There’s a culinary revolution happening in the United States. More than ever before, Americans expect their meals to not only be delicious, but sustainable and local too. They’re increasingly turning to seafood options as a nutritious and more environmentally friendly source of protein. While restaurants and markets that can meet this demand are reaping the benefits, more supply is needed.
Currently, up to 85% of American seafood is imported, and it is estimated that half of that is farmed — often in ways that may not live up to our health or environmental standards. Meanwhile, a 2021 poll showed that 70% of American seafood consumers are concerned about where their seafood comes from and nearly 90% of U.S. voters prioritize increasing regulations and setting high standards to ensure seafood is truly sustainable. Notably, this includes 92% of Democrats and 86% of Republicans. Leaders looking for bipartisan priorities need look no further than their next meal.
Part of the solution is to make more sustainable, homegrown aquaculture — the farming of seafood in U.S. waters — a reality. While some states permit seafood farming near shore, the U.S. needs comprehensive standards for farms more than three nautical miles offshore, in federal waters, to allow a sustainable industry to develop. Safely growing seafood in federal waters could help stabilize supply for chefs and consumers, drive job creation in coastal economies and the seafood supply chain and meet America’s growing demand for sustainably sourced, nutritious protein. We need to be growing a domestic seafood economy that includes both sustainable aquaculture and wild capture fisheries.
