United States legislators have introduced the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act in the House of Representatives, a bill meant to enable and govern offshore aquaculture in the U.S. that has been backed by the domestic aquaculture sector.
“The MARA Act ensures that as we grow our offshore aquaculture sector, we do it the right way with science, transparency, and public engagement at the center,” U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi) said in a release. “This bill puts the U.S. on a path to food security, environmental stewardship, and coastal economic development. Offshore aquaculture, when done responsibly, holds enormous potential to feed more people, create jobs, and protect wild fisheries. The MARA Act gives us the tools to lead the world in sustainable seafood production.”
Along with Ezell, the legislation is backed by U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawaii), U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R-Florida), and U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-California). A twin bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in August, and some of the provisions in it have been floating around Congress in other pieces of legislation for years.
The MARA Act would take several steps toward enabling offshore aquaculture in U.S. federal waters. The legislation would create a new Office of Aquaculture within NOAA Fisheries to lead permitting efforts and a NOAA Aquaculture Assessment Program to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects.
The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) praised the introduction of a House version of the bill, expressing optimism in the legislation’s momentum.
“The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) applauds representatives Ezell, Panetta, Case, and Cammack for the House introduction of the MARA Act. This bipartisan, science-based legislation represents an important step toward building a responsible and resilient aquaculture future in the United States,” CSA founding member and U.S. Aquaculture Campaign Director at the Environmental Defense Fund Maddie Voorhees said in a statement. “Together, these efforts demonstrate growing bipartisan support for advancing research, innovation, and environmental stewardship in U.S. aquaculture. The MARA Act will provide the knowledge and tools needed to guide sustainable open ocean aquaculture development that supports coastal communities, fishermen, and healthy ocean ecosystems.”
Some parts of the U.S. fishing industry have pushed back against the legislation.
“The MARA Act is the classic wolf in sheep’s clothing bill,” Long Island Commercial Fishing Association Executive Director Bonnie Brady said in a statement. “We’ve seen it before, and we’ve seen the results of Big Aquaculture in British Columbia with farmed salmon. The last thing we need from our lawmakers is a method by which to turn our federal waters into a petri dish for Big Aquaculture, polluting the ocean with fecal sludge and antibiotics while putting U.S. commercial fishermen out of business.”
