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The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) has posted an updated analysis of refuting the variety of tenacious myths critical of marine aquaculture practiced in the United States.  These myths have persisted for decades to be presented as facts to the public and Congress. The reality is U.S. fish and shellfish farmers culture aquatic animals and plants within a very complicated and expensive legal, regulatory, husbandry and science-driven environment.

We believe the vast majority of Americans are unfamiliar with this environment or have erroneously assumed marine aquaculture-related environmental damage reported in other countries occurs here at-home.

Our response to these pernicious myths, criticisms and assumptions does not lend itself to short, simple answers; although, we have worked to be as succinct as possible in this white paper. The myths, unfounded criticisms and assumptions we address include:

• American commercial fishing and marine finfish aquaculture cannot coexist.
  • Farmers and fishers co-exist quite well.
• Federal regulations, permitting and environmental review processes are inadequate to manage offshore fish farms.
  • Nine vigilant federal agencies, 20 federal Acts and thousands of lines in the Code of Federal Regulations are very effective.
• Marine net pens or sea cages are factory farms that in US waters would contribute marine pollution caused by excess feed, untreated fish waste, antibiotics and antifoulants.
  • Feeds represent 60% of variable production costs and farms invest to prevent feed loss; nutrients become pollutants when discharged in excess – not so for net pen production; no antibiotics are approved for marine finfish; at harvest fish represent 2% to 4% of the volume of a net pen.
• Offshore farms entangle marine animals.
  • Farms are not designed to entangle; entanglement is a very rare event.
• Escaped farm-raised fish adversely impact wild fish stocks.
  • Not in the United States.
• Fish Meal and Fish Oil in Fish Feeds are Unsustainable.
  • Current feeds produce more fish than are used as an important ingredient to produce feeds.
• Farm-raised fish will displace US fisheries and are cheap and of low-quality.
  • Not so for US farm-raised fish and shellfish. US cost of production is higher because of the social and environmental regulatory costs and the cost of US goods and services purchased by the farming community.

To read or download the analysis, please click here. If you have questions or comments, please contact the NAA Office at naa@thenaa.net or 850-216-2400.