S. 1288, THE NATIONAL AQUACULTURE DE- 

 VELOPMENT, COMMERCLVLIZATION, AND 

 PROMOTION ACT OF 1993 



WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993 



U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Agricultural Re- 

 search, Conservation, Forestry, and General 

 Legislation, Committee on Agriculture, Nutri- 

 tion, and Forestry. 



Washington, DC. 



The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:41 p.m., in room 

 SR-332, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas A. Daschle, 

 chairman of the subcommittee, presiding. 



Present or submitting a statement: Senators Leahy, Pryor, 

 Daschle, Cochran, Craig, and Akaka. 



STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS A DASCHLE, A U.S. SENATOR 



FROM SOUTH DAKOTA 



Senator Daschle. The hearing will come to order. Let me wel- 

 come our guests and our witnesses, and let me especially commend 

 my colleague and very dear friend, Senator Akaka, for his tenacity 

 in encouraging the committee to hold this hearing. No one has been 

 more resolute in his determination to bring about this hearing than 

 is the very distinguished Senator from Hawaii. And I am delighted 

 to be a part of it with him this afternoon. 



As I know everyone understands, this hearing is to be conducted 

 as a part of the consideration of S. 1288, the National Aquaculture 

 Development, Commercialization and Promotion Act of 1993. 



It reauthorizes the National Aquaculture Act of 1980, something 

 that Senator Akaka has been involved with for a long period of 

 time, first as a member of the House and certainly now as a mem- 

 ber of the Senate. 



The aquaculture industry in this country has grown rapidly over 

 the last decade. It is a diverse industry, encompassing production 

 of freshwater and marine species of fish, shellfish and aquatic 

 plants. 



Aquaculture enterprises exist in over 30 States and range in size 

 from small family farms to large corporations employing hundreds 

 of workers. In 1990, products of commercial aquaculture in the 

 LFnited States were valued at over $760 million, representing a 

 four-fold increase since 1980. Even with this increased production, 

 the United States currently imports over 59 percent of its fish and 

 shellfish, resulting in a $3.3 billion annual trade deficit for seafood. 



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