An aerial view of an in-ocean salmon farm in Norway.

An executive order issued by President Donald Trump on May 7th moved to open up federal waters to commercial fish farming (aquaculture). The area has previously been off-limits. The executive order intends to promote U.S. seafood production and create a hassle-free regulatory process for offshore aquaculture projects. While the aquaculture industry is celebrating, many conservationists and commercial fishers are not happy with the move.

Coastal waters in the U.S. are managed in zones under different authorities. The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 secured state control over waters from the coastline to three miles out to sea. Beyond that mark, waters are federally managed to 200 miles offshore. This federal zone is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While nearshore aquaculture in the U.S. is regulated by states, there is currently no explicit authority in charge of permitting and regulating aquaculture in federal waters, which provides a significant stumbling block for anyone interested in starting up an offshore fish farm. The executive order designates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the government agency lead on all aquaculture projects in the EEZ and also requires that all permitting decisions on new aquaculture projects be made within two years, significantly speeding up the process. An executive order is needed to establish priority amongst the many agencies that have authority in the offshore space, says Margaret Henderson, campaign manager for the aquaculture lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood.

Despite having the largest EEZ in the world, the U.S. currently has no commercial fish farms in any of it. NOAA fishery statistics indicate that approximately 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, however this estimate is debated by some that argue that it is far less given the fact that much of the fish caught in the U.S. is exported for processing, only to be sent back to be consumed. Regardless of the percentage, proponents argue that expanding U.S. offshore aquaculture will lower imports and stimulate domestic production.

After taking a beating in sales during the coronavirus pandemic, the seafood industry is still not where it once was. With at least 70% of seafood going to restaurants, the pandemic lockdowns have disproportionately affected sales for seafood suppliers. The executive order provides a way forward for aquaculture projects that have been stalled due to burdensome processes and restrictions. However some argue that by boosting aquaculture, wild fisheries would face even more competition.

Some argue that putting fish farms in our federal waters is short-sighted and ill-informed. Concerns over the spread of disease, antibiotic use, and escapes from fish farms are driving the backlash against the executive order. Another concern is the amount of fish waste that will be deposited in the ocean, which could cause algal blooms due to increased levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. Although studies have been done to assess impact of potential offshore farms, scale is an important factor. Impacts seen at a large commercial scale may not be represented in the studies.

These concerns are nothing new, and are rooted in examples from history. However aquaculture has come a long way since its nascent years. Bryton Shang, CEO of tech startup Aquabyte, which uses machine learning to advance aquaculture sustainability, believes that the use of technology in aquaculture will eliminate many of these concerns. Using cameras mounted in fish pens, they can now count the sea lice on each individual fish to keep infestations under control. They also built fish facial recognition software which can determine individual fish size and growth to avoid overfeeding. Cameras can also be used to inspect for damage before there is a catastrophic breakdown leading to escapes. The technology is being used in offshore farms in Norway already.

While in-ocean aquaculture has seen many advancements in technology and infrastructure in recent years, accidents and mishaps still occur. Strong storms can break cages and lead to escapes. Escape of farmed fish is problematic because interbreeding of farmed and wild fish can diminish the fitness of wild species. Shang says that there are still challenges to offshore development; You need to be able to operate these farms without anyone there, which requires more automation, you need to also make sure that theyre managing pollution and parasites, which is where technology can help, but he is confident that the U.S., while late to the game of offshore aquaculture, can benefit from the advancements that have already been developed around the world to start strong.

The aquaculture industry is pushing hard for offshore production, saying that compared to other forms of protein, seafood is about as environmentally-friendly as it gets. Faced with an exploding population, advocates say we have to think about the inevitable: feeding more people with the same amount of space. Farming fish in greater volumes is one proposed solution, and doing so in our own waters makes economic sense. Environmentalists argue that we should not rush to bolster the industry without sound science to back up the claims that the environment will be protected. If the impact turns out to be worse than advertised there may be a big environmental price to pay.

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The Pros And Cons Of Expanding United States Offshore Aquaculture In 2020 - Forbes