Industry advocates argue that passage of the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act would create a predictable pathway, support science-backed demonstration projects, and stimulate the infrastructure needed to move US offshore aquaculture beyond pilot-scale development.
The coalitions’ call for Congress to advance the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act, which supports offshore aquaculture in US federal waters, comes as US aquaculture remains bottlenecked by a fragmented regulatory system even as retailers and foodservice operators push for more reliable sources of responsibly-raised seafood. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Brian Schatz, (D-Hawaii) in August.
The bill’s goals include:
- Funding research and commercial-scale demonstration projects to explore sustainable aquaculture methods.
- Codifying NOAA’s Office of Aquaculture, giving it legal authority to oversee and support the industry. NOAA’s long-term planning efforts and market demand trends points to a sector ready for scale but lacking consistent federal guidance.
- Streamlining permitting for offshore aquaculture farms.
- Supporting working waterfront infrastructure and workforce development to prepare coastal communities and maritime professionals for the industry’s expansion.
The Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) coalition and the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) sent a joint letter on Dec. 2 signed by 140 open ocean aquaculture representatives and advocates to the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and US House Committee on Natural Resources to pass the MARA Act.
Why the MARA Act matters for business and the environment
Supporters of the MARA Act say the legislation would help the US seafood industry expand responsibly while meeting growing market demand.
SATS emphasizes the bill would “increase our domestic seafood supply, create jobs and spur investment in coastal communities, strengthen the US seafood industry, and reduce the nation’s seafood trade deficit.”
CSA adds that the act “will address critical questions about the environmental, economic and social aspects of open-ocean seafood farming” while helping support existing seafood economy stakeholders.
Sustainability questions sharpen the focus on responsible growth
Even with growing enthusiasm, sustainability concerns continue to shape aquaculture’s trajectory. Aquaculture’s sustainability highlights the sector’s dual role: a necessary tool to relieve pressure on wild stocks, but one that carries risks without strong oversight.
Well-managed farms can mitigate overfishing, reduce habitat damage and supply lower-impact protein compared with certain wild-capture methods. But challenges persist – from energy-intensive land-based systems to water-quality impacts, disease management, feed sourcing and community-level environmental risks.
These complexities underscore why environmental groups, NGOs and many seafood companies are pushing for federal standards that match the scale of industry ambitions.
Retailers expand ASC-certified assortments as cod enters focus
The policy push arrives at the same time the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is strengthening its footprint in US retail and foodservice. ASC’s recent launch of farmed cod certification marks a significant milestone for a species traditionally defined by wild-capture supply constraints.
Cod remains one of the top seafood species purchased in the US, and the availability of a certified, responsibly farmed alternative gives retailers and foodservice operators a tool to stabilize sourcing and reduce vulnerability to wild-catch fluctuations, according to ASC.
ASC leaders have framed cod certification, along with their new unified multi-species farm standard rolling out through 2027, as a critical step toward expanding affordable responsible assortments in mainstream retail.
