Short communicationSecuring a sustainable future for US seafood in the wake of a global crisis
Section snippets
A system in flux
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are rippling across the world, including the virus hotspot of the United States [1]. As society and individuals grapple with the physical, psychological, behavioral, and financial toll of this disease, our food systems are experiencing significant changes in the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed. US seafood has also experienced major disruptions from the trade war started in 2019 with China—the world’s largest seafood consumer [2], [3]. These
Current state of US fisheries and aquaculture
Before the pandemic, annual domestic seafood production in the United States was approximately 5.5 million tonnes. The US is the largest net seafood importer in the world, with a growing “trade deficit” (imports > exports) and an import seafood dependence of 62–65% [3], which was one of the key motivations listed for the Executive Order; although there are disagreements around the economic interpretations (e.g., [12]). The vast majority (> 90%) of domestic production comes from wild capture
Executive Order: a changing tide for the US seafood industry
The May 7, 2020 Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth asserts a broad initiative to increase US seafood production, with a particular focus on offshore aquaculture [4]. Of note, the order designates NOAA as the lead governing agency for offshore marine production, in addition to its current mandate over fisheries. With timelines ranging from months to several years, Federal and State agencies are being asked to reassess how commercial fisheries are
Conclusions
During this period of turmoil, uncertainty, and rapid policy change, it will be a challenge to develop institutions and governance that can guide American seafood towards a sustainable future that supports economic development, healthy oceans, and food security. Another change is coming less than a year after the Seafood Executive Order and CARES Act, with the new Biden administration taking control January 20th, 2021. Although a new administration often overturns many actions of their
Acknowledgements
H.E.F. recognizes support from the University of California, Santa Barbara and partial support from NOAA Sea Grant [NA19OAR4170346], USA. E.R.W. was supported by the COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund from the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont, USA. T.A.B. was partly funded through Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Endowed Professor in Fisheries Management, USA. S.E.L and R.R.G. acknowledge funding from NSF grant 1759559 and NOAA Sea Grant [NA19OAR4170346], USA with H.E.F.
References (77)
Markets, pooling and insurance for managing bycatch in fisheries
Ecol. Econ.
(2010)- et al.
Reducing bycatch through a risk pool: a case study of the US West Coast groundfish fishery
Mar. Policy
(2018) - et al.
Governing fisheries in the face of change: social responses to long-term geographic shifts in a U.S. fishery
Mar. Policy
(2019) - et al.
An evaluation of Regional Fisheries Management Organization at-sea compliance monitoring and observer programs
Mar. Policy
(2020) - et al.
The potential for blue growth in marine fish yield, profit and abundance of fish in the ocean
Mar. Policy
(2018) - et al.
Management strategy evaluation: a powerful tool for conservation?
Trends Ecol. Evol.
(2011) Applying the ecosystem services concept to aquaculture: a review of approaches, definitions, and uses
Ecosyst. Serv.
(2019)- et al.
Conservation aquaculture: shifting the narrative and paradigm of aquaculture’s role in resource management
Biol. Conserv.
(2017) - et al.
The aquaculture sustainability continuum – defining an environmental performance framework
Environ. Sustain. Indic.
(2020) - et al.
Why eat fish? Factors influencing seafood consumer choices in British Columbia, Canada
Ocean Coast. Manag.
(2017)
Structure and evolution of the global seafood trade network
Environ. Res. Lett.
Opinion: to create sustainable seafood industries, the United States needs a better accounting of imports and exports
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Effects of COVID-19 on US fisheries and seafood consumption
Fish Fish.
Food sources and expenditures for seafood in the United States
Nutrients
Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied businesses
J. World Aquac. Soc.
Effective fisheries management instrumental in improving fish stock status
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Mapping the global potential for marine aquaculture
Nat. Ecol. Evol.
Opinion: offshore aquaculture in the United States: untapped potential in need of smart policy
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Marine spatial planning makes room for offshore aquaculture in crowded coastal waters
Nat. Commun.
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020: Sustainability in Action
Marine Aquaculture in the United States: Current and Future Policy and Management Challenges, Trends and Future Challenges for US National Ocean and Coastal Policy
Measuring fisheries management performance
ICES J. Mar. Sci.
Defining the economic scope for ecosystem-based fishery management
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Harvest reporting, timely information, and incentives for technology adoption
Am. J. Agric. Econ.
Valuing changes in frequency of fish stock assessments
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.
Cited by (28)
A global view of aquaculture policy
2023, Food PolicyBarriers towards blockchain adoption in seafood exports
2023, Sustainable Operations and ComputersToward an environmentally responsible offshore aquaculture industry in the United States: Ecological risks, remedies, and knowledge gaps
2023, Marine PolicyCitation Excerpt :Certain offshore environments also offer natural subsidies, such as higher water quality, flushing, nutrient delivery, and assimilation [6,36], with some evidence that the greater depths and currents characteristic of offshore environments also improve growing conditions [86]. The potential benefits of farming such waters are substantial [36,84,124], but as with all food production systems, its development will not come without some risk to ecosystems and wildlife, particularly if the industry grows sufficiently to contribute significantly to food production, nutrition, and economic development goals [106]. Because efforts to expand aquaculture into new areas are nascent, it will be challenging but important to consider ecological risks associated with it to the ecological risks associated with ongoing offshore activities such as oil and gas extraction and commercial fishing, which of course can be considerable (e.g. [104]).
What does the public think about farming seafood? Modeling predictors of social support for aquaculture development in the U.S.
2022, Ocean and Coastal ManagementCitation Excerpt :As climate change and overharvesting threaten wild fish stocks, marine aquaculture has become critically important for global food security (FAO 2018). Yet while the necessity of aquaculture is clear, negative perceptions of the industry have proved to be a significant barrier to growth (Mazur and Curtis 2008; Whitmarsh and Giovanna Palmieri, 2009; Young and Liston 2010; Young and Matthews 2010; Froehlich et al., 2021). In many cases, opposition groups have successfully slowed or even stopped development, demonstrating the importance of considering social dimensions when designing development strategies (Noakes et al., 2003; Barton and Floysand 2010; Knapp and Rubino 2016).