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WASHINGTON, DC – The Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans held a hearing on the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007. If enacted, this legislation will serve as a blueprint for all future aquaculture projects in federal waters. The following is an excerpt U.S. Rep. Henry E. Brown, Jr.’s (R-SC) statement from last week’s hearing:
“With the demand for healthy protein sources continuing to grow worldwide and the wild harvest sector pretty much stable for the last few years, we need to look for new sources of protein to feed the world’s population. According to NOAA, we currently import more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States.
“We have very healthy wild harvest fisheries in the United States and I am proud of the contributions of the fishermen of South Carolina. In fact, the South Carolina Aquarium has a program that promotes local restaurants that serve locally-caught seafood called the ‘Sustainable Seafood Initiative’.
Brown concluded:
If we are going to feed the world with healthy seafood, we need to look at aquaculture. And if aquaculture is going to feed the world, the United States should be the leader.”
Brown is the Ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans which conducted the hearing.
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