released this month, Rubino said, “USDA is asking us to eat twice as much seafood. Where is that going to come from? . . . There aren’t going to be large numbers of fish farms out there anytime soon. But it’s coming.”

The aquaculture guidelines, which have been in the works for a year and-a-half and will take another year to finalize, greenlights fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. It applies the nation’s traditional fishery management laws — which were originally crafted to set criteria for how much wild fish can be caught in a season — to aquaculture.

Rubino said the agency must rely on existing fisheries law because Congress has not passed legislation tailored toward farm-raised fish. “It wasn’t designed for aquaculture but it can be used for aquaculture,” Rubino said.

But George Leonard, director of aquaculture for the Ocean Conservancy, an advocacy group, said the idea of using the same laws that apply to wild-caught fish is equivalent to “a square peg in a round hole,” adding it was “nonsensical” to apply the same yield calculations to operations where fish are grown from the start.

The new policy comes just as two groups, Australia’s WorldFish Center and the U.S. advocacy group Conservation International, are about to release the first global assessment of aquaculture next week. Their analysis found that out of the 75 species they surveyed, raising more fish translated into greater environmental damage, but this impact was less harmful when compared to raising livestock.

China and the rest of Asia account for 91 percent of the world’s cultivated seafood, the report found, while North America produces just 1.9 percent. The researchers found that raising eel, salmon shrimp and prawns had the biggest environmental impact because of the energy and amount of fish feed required to produce them, while mussels, oysters, clams and seaweed had the smallest impact.

“There are a number of well-founded concerns about aquaculture, in terms of its impacts on marine ecosystems and wild fisheries,” said Sebastian Troëng, Conservation International’s vice president for marine conservation. “But with global fisheries reaching alarming and unprecedented levels of depletion, fish cultivation versus wild fish capture has to be considered.”

June 7, 2011 - http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20116008_healthyoceans.html

'Healthy oceans are everyone's business'

Remarks by NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco during Capitol Hill Oceans Week

Good morning everyone! Let me begin with some heartfelt thanks to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation — Jason Patlis, Jeb Berman and the foundation staff.

Your diligence and dedication have made Capitol Hill Oceans Week an important and informative June tradition.

Everyone in this room, and those of you joining us by webcast, are part of our burgeoning ocean community. Each of you has been a vital force in making healthy oceans a priority for the nation.
You are the people who understand and deliver the messages that healthy oceans matter, that healthy oceans are important for American prosperity, and that healthy oceans are everyone’s business. That is my theme today.
As we come together to talk about the oceans’ role in global security and American prosperity, it is fitting that on Thursday, President Obama declared this month National Oceans Month.
So … Just how much do the oceans contribute to the American economy?
That inseparable connection between the health of the ocean, the health of the American economy, the health of the job market and the well-being of people emerged as an indelible message from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.
As an unprecedented environmental disaster, the Deepwater Horizon spill oiled over 1,000 miles of shoreline, 3/5 of them in Louisiana. Although the vast majority of the oil in the Gulf is now gone, oil remains close to shore in many of these Louisiana coastal areas, and the effects on Gulf ecosystems and communities will be felt for years. Communities and economies throughout the Gulf were devastated by the spill.
While a cooperative Natural Resource Damage Assessment process is well underway, it will be some time yet before we have a clear picture of the full impact of the spill.
On April 21, NOAA and the other federal and state Natural Resources Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill announced that BP will pay $1 billion as a down payment on restoration. These efforts will reap local, regional and national benefits and build on the major commitment to restoration already demonstrated in the Gulf. Trustees will use the funds for projects such as rebuilding coastal marshes, replenishing damaged beaches and conserving fish and wildlife habitat injured as a result of the spill. They are actively working with citizens, local officials, environmental organizations and others to develop a comprehensive list of projects to be considered for early restoration.
The events of Deepwater Horizon call loudly to us for action. Deepwater Horizon says that we need to pay attention now to effectively manage and conserve oceans — or in Carl Safina’s words, we need to learn “to use oceans without using them up.”
And we are paying attention, and acting. We are entering a new era in ocean governance.
The Nation’s first ever National Ocean Policy established last July embodies these principles. This policy — the National Policy for Stewardship of the Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes — is about good governance – governance informed by sound science. This policy says “healthy oceans matter” in black and white.
With its bold vision for more holistic, ecosystem-based management of our oceans, the National Ocean Policy fully recognizes the critical importance of partnerships — partnerships that collaborate, cooperate, and coordinate across the federal government, across state, local, regional and tribal levels, and within communities themselves.
Ultimately, the goal is less waste and conflict, more efficiency, and savings for American taxpayers.

The National Ocean Policy opens a critical window of opportunity. But, to move forward, we must:
Since July, we’ve been working hard to get the National Ocean Policy up and running by getting the federal family in order.
The Governance Coordinating Committee, a group of state, local and tribal representatives that will serve as a key coordinating body for the National Ocean Policy, has already convened and will be meeting again this month.
We also are working to develop strategic action plans for each of the priorities we’ve set for the oceans. Topics range from water quality to ocean observations to improving coordination of the multiple diverse entities involved in ocean management.
We released outlines for these strategic action plans for public review.
A key upcoming event is the National Workshop on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, from June 21-23. Workshop participants can learn about Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning and help frame how it can be used to harmonize the often competing uses of ocean and Great Lake waters, such as national security, energy and economic security, and conservation.
And soon — stay tuned! — we will begin to work with states and tribes to create the regional planning bodies that will work on CMSP.
We realize the policy’s vision will not be easy, but I am hopeful. Those of us who worked hard on it are committed to having it succeed. For example, NOAA has realigned many of its working groups to be maximally supportive and effective and is developing memoranda of understanding with other agencies to ensure strong partnerships.
Let me now turn to exploring some of the ways in which healthy oceans are indeed everyone’s business — not just coastal residents’, not just ocean champions’ — but EVERYONE’S. I will highlight four arenas in which this is true: seafood, habitat restoration, marine commerce and energy.

1. Healthy oceans are everyone’s business because oceans have provided people with food since the origin of coastal civilizations.

Today, a billion people worldwide depend on seafood as their primary source of protein. The concept of “food security,” therefore, must include fisheries and aquaculture.
We Americans are no exception. We consume about 5 billion pounds of seafood each year.
U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries and aquaculture result in more than $160 billion in sales and 1.9 million jobs in U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries.
These 1.9 million jobs make our waterfronts working waterfronts.
Who are these workers? They are the boat captains and their crews, the oyster farmers and workers in seafood processing plants. They are the charter boat operators that make it possible for others to get out on the water to fish. They are the truckers transporting seafood from the dock to processors and elsewhere. They are the retailers selling us key ingredients for seafood dinners in our homes, and the chefs, cooks, and wait staff that serve them to us in restaurants.
Healthy oceans support healthy fisheries and food security, while supplying jobs and strengthening the economy.

Prior to 1976 — the nation’s bicentennial — federal management of marine fisheries was almost nonexistent. That year, in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act spurred a movement to end overfishing and rebuild depleted stocks.
Today, fisheries harvested in the U.S. are scientifically monitored, regionally managed, and legally enforced under 10 strict national standards for sustainability.
We must continue to invest in the science that diminishes uncertainty in fisheries and assures levels of harvest are monitored so that we maintain sustainable levels. Only then can we realize the potential of fully sustainable fisheries domestically and continue to pursue exporting these practices internationally where real challenges to our ocean’s living marine resources still exist.
U.S. and worldwide demand for seafood will continue to grow as the population and consumer awareness of seafood’s health benefits grow. And, as we are ending overfishing we must simultaneously build a sustainable aquaculture industry here in the U.S.
Already, aquaculture plays a far larger role in seafood supply than many people know:
Driven by imports, the U.S. seafood trade deficit has grown to over $9 billion annually — the highest it’s ever been. There is clearly an opportunity for growth in this industry. If done wisely, aquaculture can complement wild fisheries while contributing to healthy oceans and coastal economies.
In February of this year, the Department of Commerce and NOAA jointly released draft Aquaculture Policies for public comment. The public comment period ended on April 11. Once the policies are in place, NOAA will work with partners to create initiatives that encourage growth of sustainable aquaculture.
We can see how sustainable aquaculture creates multiple benefits by taking a look at Perry Raso, an oyster farmer in Rhode Island.

In 2002, Perry started his oyster farm. Two years ago, he opened a seafood restaurant next door. He now has seven full-time employees who tend the oyster farm and 130 people working in his restaurant.
When asked about the future of aquaculture, Perry says, “Aquaculture … has to be done in a sustainable manner. Otherwise, the industry will shoot itself in the foot. Whether it’s inshore or offshore, aquaculture needs to be well thought out, sustainable and accepted by all the user groups, including coastal property owners, fishermen, boaters and others.”
Perry is also involved in a restoration project to bring the oysters back to a local pond.

Perry Raso shows us one way that working waterfronts help rebuild America.

2. Healthy oceans are everyone’s business because healthy coasts and oceans are the sine qua non for vibrant coastal communities.

Habitat restoration presents another golden opportunity to create jobs and restore the plethora of benefits that come from healthy coastal habitats. Habitat restoration is stimulating the local economy in the small town of Bayou la Batre in Alabama.
Though the town is small, this success is a big one for them. This small example shows that restoration creates jobs, sparks economic and ecosystem benefits, while making healthy oceans and resilience real for one waterfront community.
Restoration is not only good for the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes, restoration is good for economic recovery.

3. Healthy oceans are everyone’s business because the oceans are home to America’s ports, part of America’s core infrastructure.

Ports are the nation’s centers of marine transportation and commerce, and centers of the oil and gas industry and chemical facilities.

According to U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Energy, marine transportation is the engine of our economy. Ports move more than 77 percent of our overseas trade by weight and 48 percent by value in 2008. This includes 9 million barrels of oil a day or roughly 47 percent of the oil needed to meet our annual energy requirements.
About 2/3 of the goods we buy come to us by ship. Marine transportation now contributes more than $1 trillion and 13 million jobs to the American economy. Maritime trade has doubled over the last 50 years, and the U.S. will see continued growth as we look to marine transportation as an energy-efficient alternative to land and air transport.

Just outside of New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, the Huey P. Long Bridge crosses the Mississippi River.
When stoppage itself costs upwards of $250 million per day, real-time data and round-the-clock availability are critical. NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems, or PORTS, does just that.
When ports are hit by hurricanes, NOAA’s rapid response hydrographic survey ships often are the first to help survey and re-open damaged port areas.
These same ships are part of NOAA’s charting program responsible for surveying and mapping the 3.4 million square nautical miles of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, the largest in the world.
Navigation rights and freedoms are essential for the global economy and for security.
We need accurate positioning for navigation, for flood risk determination, levee construction, emergency preparedness, air traffic control, building construction and land use planning. The grid that makes GPS work for us and accurate positioning possible is the National Spatial Reference System — a NOAA product.
Navigation services data feed the decision support tools necessary for coastal communities, ports and commercial interests to plan for and negotiate use of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes resources and to prepare for climate impacts, such as sea level rise, like we’re seeing in Port Fourchon.

Port Fourchon, Louisiana sees 13 to15 percent of all oil imported into the nation, while providing passage for crude oil to 50 percent of the nation's refineries.
The coastal wetland where Port Fourchon sits is under severe stress. Regional land subsidence, erosion and inundation from coastal storms have taken their toll.

These examples show some of the roles that port safety, navigation and mapping play in national security and energy security, while creating jobs and economic sustenance to the nation.

4. Healthy oceans are everyone’s business because the nation’s energy security depends on them.

Energy security depends on gaining oil independence. According to its Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future, the White House set a goal of reducing the nation's use of oil by one-third by a little more than a decade from now.
And by 2035, 80 percent of our electricity must come from clean energy sources, including renewables like wind, solar, and ocean.

As President Obama said, “The United States of America cannot afford to bet our long-term prosperity, our long-term security on a resource that will eventually run out, and even before it runs out will get more and more expensive to extract from the ground. We can’t afford it when the costs to our economy, our country, and our planet are so high.”
Wind, solar, and biomass/biofuels are the most rapidly growing renewable energy sectors in the U.S. They promise to be a significant portion of the total U.S. energy supply. We will rely on the ocean for siting for wind farms and as an alternative energy source.
NOAA is responsible for assessing the potential effects of these ocean-based, energy-generating technologies on marine trust resources and existing coastal and ocean uses of concern, and response and restoration if trust resources are harmed.
Coastal and marine spatial planning will be an important tool for regional planning for use of the ocean for this purpose.
Renewable energy sources depend on improved weather and cloud forecasts to be economically viable and successfully integrated into the U.S. electrical grid system.
Proposed ocean-based renewable energy technologies, including hydrokinetic energy and ocean thermal energy conversion, require research and information about ocean conditions and processes before they can be developed.
We also need better atmospheric and oceanic observations, models, forecasts and analysis tools to reap the benefits of renewable energy.
Clearly, these areas of research and technology development for energy production are ripe for innovation.
We are making progress on renewable energy research. For example, to improve wind farm energy production, NOAA researchers and colleagues just launched a study to better understand and predict how gusts and rapid changes in wind direction affect turbine operations and how turbine wakes behave. This research will help improve design standards, increase efficiency, and reduce the cost of energy.
NOAA and the Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2011 to work together on enhancing the use of weather-dependent and oceanic renewable energy technologies and infrastructure.
NOAA also just signed a landmark agreement with Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to increase coordination and collaboration for environmentally sound offshore energy development.

Now, it should be clear from my remarks thus far — looking across governance, seafood, habitat, commerce, and energy — that we have come a very long way.
Yes, we have come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.
The time has come to reach out, grow our ocean community, build on the great efforts to date, but make a quantum leap in the level of activity.
The time has come to act now to make healthy oceans everyone’s business – EVERYONE’S business.
Let’s ensure that healthy oceans stay a high priority on today’s agenda and on tomorrow’s.
Healthy oceans are indeed everyone’s business, but keep in mind that they are much more. Healthy oceans matter in large part because they are an expression of our commitment to one another and to the rest of life on the planet.

(News Archive page)