Pallone Leads Push to Bolster U.S. Seafood, Level the Playing Field for American Aquaculture

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today reintroduced the Supporting Equity for Aquaculture and Seafood (SEAS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would ensure America’s seafood producers receive equal treatment under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and spark new investment in the aquaculture sector.

The bill is co-led in the House by Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and will soon be introduced in the Senate by Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), who co-led the bill as a House member in the 118^th Congress. The legislation addresses longstanding disparities in federal support for aquaculture — one of the fastest-growing food sectors in the world.

“Aquaculture has enormous potential to strengthen our food system, reduce our seafood trade deficit, and expand access to safe, sustainable American seafood,” said Pallone. “But for too long, USDA programs have overlooked coastal producers. The SEAS Act fixes that by putting seafood on equal footing with traditional agriculture and making smart investments to help this industry grow.”

“America’s national security is closely tied to our food security. As aquaculture continues to advance with new technologies and techniques, it offers the promise of more affordable, sustainable, and safe seafood for American families. Florida’s aquaculture industry generates over $165 million in annual sales, ranking among the top states nationwide,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I’m proud to work alongside Rep. Pallone in strengthening and supporting USDA’s aquaculture initiatives.”

The United States currently imports up to 85 percent of its seafood – much of it from foreign aquaculture. Despite USDA dietary guidelines recommending Americans eat more seafood, domestic producers often face barriers to accessing federal funding and insurance coverage that are routinely available to land-based agriculture operations.

“Aquaculture in the U.S. is an expanding industry that faces growing pains and the challenges of a highly variable environment, especially with respect to the rapidly changing dynamics of coasts and estuaries. Congressman Pallone’s leadership on this bill will provide additional resources for this industry to thrive, and support the innovation necessary to address key stressors such as disease, increasing water temperature, changes in salinity and range shifts in habitats,” said Mike De Luca, Director of the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center.

“We have to work harder to shrink our seafood deficit and bolster our nation’s own production capabilities. The SEAS Act prioritizes aquaculture and lays out a framework for its future. We are eager to work with Congressman Pallone to strengthen the domestic production of shellfish,” said Matt Gregg, President of the New Jersey Aquaculture Association.

The SEAS Act would:

• Direct USDA to treat aquaculture and seafood producers with the same consideration as livestock and crop farmers for grant and assistance programs.
• Mandates a USDA report to Congress evaluating the Department’s role in supporting aquaculture and detailing USDA spending on seafood-related purchases and program activity.
• Bolsters research into methods of increasing survival rate and adaptability of shellfish and establishes a grant program to develop new, more efficient technologies for the aquaculture industry.
• Expands federal crop insurance to cover aquaculture products.