Aquaculture is the rearing of animals and plants, in fresh and seawater. Mariculture is when this aquaculture takes place in a marine environment. Aquaculture and Mariculture offer viable solutions to meet the growing urgent demand for sustainably produced, healthy seafood. Fish farming has been shown to reduce pressures on wild-stocks, support the growth of coastal and rural communities, help build infrastructure, support local economic revitalization and growth, and will yield an array of seafood products high in protein and rich in heart-healthy Omega 3 oils.
The United Nations has identified the United States as having the greatest potential in the world for ocean farming in our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Further, The United Nations FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) has warned that we must double our aquaculture production by 2030, in order to maintain our current levels of seafood consumption! The United Nations FAO estimates that currently more than one half of the world’s seafood consumption currently comes from aquaculture.
Importantly, 92% of U.S. seafood is imported.