New Farm Bill renewal legislation introduced by Republicans in the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture would establish an aquaculture advisory committee.
The committee is based on a concept introduced in the Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood (SHELLS) Act, introduced in 2023 to create an office of aquaculture within USDA. The bill also provided for the establishment of an aquaculture advisory committee to help develop best practices and provide technical assistance.
“Shellfish harvesters and seaweed farmers play an essential role in our food supply, but historically, they haven’t received the support they need to reach their full potential,” U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) said at the time.
“Maine’s aquaculture industry is an important and growing part of our state’s blue economy. But, more needs to be done at the federal level to support our aquaculture farmers and harvesters so we can help ensure the industry reaches its full potential now and into the future,” U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) added.
The legislation also included USD 25 million (EUR 23 million) in annual funding for the office for five years; however, the bill was never taken up for a vote in either the House or Senate.
Now, the committee concept has been revived in the latest Farm Bill draft. The committee would be made up of 14 members directed to:
- Evaluate and review ongoing research and extension activities relating to aquaculture practices;
- Identify new and existing barriers to successful aquaculture practices; and
- Provide additional assistance and advice to the secretary as appropriate.
The legislation also directs the department to draft a detailed report on aquaculture and the roles and actions of various federal departments and agencies in supporting the sector.
The Farm Bill is the omnibus legislation that governs much of the nation’s agriculture and food policy. The legislation needs to be renewed every five years, but lawmakers have been unable to pass a new Farm Bill since it was last up for renewal, extending the 2018 legislation multiple times.
The U.S. seafood sector has pushed for lawmakers to use the Farm Bill renewal as an opportunity to expand seafood’s presence within USDA’s portfolio, ensuring commercial fishing and aquaculture activities receive support and focus from the department. In 2023, representatives of the nation’s commercial fishing and seafood sectors circulated a joint letter asking Congress to include three “priority requests” in the Farm Bill renewal: the creation of an Office of Seafood Policy and program integration, an increase in seafood purchases for school lunches, and assurance that seafood processing and fishing companies can access USDA financial services, grants, and support offered to agricultural businesses.
A Farm Bill framework released by Senate Republicans in 2024 included those requests, with the Office of Seafood Policy evolving into a new seafood liaison position within USDA. However, that framework did not move forward, with Congress opting instead to expand the current Farm Bill again.
The proposal to create a seafood liaison within USDA did survive in another piece of legislation; the provision was included in the continuing resolution used by Congress to reopen the federal government in November 2025. Though the legislation largely continued 2025 levels of spending, the bill also included a few additions, including the liaison provision.
“USDA has loans and financial services that are designed to help America’s food producers,” Blake Price, who has since been named executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, said at the time. “Now, thanks to the Senate’s leadership, there will be a person dedicated to supporting the U.S. seafood producers in accessing these resources and coordinating seafood policies and activities across agencies. We expect a USDA seafood liaison will have a significant impact on the future viability of the U.S. shrimp industry.”
The legislation provided USD 500,000 (EUR 429,278) for the new office, with an earlier Congressional report claiming the position would support “domestically harvested and processed wild and farmed seafood” while coordinating between USDA, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Trade Representative.
