April 13, 2016

US allots $1.2M for aquaculture research

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it has allotted more than $1.2 million to fund aquaculture projects in the United States.

The funding is available through the Aquaculture Research Program, which focuses on projects that directly address major challenges to the US aquaculture industry. Results of projects under this program are intended to help improve the profitability of the US aquaculture industry, reduce the US trade deficit, increase domestic food security, provide markets for US-produced products, increase domestic aquaculture business investment opportunities, and provide more jobs for rural and coastal America.

Since 2014, this program has awarded nearly $2.5 million in funding.

Although US aquaculture production has shown growth in the past decade, the US still has a $12-billion trade deficit in seafood products and imports more than 90% of seafood consumed.

According to the USDA, applied research in genetics, disease, production systems, and economics is needed to develop practical solutions that will facilitate the growth of US aquaculture, which contributes more than half of the seafood consumed globally.