On the waterfront

Film reveals pitfalls and potential in US aquaculture industry

Despite its vast coastline, more than 90 per cent of the seafood consumed in the US is imported from overseas. The US aquaculture seafood. And although the world aquaculture sector is valued at $100 billion, the US produces less than one per cent of this.

American farmers are asking why they are not growing more of their own

the country there are already some thriving aquaculture sectors and the

85,000 acres. One company, Harvest Select, in Uniontown, Alabama, em

10 million pounds of salmon.

room to move.

to permit a new farm in the next two years, but

‘The US consumes more than 450 million pounds of farmed salmon a year but only 10 per or Maine.

‘If we had access to one per cent more water in all the farmed salmon to meet US demand.

industry and growing it.

process for applying for a permit is extremely challenging, very expensive and slow and there is no certainty in the system.

that will allow us to invest in the science required to vet the new site and go through all the legal

growers.

There are 180 farms, fresh and saltwater, says, Maine is unique in the US in its diversity and big range of species, from seaweed to oysters, mussels and salmon.

‘Aquaculture is becoming increasingly important in Maine because of the sheer growth of success

‘There are tremendous research and development assets on the east coast, the west coast, in Hawaii, in the Gulf of Mexico – all important for us to be able to build the sector.

‘The irony, of course, is that much of that research is now being commercialised in other countries because it takes so long to get a busi-