IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 301

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Government should actively pursue a unified approach to strengthen and 

promote the national policy on aquaculture. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2003

Mr. ABERCROMBIE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the Federal Government should actively pursue a unified 

approach to strengthen and promote the national policy 

on aquaculture.

Whereas the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

United Nations determined that aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector that provides animal protein for 

citizens of the world; 

Whereas global aquacultural production, including the production of aquatic plants, has increased at an average 

rate of 9.2 percent per year since 1970, compared with 

an average rate of only 1.4 percent for capture fisheries 
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and 2.8 percent for terrestrial-farmed meat production 

systems; 

Whereas freshwater aquacultural production increased from 

15,900,000 metric tons in 1996 to 22,600,000 metric 

tons in 2001, marine aquacultural production increased 

from 10,800,000 metric tons in 1996 to 15,200,000 metric tons in 2001, and total aquacultural production increased from 26,700,000 metric tons in 1996 to 

37,800,000 metric tons in 2001; 

Whereas economic modeling predicts that global annual consumption of fish and shellfish per person will increase 

over time, from approximately 16 kilograms in 2003 to 

between 19 and 21 kilograms in 2030, due to increased 

health consciousness and the stronger demand for seafood products; 

Whereas the United States imports more than 60 percent of 

its seafood products, resulting in an annual seafood trade 

deficit in excess of $7,000,000,000; and 

Whereas section 7139 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 reauthorized the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 until 2007, but did not adequately 

address emerging national issues such as offshore aquaculture development, water quality concerns, invasive species impacts, and a coordinated siting, permitting, and licensing process: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the Federal Government should actively 

3 pursue a unified approach to strengthen and promote the 

4 national policy on aquaculture, including as priorities—
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1 (1) ensuring the sustainable development of 

2 production where aquaculture is economically viable, 

3 environmentally feasible, and culturally acceptable; 

4 (2) analyzing the supply and demand for do5 mestic and exported aquacultural products to enable 

6 the United States to compete in the global market7 place; 

8 (3) increasing the availability of new technical 

9 and scientific information that supports aquacultural 

10 development; 

11 (4) with regard to marine aquaculture, pro12 viding encouragement and identification of marine 

13 zones favorable to aquaculture that take into consid14 eration desired environmental conditions and poten15 tial use conflicts; and 

16 (5) establishing a goal of a 5-fold increase in 

17 United States aquacultural production by 2025.

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