Vince McDonagh

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

Open minds

Americans could be ready to give aquaculture a cautious welcome

FOR a people renowned for enterprise and innova� on, especially in food produc� on, Americans have been surprisingly ambivalent about the benefi ts of aquaculture.

Alaskans don’t want it in their backyard and the majority of US consumers prefer to eat wild-caught salmon rather than the farmed variety. At best Congress remains lukewarm despite industry pressure.

Ranked at number 17 on a global scale, the United States remains a minor player in aquaculture, preferring to import most of its seafood. Much of what it produces itself in aquaculture is not fi nfi sh such as salmon, but farmed oysters, mussels and clams.

However, according to a recent na� onwide poll conducted by the highly respected Environmental Defence Fund (EDF), US consumers could be ready to embrace more home-grown produc� on.

EDF, which began when an ad hoc group of scien� sts got together in the 1960s to save the osprey from the toxic pes� cide DDT, is now one of the world’s leading environmental organisa� ons. It periodically turns its a� en� on to various aspects of American life as it aff ects the natural world.

The poll, conducted by Benenson Strategy Group, surveyed 800 registered voters na� onwide from 9 July to 15 July 2021. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.4% at the 95% confi dence interval.

EDF says the poll included registered voters “because they elect the decision-makers on these “because they elect the decision-makers on these issues and tend to be the main focus for Congress issues and tend to be the main focus for Congress and state legislatures across the country.” and state legislatures across the country.”

Nearly 70% of the respondents who eat seafood were concerned about where it originates. Nearly were concerned about where it originates. Nearly 90% of voters were in favour of increasing regula90% of voters were in favour of increasing regula� on, se� ng higher standards for seafood, making � on, se� ng higher standards for seafood, making seafood more sustainable for the long term and seafood more sustainable for the long term and reducing the environmental harms that can result reducing the environmental harms that can result from fi sh farming. from fi sh farming.

About 73% said they were likely to eat more seafood if it was raised or caught in the US and seafood if it was raised or caught in the US and 71% were likely to increase their consump� on if it 71% were likely to increase their consump� on if it came from sources proven to be sustainable. came from sources proven to be sustainable.

The Environmental Defence Fund says Americans import more than 85% of all the seafood they cans import more than 85% of all the seafood they eat, of which more than half is farmed. It o� en eat, of which more than half is farmed. It o� en comes from countries that lack strong standards comes from countries that lack strong standards for safety, environmental protec� on and other for safety, environmental protec� on and other issues, which probably goes unno� ced by many issues, which probably goes unno� ced by many consumers. consumers.

The poll did raise serious concerns about foreign

Left: Fish farmer Below left: Pacifi c white shrimp Below: Cascade Locks Hatchery, Oregon Opposite from top: Fish farmer checks tank; a seafood feast; Fish Springs Hatchery, California

aquaculture, especially around reports of overcrowded fi sh pens and the overuse of an� bio� cs, with 55% saying they were very worried.

The public also expressed concerns about domes� c aquaculture for some of the same reasons, including the perceived threat to oceans and the livelihoods of conven� onal fi shermen. Then there is the growth in off shore aquaculture where farms are posi� oned in deeper and less-sheltered waters with stronger ocean currents. This is now a common prac� ce in countries outside of the US, par� cularly Norway.

But the most interes� ng result from the survey is that most Americans are not intrinsically an� -fi sh farming with 84% saying they would support the prac� ce provided it was properly regulated.

Seven out of 10 polled said they would eat more fi sh if it had been caught or farmed in US waters, where they believed environmental, safety and welfare standards were generally higher than in many parts of the world.

EDF says: “Over seven in 10 American voters would eat more seafood if there were higher safety standards on how farmed fi sh are produced. Voters have concerns about the health and environmental impacts of both foreign and domes� c aquaculture.

“Voters want more consumer protec� ons and stronger regula� ons on farmed fi sh sold in the US, and more seafood raised here using those higher standards.

“There is strong support for a proposal to ‘fi rst examine the risks and opportuni� es of fi sh farming in US federal waters, before se� ng high standards and regula� on for safe and sustainable aquaculture’.”

Those polled rejected extreme stances on both sides of the aquaculture debate, with the overwhelming majority preferring the proposal above to either immediately opening federal waters or forever keeping them closed to aquaculture.

The report concludes: “Across the country and par� san lines, Americans believe fi sh farming in US federal waters needs to be done right – that means taking the � me to research the benefi ts and risks so we can develop high standards that keep Americans healthy and our environment safe.

“When presented with compe� ng arguments from both the le� and the right, a strong majority of voters side with an approach to aquaculture that keeps our environment safe, while off ering benefi ts to the economy.”

The majority said huge “factory” fi sh farms should never be built in US waters, claiming that industrial aquaculture dumps fi sh waste and an� bio� cs into the seas and makes climate change worse. Industrial fi sh farming also threatened fi shermen’s livelihoods and coastal economies.

When carried out correctly, EDF says, fi sh farming is the most environmentally friendly and low-carbon way to produce not just seafood, but any animal protein for human consump� on, and it creates a sustainable seafood supply to feed the country and the world.

And this view was held by 62% of people surveyed, who also said US federal waters should be opened immediately to private companies. Not only would that create thousands of jobs, but it would also secure the na� on’s food supply.

Eric Schwaab, Senior Vice-President for ecosystems and oceans at EDF, says: “Americans value local seafood and want to know that the fi sh they eat is caught or raised safely and sustainably. “As aquaculture is increasingly a part of our seafood choices, special eff orts are needed to get aquaculture right. By developing a new na� onal standard, the United States can lead the way in ensuring that we meet consumer demand and grow local business while also reducing the environmental footprint of food produc� on.”

Find out more about the Environmental Defence Fund at www.edf.org FF

“Seven in 10 American voters would eat more seafood if there were higher safety standards”

Regional variations

The EDF poll threw up a few regional diff erences. In Florida seven in 10 people said they would eat more farmed seafood if it came from sustainable sources, while over in California the fi gure was four out of fi ve. Florida residents wanted be� er consumer protec� on and stronger farmed fi sh regula� ons, while Californians were more concerned about health and the environment.

Industry pressure

Earlier this year the seafood pressure group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) called on the US Congress to off er stronger support to the aquaculture sector. SATS said aquaculture was essen� al to the US economy and could strengthen food security and create stronger communi� es through the crea� on of jobs. Poli� cal progress, however, remains slow.