39 



declining harvests of wild fish, products for export to improve the nation's balance 

 of trade, enhancement of commercial and recreational fisheries and fisheries that 

 are overfished or otherwise threatened, economic opportunities for rural commu- 

 nities, and new jobs for skilled workers, particularly in coastal communities where 

 some traditional fisheries are at maximum sustainable yield or in decline." The com- 

 mittee concluded that "the advancement of the science and technology base in ma- 

 rine aquaculture will also provide benefits to other industries, such as biotechnology 

 and pharmaceuticals." 



Despite the current and projected future importance of marine aquaculture to the 

 nation. Federal efforts to nurture aquaculture development have failed to keep pace 

 with the needs of fish farmers. Major problems includ^: 



(a) lack of credit; 



(b) very limited research, development and extension programs; 



(c) difiused legal jurisdiction and numerous legal questions concerning property 

 rights, use of public resources, etc.; 



(d) inconsistent interpretations among Federal agencies; 



(e) lack of management information; 



(f) lack of supportive government policies; 



(g) lack of therapeutic compounds for treatment of diseases; and 

 (n) lack of reliable siipplies of seed and brood stock. 



Many areas of the US coastline are suitable for aquaculture, but most are subject 

 to land-use or water-use policies and regulations that do not adequately consider the 

 potential for aquaculture and, in fact, may hamper its development. 



A recent survey of aquaculture coordinators in all coastal states and territories 

 presented some interesting findings.^ The good news was that marine aquaculture 

 is alive and broadly distributed in the US. Some activities — from shellfish culture 

 to intensive fish or shrimp farming — were reported in more than 80 percent of the 

 coastal states and territories. An important strength of US coastal aquaculture is 

 its diversity — more than 50 species are involved. However, only a relatively few 

 products such as oysters, clams, mussels, salmon, shrimp and striped bass are pro- 

 duced in significant quantities at this time. 



The bad news from the survey was, that while coastal aquaculture is alive in this 

 country, it clearly is not well. Only 31 percent of the states reported moderate 

 growth of marine aquaculture, while 42 percent reported very slow growth and 27 

 percent no growth. Marine aquaculture in the US is small now; if something isn't 

 done to improve its growth rate, marine aquaculture in the US will remain small 

 foryears to come. 



Tne most significant impediments to marine aquaculture development identified 

 in this survey were, in decreasing order of importance: 



(a) permitting; 



(b) burdensome regulations; 



(c) competing uses of land and water; 



(d) inadequate financial resources; and 



(e) lack 01 financial incentives; 



A potential growth area for the future identified in the survey and in the NRC 

 study is utilization of marine aquaculture to support coastal recreational fisheries. 

 Fully 73 percent of the coastal states and territories surveyed foresaw one or more 

 roles for private aquaculture in this arena. 



According to state aquaculture coordinators, the most important things govern- 

 ment can do to assist in the development of marine aquaculture are: 



(a) simplify permitting; 



(b) provide financial incentives; 



(c) provide technical information; 



(d) establish a friendly regulatory environment; 



(e) provide marketing assistance; and 



(f) establish a consistent public policy. 



SUGGE^IONS FOR COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION 



To conclude my remarks, I would like to offer several suggestions for the Commit- 

 tee to consider as it deliberates the reauthorization of the programs and activities 

 of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tnese are based in large 

 part, but not completely, on the recommendations of the NRC's Committee on As- 



United States. Marine Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Re- 

 search Council. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 290 pp. 



^Sandifer, P.A. 1994. U.S. coastal aquaculture: flirting with opportunity. Water Farming Jour- 

 nal 8(4): 3-6, 9-16. 



