Fishy Business - Regulating Aquaculture Operations in the United States

^ I ^ he art of rearing known as aquacul■ ture or farming, has been practiced I consistently around the world since its JL. beginnings more than 3,000 years ago in Asia. However, in the United States, aquaculture has emerged only recently as an economically viable industry, largely due to declining wild fish stocks and increasing consumer demand for fish and other aquaculture products. The threat of overexploiting the nation's native fisheries played a significant role in the passage of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980, 16 U.S.C. §§ 2801-2810, which declared a national policy to encourage the development of aquaculture, established a national aquaculture development plan, and required federal coordination of aquaculture activities. Since that time, many people in this country increasingly have recognized aquaculture as a means of alleviating increased pressure on wild fisheries and meeting the rising consumer demand for fish. According to the 1998 Census of Aquaculture taken by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 4,000 aquaculture facilities operated in the U.S. These operations produced a wide range of consumer products, including food fish, bait fish, shellfish, ornamental fish, seaweed, and even alligators. Reflecting the promise of aquaculture as a source of food and employment, the aquaculture industry has been among the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the country. While relatively a small player on the worldwide aquaculture stage, the United States aquaculture industry has considerable market potential both at home and abroad. The economic value of U.S. aquaculture production has experienced 5 percent to 10 percent increases every year over the past decade. The latest figures from the USDA show that aquaculture production totaled 768 million pounds in 1997, consisting largely of freshwater species such as catfish, trout, crawfish, tdlapia, and striped bass. The major marine species salmon, oysters, clams, mussels, and shrimp accounted for less than 10 percent of the total. Between 1992 and 1997, production increased 11 percent, largely due to increased investment in catfish and salmon