Now is the time to create a robust aquaculture industry to ensure food security and support our economy

America’s seafood industry has long been a vital contributor to our economy, with the seafood supply chain supporting more than 1.8 million jobs nationwide, but you may be surprised to learn that the U.S. currently imports far more seafood than it produces. This Congress, our colleagues have the power to change that by joining with us to support the expansion of offshore aquaculture.

Here in the U.S., the farming of fish and other aquatic species, also known as aquaculture, is a thriving industry in many states — including our home states of Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, and Mississippi and is being done in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner. Offshore aquaculture has an important role to play in the open ocean for producing sustainable protein that supplements our wild-capture fisheries and strengthens our working waterfronts and coastal economies.

With nearly half of all seafood consumed globally coming from fish farms, marine aquaculture produces many of the seafood that we eat and enjoy, including shellfish like oysters, clams, and mussels, as well as fish such as salmon, black sea bass and yellowtail, as well as seaweeds. But the lack of a clear and efficient permitting process for offshore aquaculture here in the U.S. has hindered the full potential of an American industry because it deters investment in offshore waters. Many investors simply take their capital overseas — bringing the jobs and revenue it produces with them, which is why we have joined together to propose a legislative solution to correct his problem and position the U.S. as a leader in sustainable seafood production.

Legislation we introduced jointly this Congress with our counterparts in the Senate, the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act (H.R.4013/S.1861), would support the development of a sustainable marine aquaculture industry to complement our nation’s sustainable wild fisheries by putting in place a clear regulatory pathway that will get farms into the waters and spur investment in the industry.

When we look at the facts, it’s astonishing that the U.S. is not a leader in aquaculture production. Much of the seafood Americans consume is farm raised and imported from other countries. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the world and has been responsible for nearly all of the global seafood supply growth since the 1990s, but the U.S. ranks only 17th in aquaculture production behind countries such as China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Of the total $281.5 billion global aquaculture market, the U.S. is valued at $1.5 billion or 0.5 percent and imports up to 80 percent of the seafood we consume.

As demand for farmed fish grows globally, aquaculture presents a unique opportunity to build a new Blue Economy here in America. And we can do so as a complement to our nation’s commercial fishing industry — not in competition with it — as wild-capture fishermen and fish farmers work together to increase our domestic supply of sustainable, American raised seafood.

The joint creation of a steady stream of seafood coming into ports regularly will bring new jobs and much needed investments to portside and coastal infrastructure, helping to revitalize working waterfronts and creating new jobs throughout the U.S. seafood supply chain in coastal states, including at seafood processing plants and manufacturers, as well as retailers.

But the benefits don’t stop there. America’s heartland would also reap the rewards of an expanded aquaculture industry as it grows. Increased demand for sustainable, plant-based fish feed grows will create a new market for American farmers of crops that can be used in feed, such as soybeans, corn, peas, wheat, barley and rice.

The U.S. and nations across the world have demonstrated that we can grow healthy and fresh seafood sustainably in our waters. Now is the time to harness the potential to grow a rapidly expanding industry here at home. With the plethora of benefits awaiting communities in congressional districts across the country, now is the time. We encourage our congressional colleagues in the House and Senate to join us in passing this important legislation in the new year.

Kat Cammack represents the 3rd District of Florida, Ed Case represents the 1st District of Hawaii, Mike Ezell represents the 4th District of Mississippi, and Jerry Carl represents the 1st District of Alabama. They are co-sponsors of the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act.