§2801 Congressional findings, purpose, and policy

Summary

Promotes the growth of aquaculture in the United States. Congress found that many wild fish and shellfish are being taken faster than is healthy, and the country now imports more than 50 percent of its fish and shellfish, which hurts the trade balance and makes supplies uncertain. Worldwide aquaculture makes up about 13 percent of seafood, but less than 6 percent of U.S. seafood comes from aquaculture, so U.S. production could grow a lot. Aquaculture of plants and animals can make food, industrial materials, medicines, and energy, help control pollution, and help restore fish and shellfish. Private businesses should lead most development, but growth has been held back by problems like poor access to credit, unclear legal rules, lack of management information and supportive policies, and unreliable seed stock. Some places are suitable for aquaculture but current land and water rules can block it. To act on these findings, the law sets a national policy to promote aquaculture, requires a national development plan, makes the Department of Agriculture the lead federal agency (with the Secretary of Agriculture as permanent chair of the coordinating group) and creates a National Aquaculture Information Center, and encourages both public and private aquaculture programs. Congress says aquaculture can cut the fisheries trade deficit, boost commercial and recreational fisheries, produce renewable resources, help meet future food needs, and address world resource problems, so the nation should support its development.