June 28, 2023

US Senate proposes agriculture spending bill with key aquaculture provisions

The annual agriculture spending bill currently under formulation in the US Senate encompasses significant provisions related to the seafood industry, including funding for aquaculture research and enhanced inspections on imports, SeafoodSource reported.

This marks a significant development as the US Senate produces a markup of the agriculture funding legislation for the first time in two years, replacing omnibus spending bills that were passed without substantial committee and subcommittee input. The traditional budget process allows lawmakers to provide more specific guidance on how agencies allocate funds and which programmes they prioritise.

The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the draft legislation totaling US$26 billion. The bill will now proceed for approval by the full Senate before being reconciled with the version being reviewed in the US House. The House Appropriations Committee previously approved its own version of the annual spending bill, which includes approximately US$1 billion less in spending.

Both the US House and Senate versions of the bill allocate funds for the development of land-based aquaculture and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The Senate report advocates maintaining the spending levels from 2023, while the House report includes modest increases for precision aquaculture efforts, sustainable aquaculture initiatives, and RAS research and development.

The Senate committee's legislation is designed to approve continued research into aquaculture issues, including disease, genetics, systems, and economics, under the US Department of Agriculture. It also supports the establishment of domestic shrimp-farming programs, the promotion of domestic fish seedstock production, and the development of fishmeal products from woody biomass.

Although specific funding allocations for each program have not been disclosed by the Senate, the draft bill includes US$4 million for the National Aquaculture Health Plan, reflecting a US$1.4 million increase. Additionally, US$5 million is allocated to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support the creation of aquaculture centres, and US$2.2 million is designated for aquaculture research. The House version of the bill also includes US$5 million for NIFA funding towards aquaculture centres, but it designates US$6.2 million for aquaculture research.

-      SeafoodSource