Column: World Oceans Week: Healthy aquaculture, healthy nation

As we celebrate World Ocean Week, it is important for us to reflect on the vital role that our oceans play and will continue to in supporting the livelihoods of countless families in Hawaii and across the planet. As the world’s population continues to grow, we are eating more seafood than ever before, and our global fishing and aquaculture industries are now providing jobs for more than 60 million people. Although Hawaii has long been one of the top U.S. states for aquaculture innovation and sustainable seafood farming, our nation has yet to tap into the many economic benefits the aquaculture sector is already providing in other countries.

Aquaculture has been responsible for nearly all growth in the world’s seafood supply over the past three decades and is the source of more than half of all seafood consumed today. Other nations’ aquaculture industries are thriving, and top producers such as India, China and Indonesia have been actively investing in expanding their aquaculture production to meet their citizens’ growing seafood consumption. Norway is operating a $10 billion industry. Demand for seafood is also burgeoning in the U.S., but America’s lack of a clear regulatory framework for permitting new aquaculture projects has deterred U.S. investors from opening businesses that would produce more American-made seafood.

American entrepreneurs looking to launch new technology solutions to optimize sustainable production and cost efficiency in aquaculture also have been driven by similar challenges to take their inventions overseas. Hatch Blue has invested in 30 aquaculture startups over the past two years, making it the most active program by the number of deals in the aquaculture sector. We work with our portfolio companies to help them secure follow-on funding, growing them into companies that advance the broader aquaculture industry. America is a global leader in technology innovation across many other industries, but is noticeably missing out on the technological revolution happening in our great oceans.

Aquaculture has thrived in other nations for decades. Now, America just may have its moment. Two recent developments have driven important progress toward clearing hurdles that have held America back from realizing aquaculture’s immense potential. Most recently, the White House executive order issued last month to increase American seafood production establishes one federal agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to review and authorize offshore aquaculture projects, providing a more efficient and predictable aquaculture permitting and regulatory framework. The order also introduces clear environmental standards to help enhance the protection of wildlife within our oceans. In March, the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act introduced in the U.S. House called for agencies to amend regulations to account for offshore aquaculture and simplify the aquaculture permitting process, while also carving out pathways to fund new research.

We now stand at a pivotal moment in which Congress holds the power to unlock new sustainable job opportunities and economic gains without compromising the health of our oceans and the environment, if our lawmakers take action. As many regions work to recover from the economic turmoil brought on by the recent pandemic, there is no reason why the growing adoption of aquaculture that is helping to fulfill economic needs for millions worldwide should be restricted from providing these benefits on America’s shores as well.

Seafood also is one of the most nutritious and healthy ways for Americans to consume the protein they need, and can serve as a cost-­effective way to our feed our nation.

It’s projected that by 2050, the global demand for seafood will increase by 70%, and that means it will take 40 million tons of additional fish to meet that demand. America can and should be part of the solution.

On this World Ocean Week, my hope is that Congress enables America to be a leader in aquaculture production, and we can all be a healthier nation for it.

Crystal Johnson is head of Hawaii business development for Hatch Blue, a global aquaculture accelerator focused on sustainable aquaculture.