Aquaculture Has Important Role in Fisheries Restoration: NOAA Fisheries

An aquaculture system. Photo: Kevin Madley/NOAA Fisheries.

Responsible seafood farming is one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce healthy food, according to NOAA Fisheries scientists who released the latest National Aquaculture Development Plan on Dec. 16.

Aquaculture also plays an important role in fisheries restoration, according to the report, which is the first of its kind released by NOAA Fisheries since 1983.

Hatchery-reared fish are released into the wild to help boost populations of wild marine species. Aquaculture has helped over 70 endangered or threatened species, among them Pacific salmon, white abalone and queen conch. It has also helped restore habitats and mitigate impacts of climate change, according to NOAA.

The draft overview of the National Aquaculture Development Plan released earlier in 2024 for public comment included three strategic plans. Two of them, the Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture and the National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research, were completed and published in 2022.

The third plan, the draft Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development, is now final.

The four documents comprise the updated National Aquaculture Development Plan, providing a holistic example that describes how federal agencies are using aquaculture to support public health and nutrition, resilient communities, the economy and a healthy planet.

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency to increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture research, regulation, technology transfer and assistance programs.

More information on the Subcommittee on Aquaculture is online at https://www.ars.usda.gov/SCA/ and more on the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture is at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/aquaculture.