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The purpose of this policy is to enable the development of sustainable marine aquaculture within the context of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) multiple stewardship missions and broader social and economic goals.

Meeting this objective will require NOAA to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations in management decisions concerning aquaculture.

This policy reaffirms that aquaculture is an important component of NOAA’s efforts to maintain healthy and productive marine and coastal ecosystems, protect special marine areas, rebuild overfished wild stocks, restore populations of endangered species, restore and conserve marine and coastal habitat, balance competing uses of the marine environment, create employment and business opportunities in coastal communities, and enable the production of safe and sustainable seafood.

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Ocean Stewards applaud policy as ‘positive step forward for protection of ocean resources’

The Ocean Stewards Institute has announced its robust support of the NOAA Aquaculture Policy, which establishes priorities for NOAA’s aquaculture initiatives and provides guidance and standards for the development of sustainable aquaculture in federal waters.

“This is a positive step forward, not only for sustainable domestic aquaculture, but also for the protection of our ocean resources,” said Neil Anthony Sims, President of the Ocean Stewards Institute and Co-CEO of Kona Blue Water Farms. “We look forward to working with NOAA to now implement this plan.”

Under the policy, NOAA will “encourage and foster sustainable aquaculture development that provides domestic jobs, products, and services that is in harmony with healthy, productive, and resilient marine ecosystems, compatible with other uses of the marine environment, and is consistent with the National Ocean Policy.”

Sims said the Ocean Stewards were pleased to see NOAA’s emphasis on a timely, science-based process for issuing aquaculture permits.

“Given that the increasing demand for healthful seafood is already outstripping supply, NOAA needs to move forward without additional delays,” Sims said.

The Ocean Stewards were disappointed that the policy did not include specific production goals for fostering responsible industry growth.

“We strongly urge NOAA and DOC to adopt modest production goals for each of the Federal fisheries regions, to encourage investment and provide economies of scale, while providing assurances to the public that growth in offshore aquaculture is measured and rational,” Sims said.

The Ocean Stewards assert that clean, safe open ocean aquaculture, or mariculture, can reduce pressure on wild fish stocks and provide more healthful, locally-grown seafood for American consumers. A domestic mariculture industry also can help maintain working waterfronts, and fits perfectly with President Obama’s vision of green collar jobs for America’s future.

“We believe that a responsible, environmentally sound open ocean mariculture industry is an integral part of a national ocean policy,” Sims said, “that should also include sustainable fisheries management and extensive marine protected areas. NOAA should now move forward expediently in setting up the implementing regulations. ”

The Ocean Stewards Institute is a trade association that provides leadership and reasoned advocacy for the best use and management of our open oceans. The Ocean Stewards assert that increased production of environmentally-sound, healthful, high quality seafood from open ocean waters is an environmental, economic and public health imperative. This opportunity must be balanced by strong protection of the ocean’s fragile ecosystems.

The Ocean Stewards recognize that we are operating within the public domain, and want to see this industry – and other uses of open ocean waters – develop in a way that meets the expectations of the community and the seafood consumer. The Ocean Stewards are the true revolutionaries of the Blue Revolution.

For more information, visit www.oceanstewards.org