The Research and Aquaculture Opportunity and Responsibility Act, introduced by US Senator David Vitter on Tuesday (May 25), would result in a three and a half year delay in the development of the US offshore aquaculture industry.

The Research and Aquaculture Opportunity and Responsibility Act would require a broad assessment of the effects of various finfish aquaculture practices around the world, said Vitter, adding that it would provide relief to struggling marine ecosystems, including those threatened by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

The bill would delay the approval of plans, permits, rules and regulations for offshore aquaculture permits for a period of three and a half years. It would also require the US Secretary of Commerce to conduct a thorough report of the environmental and economic effects of open-ocean aquaculture, including the environmental effects on native fish species and the economic effects on the commercial and recreational fishing industries as well as coastal communities. Additionally, the bill would require a report on the economic potential of land-based aquaculture systems.

Vitter's bill has attracted support from environmental groups, commercial and recreational fishing associations and consumer advocacy groups.

However, analysts criticised the move as an attack on a sector that could provide economic development for the region.

"Contrary to their widely disseminated opinions, the aquaculture industry has in fact made great strides in becoming more sustainable. The reality is that sustainable offshore aquaculture could in fact play a vital role in transforming the Gulf's fishermen from hunters and gatherers into our fish farmers of the future," said Tom Frese, President of the Miami, Florida based aquaculture consultancy group, Aquasol Inc.