About the NOAA Aquaculture Program
An integral part of NOAA’s overall mission is a well informed public that acts as a steward of coastal and marine ecosystems. The NOAA Aquaculture Program supports this aspect of the agency’s mission by contributing to public understanding and appreciation of the role of aquaculture as a vital national food source and a fishery management tool. [NOAA Aquaculture Program photo]
An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a long and rich tradition in aquaculture, from its support for cutting-edge science and research to federal policymaking. This page addresses the role of the NOAA Aquaculture Program, including its goals, priorities, structure and current staff. The page also highlights the definition of aquaculture and relevant policy documents.
It is clear that the United States needs a strong commercial fishing industry and a robust aquaculture industry to meet rising seafood demand and to enhance domestic commercial and recreational fish and shellfish stocks. To address this need, NOAA launched a revived Aquaculture Program in 2004 to integrate and coordinate the agency’s aquaculture policies, research, outreach, and international obligations.
On a broad level, the program is designed to foster additional domestic marine aquaculture production to meet the growing demand for safe, healthy seafood, create jobs for U.S. coastal communities, increase regional food supply and security, and help restore depleted commercial and recreational marine species.
Additional domestic seafood production will also reduce the nation’s dependence on imports. Right now, the United States imports over 80% of its seafood, and half of that is farmed. Driven by imports, the U.S. seafood trade deficit has grown to over $9 billion annually – the highest it’s ever been.
Recently, the program has been instrumental in the transmittal of the National Offshore Aquaculture Act to Congress and in the announcement of the NOAA-USDA Alternative Feeds Initiative and the 2008 NOAA National Symposium on Shellfish and the Environment.
Goals and Priorities
NOAA's Aquaculture Program addresses coastal and onshore marine shellfish and finfish farming, as well as enhancement (hatchery) activities that support commercial and recreational fishing and the restoration of some endangered species. The goals of the program are:
- A Regulatory Framework for Marine Aquaculture - Establish a comprehensive regulatory program for the conduct of marine aquaculture operations;
- Research and Technology - Develop appropriate technologies to support commercial marine aquaculture and the enhancement of wild fish and shellfish stocks;
- Outreach and Education - Conduct education and outreach activities to heighten the public's awareness of issues related to marine aquaculture; and
- International Activities - Meet international obligations to promote environmentally sustainable practices for the conduct of marine aquaculture.
Based on its goals, the NOAA Aquaculture Program develops a specific set of program priorities each year. They can be found here.
The Definition of Aquaculture
As the nation’s oceans agency, NOAA is the federal agency with the lead on marine aquaculture. In this role, NOAA considers all aspects of marine aquaculture and marine stock enhancement (hatchery) work "aquaculture". NOAA specifically defines aquaculture as “… the propagation and rearing of aquatic organisms in controlled or selected aquatic environments for any commercial, recreational, or public purpose.” NOAA’s definition of aquaculture was established in 1998 as part of the NOAA Aquaculture Policy. The NOAA policy cites bait production, wild stock enhancement, fish culture for zoos and aquaria, rebuilding of populations of threatened and endangered species, and food production for human consumption as potential purposes of aquaculture in the United States.
Aquaculture Policy Documents
The NOAA Aquaculture Program is guided by the policy objectives in the National Aquaculture Act of 1980, the U.S. Department of Commerce Aquaculture Policy, and the NOAA Aquaculture Policy. The program is also guided by national fisheries and ocean legislation, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.