Offshore Marine Aquaculture

Book excerpt: Aquaculture (AQ) -- the raising of fish and shellfish in captivity -- has been confined to near-shore coastal waters or in other water bodies that fall under state regulation. Recently, there has been interest in expanding AQ to offshore waters, which would involve raising fish and shellfish in the open ocean, and consequently bringing these types of operations under fed. regulation. No comprehensive legislative or regulatory framework to manage such an expansion exists. Instead, multiple federal agencies have authority to regulate different aspects of offshore AQ under a variety of laws. This report identifies key issues that should be addressed in the development of an effective regulatory framework for U.S. offshore AQ. Illus.