April 24, 2007

US plans to expand aquaculture unlikely to be hindered by Alaska

The US could see an explosion of offshore fish farms within two years if Congress allows offshore farming, which increasingly looks likely.

The House Natural Resources Committee, announced last week that, at the request of the Bush Administration, the National Offshore Aquaculture Act would be introduced to Congress to help establish the new industry.

The legislation would create a regulatory framework for fish and shellfish farming in US waters from three to 200 miles offshore.

The US imports nearly US$8 billion of seafood annually, accounting for 70 percent of the nation's seafood consumption. Half of global seafood consumption now comes from aquaculture.

However, the plan for offshore farming is meeting fierce resistance from Alaska, whose lawmakers have called for a 5-year moratorium to study its impact on the environment. Alaskan officials are also worried that offshore aquaculture would tarnish the reputation of Alaskan fish products, which are mostly caught wild. Alaska has banned all fish farming since the 1980s. 

Still, the rest of America is unlikely to pay heed as the rest of the world farms their seafood in the face of declining wild catches.

Gunnar Knapp, an economist at the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research said it is incongruous that although Alaska has a salmon hatchery programme, it is vigorously opposed to fish farming.

Knapp said it is reasonable for Alaska to focus on its wild fisheries and strive to maximize that value.

There is also no evidence to suggest that Alaska's reputation for wild fish would be hurt if it chose to farm fish as well. Pointing to fisheries in Norway and British Columbia, he said demand for their fish has continued growing even as both began fish farming.