Thursday, July 10, 2003

WILMINGTON -- Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-N.C. 7th District) has introduced a Sense of the U.S. House Resolution to strengthen and promote the national policy on aquaculture.

The resolution recognizes that aquaculture has increased at an average rate of 9.2 percent per year since 1970, compared to 1.4 percent increase among wild caught aquatic species and 2.8 percent for terrestrial-farmed meat products.

Representative McIntyre has been a solid champion of marine aquaculture research at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and has helped to build the university’s program into one of the best in the Southeast. Federal support has delivered cutting edge research in grow rates, nutrition, survivability and quality of two species of flounder and black sea bass.

Congressman McIntyre stated, “Aquaculture is important to the economy, important to the health of our oceans, and important to marine research. This resolution will raise awareness of aquaculture and the important contributions that it has in our society.

“This resolution not only addresses issues of environment and research, but calls for a five-fold increase in U.S. production by 2025, which will be essential to meet future demands for quality seafood products,” he said.

The resolution, although similar to one introduced in the Senate, includes additional language that strengthens its environmental concerns and promotes the use of aquaculture techniques to enhance wild stocks of marine organisms that have been depleted or are in decline.

UNCW Interim Provost Paul Hosier added, “Once again, Rep. Mike McIntyre has recognized the importance of a healthy, environmentally safe, aquaculture industry to the nation and to North Carolina. We appreciate his on-going support.”

Congressman McIntyre is a member of the House Oceans Caucus.



The full text of the resolution is below:

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 increase of only 1.4 percent for capture fisheries 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 aquacultural development, water quality concerns, invasive species impacts, and a coordinated siting, permitting, and licensing process: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is 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, including as priorities

(1) ensuring the sustainable development of production where aquaculture is economically viable, environmentally feasible, and culturally acceptable;

(2) analyzing the supply and demand for domestic and exported aquacultural products to enable

the United States to compete in the global marketplace;

(3) increasing the availability of technical and scientific information that addresses environmentally sound aquacultural development and production activities;

(4) increasing the availability of technical and scientific information that will promote stock en-

hancement of marine aquatic species where wild stocks have been depleted;

(5) encouraging and identifying marine zones favorable to aquaculture that take into consideration desired environmental conditions and potential use conflicts; and

(6) establishing a goal of a five-fold increase in United States aquacultural production by 2025.