US Congress sees more bipartisan legislation to boost aquaculture
More bipartisan legislation aimed at boosting America’s underdeveloped ocean aquaculture sector has been introduced in the US House of Representatives.
The draft Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025 is a companion piece of legislation to the bipartisan Senate measure (S.2586) introduced earlier this year by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
The MARA Act in the House is being promoted by representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS), Ed Case (D-HI), Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). It is intended to strengthen America’s seafood industry by advancing commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture farms in US federal waters.
The MARA Act would:
- Establish an assessment programme to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects.
- Create a dedicated Office of Aquaculture within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to coordinate federal permitting for a US aquaculture programme.
- Set clear timelines and establish a consolidated environmental review process during the permitting approval process.
- Authorise grant funding to modernise American working waterfront communities, including infrastructure that benefits both commercial fishing and aquaculture.
- Invest in workforce training and curriculum development to train the next generation of aquaculture professionals.
Rep. Ezell said: “The MARA Act ensures that as we grow our offshore aquaculture sector, we do it the right way with science, transparency, and public engagement at the centre.
“This bill puts the US on a path to food security, environmental stewardship, and coastal economic development. Offshore aquaculture, when done responsibly, holds enormous potential to feed more people, create jobs, and protect wild fisheries. The MARA Act gives us the tools to lead the world in sustainable seafood production.”
Rep. Cammack commented, meanwhile: “America should be leading the world in responsible, sustainable seafood production, not outsourcing it.
“The MARA Act will strengthen our food security, support our coastal communities, and ensure that growth in aquaculture off our shores happens the right way—with transparency, science, and accountability.”
SATS welcomes latest move
The latest bill has been welcomed by lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS).
SATS Campaign Manager Drue Banta Winters said: “We thank Reps. Ezell, Case, Cammack and Panetta for their leadership in introducing the MARA Act in the US House, legislation that is necessary to support the expansion of American aquaculture.
“This bill is an important step forward as the US seeks to increase the supply of sustainable seafood coming into US ports. Open ocean aquaculture would work in complement with our nation’s wild fisheries to help increase America’s seafood supply, create jobs across the seafood supply chain, and spur investment in coastal communities. SATS looks forward to continuing to educate Members of Congress on why federal legislation is needed to build a robust American open ocean aquaculture industry that will benefit communities nationwide.”
SATS points out that America imports the vast majority of the seafood it consumes, half from fish farms in other countries. The group argues that lack of a clear permitting framework, as well as duplicative and costly environmental reviews by multiple federal agencies, have made it nearly impossible for fish farmers to establish aquaculture operations in US federal waters, hindering growth of American aquaculture.
Federal legislation is needed to unlock the potential of open ocean aquaculture in America, SATS argues.
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