Toward sustainable open ocean aquaculture in the United States

In response to a request by American Fisheries Society President Christopher Kohler, we examined the current status of open ocean aquaculture in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the United States, interest in open ocean aquaculture activities, the regulatory environment, and the potential for sustainable development. There is currently little interest in establishing facilities within the EEZ by the commercial sector, largely because of the lack of a formal regulatory structure, though that may be changing as Congress develops legislation on aquaculture in the EEZ. Current U.S. open ocean research and commercial activities are in state or territorial waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is poised to take the primary regulatory lead in the EEZ, with other federal agencies, such as the Minerals Management Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and Environmental Protection Agency participating. Under proposed legislation, coastal states would have the opportunity to comment on facilities in the EEZ adjacent to their jurisdictions. A variety of concerns pertaining to open ocean aquaculture development have been put forward that relate to environmental sustainability. We conclude that in the absence of large-scale facilities in the EEZ and associated research in conjunction with such facilities, the potential risks of open ocean aquaculture cannot be adequately evaluated. Data obtained from open ocean sites in other countries may or may not be applicable in this country's EEZ, but international cooperation in sharing environmental information from open ocean aquaculture operations can help researchers and regulators develop environmental safeguards and have them in place, if and when open ocean aquaculture becomes a commercial reality in the United States.