November 16, 2006

US proposes 10-year aquaculture plan and new standards

THE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released a draft 10-Year plan for the NOAA Aquaculture Programme which is expected to affect not only the US aquaculture industry but that of its trading partners as well.

The US imports 70 percent of its seafood, of which 40 percent comes from aquaculture farms. The agency said the US would want more control over the safety, security and environmental standards under which its seafood is raised. This would probably affect countries it imports its seafood from, such as India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The plan also seeks ways to develop the local aquaculture industry to reduce the US$8 billion deficit in the US seafood trade and cut reliance on foreign suppliers.

Through the plan, NOAA seeks to establish an improved system for regulating US marine aquaculture, develop new seafood farming technology, and influence the development of global aquaculture practices.

The plan also called for development of sustainable offshore aquaculture.

A strong marine aquaculture industry would benefit America's coastal communities and secure future seafood supply, said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service.

The plan outlines plans for increasing sustainable US production of farmed seafood and also meet the stocking needs of the nation's fisheries over the next 10 years, while at the same time providing environmental safeguards to protect wild stocks, Hogarth said.

The draft plan is available online and would be implemented in January 2007.