Renée Johnson, who wrote the recent CRS Farm Bill report focused on Native Ag Producers, also authored (updated 22 November 2023) 'Farm Bill Primer: USDA Support for Aquaculture Operations'.
Download CRS_InFocus_Rpt_Farm_Bill_Primer_USDA_Support_Aqua_Ops_22Nov2023
Click on the graphics to enlarge them.
Introduction
Aquaculture facilities that grow aquatic animal and plant species in controlled or selected environments (as defined as 7 U.S.C. §3103) are generally eligible for support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) available to all U.S. farmers and ranchers and producers. In addition, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the farm bill; P.L. 115-334) reauthorized and expanded provisions specifically related to USDA’s aquaculture research and assistance programs. Congress may consider these and other related provisions as it continues to debate the next farm bill.Overview of U.S. Aquaculture
Aquaculture is defined in statute as “the propagation and rearing of aquacultural species, including, but not limited to, any species of finfish, mollusk, or crustacean (or other aquatic invertebrate), amphibian, reptile, ornamental fish, or aquatic plant, in controlled or selected environments” (7 U.S.C. §3103). In practice, aquaculture systems refer to the propagation, breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animal and plant species using interventions such as seeding, stocking, feeding, and protection from predators.Aquaculture systems may be either land-based (e.g., aboveground tanks, enclosed structures, or artificial ponds) or water-based (e.g., open sea cages, pens, or nets) in freshwater or saltwater (marine) environments. Marine aquaculture systems may take place in enclosures in the ocean or other waterways or on land in tanks or ponds. Aquaculture systems also include aquaponics that combine growing fish and plant species without soil or external fertilizer, using fish waste as a substitute for plant nutrient supplementation while continually recirculating water between the animal and plant growing systems. USDA reports that, based on acreage in 2018, U.S. aquaculture facilities are roughly split between freshwater (both surface and groundwater) and saltwater (ocean or estuary) systems.
USDA reports there were 2,932 aquaculture facilities located in the United States with total farm-level sales of $1.5 billion in 2018. Leading U.S. states with aquaculture facilities, based on sales in 2018, were Mississippi ($216 million in sales), Washington ($208 million), Louisiana ($136 million), Virginia ($113 million), California ($106 million), Alabama ($95 million), and Hawaii ($78 million) (Figure 1). According to USDA, aquaculture product types include food fish (such as catfish and trout), mollusks (oysters, clams, mussels), crustaceans (crawfish for food and saltwater scrimp), ornamental fish (such as koi), sport fish (bass and salmon), baitfish (such as fathead minnows), and other miscellaneous species (including algae, alligators, caviar, eels, frogs, snails, tadpoles, and turtles) (Figure 2).
USDA Aquaculture Support
Federal authority supporting U.S. aquaculture is provided through the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (NAA; P.L. 96-362; 16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.). The act directs the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to establish and implement a National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP) to promote and support the development of U.S. aquaculture. The act also directs coordination among various federal agencies that have aquaculture programs and policies. The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) serves as the federal interagency coordinating group tasked with increasing the effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture research, regulation, technology transfer, and assistance programs, including the NADP. SCA is a statutory subcommittee that operates under the Committee on Environment of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) under the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
USDA assistance programs for aquaculture are contained within the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. §3324(a)(2) and §3322), which were reauthorized in the 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334, §§7510, 7133). The 2018 farm bill (§7614) also amended USDA’s Aquaculture Assistance Grant Program (7 U.S.C. §3322(b)), which is administered by USDA’sNational Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Under the program, NIFA may award competitive grants to land- and sea grant colleges and universities, state agricultural experiment stations, and nonprofit private research institutions to conduct research and extension activities. USDA aquaculture assistance activities include researching and developing new aquaculture technologies; designing systems that promote healthy growing environments; developing improved genetics and on-land recirculating systems; protecting aquatic animal health (including the development of reliable supplies of seed stock and therapeutic compounds); training and educating aquacultural producers; facilitating or expanding production and marketing; and educating consumers on the nutritional benefits of farmed fish and seafood as well as the sustainability of responsible aquaculture production.
Aquacultural producers are also eligible for other USDA competitive grants available to all U.S. agricultural producers. For example, the Local Agricultural Marketing Program (LAMP; 7 U.S.C. §1627c), administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), includes a subprogram that provides grants to projects that develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food business enterprises. A review of previously awarded LAMP grants indicates a number of projects have been funded supporting aquacultural marketing. Other support may be available through other USDA programs. These include grants for new and beginning farmers under the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach program (7 U.S.C. §2279) as well as direct and guaranteed loans to family- sized farmers under USDA farm loan programs.
Aside from USDA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) within the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees and supports U.S. marine aquaculture (e.g., farmed seafood including finfish and shellfish).
Farm Bill Considerations for Congress
In 2020, USDA hosted a colloquium Aquaculture is Agriculture: USDA’s Role in Supporting the Farmers of Fish, Shellfish, and Aquatic Plants. Proceedings from the event summarize stakeholder recommendations for USDA related to U.S. aquacultural production. Stakeholder recommendations address research, animal health, environmental management, wildlife interactions, production innovation and technology, product and consumer marketing, and USDA support for aquaculture. The text box summarizes selected recommendations. Congress could consider some of these colloquium recommendations as it debates the next farm bill.Congress might also consider aspects of legislation introduced in the 118th Congress as part of the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act or the AQUAA Act (H.R. 4013, S. 1861). These proposals seek to establish (1) standards for sustainable aquaculture in federal offshore waters in aquaculture opportunity areas; (2) a unified permitting and review process for aquaculture operations; (3) a grant program for research and development; and (4) an Office of Aquaculture within NOAA. Both H.R. 4013 and S. 1861 focus on efforts involving NOAA only and not USDA; therefore, these specific bill proposals may likely fall outside the jurisdiction of a farm bill. However, Congress could consider tasking USDA with providing preliminary information or with playing an evaluative role to support these or related proposals, or other activities that encourage improved coordination between USDA and NOAA. Congress also could consider expanding existing aquacultural research and development programs at USDA in ways that might support these efforts.
Enjoy!
"Whatever you have just done is not nearly as important as what you are doing right now." - Coach Mike Krzyzewski - quoted in @FastCompany via @TheWeek
Recent Comments