For Organic Production of 

Aquatic Animals and Plants

April 10, 2013
 Sebastian Belle

 Robert Bullis, DVM

 Ralph Elston, PhD

 Rebecca Goldburg, 

PhD

 Ronald Hardy, PhD

 John Hargreaves, PhD

 Robert Mayo

 Christopher Nelson

 Bart Reid

 Albert Tacon, PhD

 Kwemena Quagrainie, 

PhD

 George Lockwood, 

Chair
 The world’s capture fisheries are at their limits

 One-half of all seafood supply is from aquaculture

 Growth in seafood consumption depends upon 

aquaculture

 USDA-HHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 

recommend increased seafood consumption to two 

servings weekly (8 or more ounces per week)

 Farmed seafood is the only major animal protein 

without “USDA Organic” standards

 Contrary to the intent of OFPA for single and 

consistent USDA standards, salmon, shrimp, tilapia 

and oysters are legally marketed in the US with 

organic claims

 Some are not certified to any standards
 1999 First proposed NOSB standards

 2000 Conference at University of Minnesota

 2002 Wittenberg report on feasibility of Organic 

aquaculture

 2003 and 2004 NOAWG proposed standards

 January 2005 Appointment of AWG

 January 2006 AWG Interim Final Report (excluding 

molluscs)

 Spring 2007 First NOSB recommendation (holding 

back feed and facilities)

 Fall 2008 Second NOSB recommendation for feed 

and facilities

 Spring 2010 Final NOSB recommendation-bivalve 

molluscs











Photo: Jimmy Avery






























Photo: Jimmy Avery

Photo: Jimmy Avery


Photo: Jimmy Avery
Photo: Jimmy Avery
Photo: Jimmy Avery
Photo: Jimmy Avery
Photo: Jimmy Avery



Photo: James Rakocy
Photo:James Rakocy
Photo: James Rakocy












 Organic System Plan must include a detailed 

environmental assessment including a map, 

listing of flora and fauna, water quality 

monitoring program, measures to minimize 

impacts, biosecurity practices, waste 

management plan, surveillance, and multistakeholder issue resolution

 Must consider measures to recycle, including 

through poly-culture and integration
 Triploidy is prohibited

 Monosex stocks by chemical and other 

artificial methods are prohibited

 Genetically modified plants and animals, and 

excluded methods are prohibited

 Traceability required

 Aquatic animals must be under continuous 

organic management beginning no later than 

5% of total market weight
 Must meet minimum nutritional needs

 Antibiotics, hormones, mammalian and poultry 

slaughter products, synthetic solvents, and 

GMOs in feeds are prohibited

 Fish meal and oil may not be sourced where FAO 

or other government authorities report “overexploited,” “reduced reproductive capacity,” 

“overfished,” etc.

 Fish must be from regions with the lowest levels 

of persistent bioaccumulative toxins

 Fish oil must be treated with activated carbon to 

remove toxins
 Fish meal and fish oil from wild caught fish and other 

wild aquatic animals, Except if produced from 

environmentally responsible food grade wild caught 

fisheries and fed in the following step-wise levels: a 

maximum combined total of 25% during year 1 

through 5 after this regulation is implemented, a 

maximum combined total of 15% during year 6 

through 8, and a maximum combined total of 10% 

during year 9 through year 10, and a maximum 

combined total of 5% during year 11 and 12, with the 

percentages by weight of feed being averages over 

the production cycle of the aquatic animal. 

 Synthetic stabilizers are prohibited.
 Meet minimum nutritional needs (vitamins, trace 

minerals, etc.)

 Monitor, record, and maintain water quality

 Establish biosecurity measures 

 Administer vaccines and other biologics, if allowed.

 Employ site fallowing, cleaner fish, etc.

 Must not: 

administer antibiotics, hormones, etc.

sell clinically diseased fish as organic

administer synthetic parasiticides

administer medications in absence of illness (other than 

vaccines) 

withhold treatment for illness
 Site environment must accommodate needs

 Containment must 

 Provide for exercise swimming behavior

 Minimize potential for injury

 Biomass densities appropriate for the animal that 

promote natural behaviors and limit aggression

 Predator Management Plan without use of 

lethal measures
 Pond berms to withstand 100-year flood

 Effluents must be assimilated within 25-meters

 Waste Management Plan involving recycling

 Escape prevention plan

 Net pens in public waters must

 Avoid migratory routes of native species

 Grow strains of native species

 Be spaced from conventional net pen operations

 Control fouling by physical or biological, not chemical 

means

 Employ multiple species outside pens for recycling

 Conversion period of the less of one-year, or one cycle

 Earth ponds conversion of 36-months if prohibited 

substances have been applied
 Detailed environmental assessment with maps

 Hydraulic Zone of Influence using oceanographic 

methods

 Identification of sources of prohibited substances

 Affidavits from contiguous users

 Expanded sanitary survey and site requirements

 Hatchery produced seed only

 Monitoring requirements for indicator 

organisms and sentinel animals

 Chemicals to control predators are prohibited

 Restriction on harvest methods and equipment

 Traceability requirements
 Earth ponds must not have prohibited 

substances for 36-months

 Dissolved nutrients must not exceed 

minimum necessary

 Berms, boundaries and buffer zones to 

prevent contamination

 Organic starter cultures required when 

available

 Composted manure allowed if it complies 

with 205.203, but prohibited in public waters

 Continuous organic management after 5%
 Minimize stress to animals and minimize 

environmental impacts

 Transport conditions must consider water quality, 

duration of trip, density and metabolite 

accumulation to minimize adverse effects

 Food deprivation period limited to that necessary to 

provide gut clearance

 Finfish must be stunned to be instantly rendered 

insentient and maintained insentient until death by:

 Concussion to the head

 Electrical stunning

 Electrocution
 Prohibited means include: 

 Ice slurry for cold water fish (allowed for warm 

water fish for five years)

 Carbon dioxide 

 Suffocation or asphyxiation (leaving fish to die 

in the air)

 Synthetic anesthetics

 Exsanguination (bleeding) without stunning

 Ice slurry is allowed for aquatic animals that are 

non-sentient