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Offshore Aquaculture Management— Coming Soon to Federal Waters
When you go to a store to buy fish, do you know where it comes from? More than 60 percent of the seafood eaten in Hawai‘i is imported, and nationally the rate is even higher. Depending on distant locations to supply seafood can cause price volatility as well as concerns with health standards and food safety. For Hawai‘i to be self-sustaining, more seafood needs to be produced in Hawai‘i, but fishing on wild stocks can only provide so much due to current participation, regulations and the political climate. To make up the seafood shortfall, aquaculture is being considered here and nationwide.
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Aquaculture, or the cultivation and raising of plants or animals for food or other purposes, is a centuries-old practice that continues today with both traditional and modern techniques. On land and near shore, aquaculture can be seen on a small scale from growing tilapia in backyard hydroponic systems to large tanks holding shrimp and finfish on the Kona coast and the Hawaiian fishponds that line the coasts. Offshore aquaculture is still in its infancy with only one operation currently in state waters, although there has been interest in the past.
To meet the growing consumer demand for fresh local fish, Hawai‘i-based aquaculture companies have worked to successfully and sustainably raise and harvest species like Hawaiian kampachi (amberjack or kahala) in state and federal waters.
Photo: Jeff Milisen and Ocean Era Inc.
Ideas for offshore aquaculture have previously passed several permitting and scoping levels, but only a few have reached the implementation phase due to the many steps involved. To date, most activities have occurred in state waters due to the lack of permits available for federal waters. Recently, Ocean Era proposed an aquaculture project in the waters off ‘Ewa Beach, O‘ahu to raise nenue, moi and limu for commercial production. The company shared a preliminary environmental review on their website to increase engagement with the community and is accepting comments at <www.ocean-era.com/ewa-beachoffshore-aquaculture-proposal>.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (the Council) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recognize that space is limited for aquaculture within state and territorial waters. The agencies want to ensure that expansion into federal waters is environmentally sound and economically sustainable by establishing a federal aquaculture permitting process. This would maximize seafood benefits to the United States and reduce the seafood shortfall. Seafood demand in Hawai‘i and across the globe is increasing, and aquaculture can help meet it.
NMFS is developing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to provide information for the Council to review, authorize and monitor offshore aquaculture operations in federal waters. This statement will provide alternatives for the regulatory process implementation and soon will be available for public review and comment. The PEIS compares options for permitting, siting, types of aquaculture systems and allowable species, among other options. It will also describe the physical, biological, social and economic impacts.
NMFS will provide an update on the PEIS at the Council’s June 2021 meeting. Once the agency completes the statement, the Council may recommend a management program to NMFS that would authorize offshore aquaculture. To follow along with this process, check out <www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ aquaculture/aquaculture-pacific-islands>. For more information on the Council’s plans, visit <www.wpcouncil.org>.
