Blog

As the COVID-19 pandemic is finally beginning to relent, I want to thank all of you who have continued to support CAA through these unprecedented times. Without your membership with CAA, we wouldn’t have been able to continue to advocate for your business and provide the support and assistance needed for you to make it through this challenging time.

If you have not yet renewed your membership for 2021, we kindly ask that you do so by submitting dues according to your membership renewal invoice. (If you have not received your membership renewal invoice, please contact me at michael@caaquaculture.org.)

As we do each year around this time, any lapsed memberships will soon be removed from our roster. Even if you haven’t been able to renew your membership due to the pandemic and still wish to continue to stay engaged with CAA, please let me know so that I can accommodate accordingly.

As a brief reminder, we have continued to support your business by:

• Engaging state and national agencies and officials to provide COVID-19 relief to include:
  • HR 748, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act): SBA COVID-19 disaster relief, EIDL Advance, and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP1 and PPP2).
  • Improving food security to depend more on domestic seafood.
  • Streamlining regulations so that more seafood can be grown in California.
  • Additional grants and low interest loans to survive COVID-19 conditions.
• Supporting the reestablishment of the Aquaculture Depredation Order (AQDO) to relieve members of double-crested cormorant predation.
• Supporting an amendment to the Farm Bill to exempt live fish from onerous delivery regulations.
• Participating in a walk on the hill in Washington, D.C. (in 2019) as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Aquaculture Association to advance pro-aquaculture legislation in California and nationwide.
• Standing with shellfish farmers to establish reasonable best management practices (BMPs), as requested by the state and supporting the Shellfish Initiative to triple production.
• Protecting coastal aquaculture and seafood economies by advocating for support of HR 3596, Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act.
• Supporting the RESTAURANTS Act and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to help ensure continued demand for seafood products in restaurants.
• Working to establish a marine aquaculture industry in California by:
  • Supporting and assisting in amending the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act.
  • Maintaining commitment from the CDFW to complete the marine PEIR.
  • Recommending that “marine finfish aquaculture” be added to the Ocean Protection Council’s (OPC) Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025.
• Promoting California aquaculture to meet current and future demand.
• Advocating enhanced stocking of warm water fish.

As always, we thank you for your continued dedication to our work. We look forward to serving you and enhancing your opportunity to thrive – and we hope that you and your families are staying healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Michael Lee, Executive Director
michael@caaquaculture.org
(916) 246-6349