[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 308 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 308

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
Government should actively pursue a unified approach to strengthen and 
              promote the national policy on aquaculture.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 8, 2003

Mr. McIntyre submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
    the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 
Government should actively pursue a unified approach to strengthen and 
              promote the national policy on aquaculture.

Whereas the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations determined 
        that aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector that provides animal 
        protein for citizens of the world;
Whereas global aquacultural production, including the production of aquatic 
        plants, has increased at an average rate of 9.2 percent per year since 
        1970, compared with an average rate of increase of only 1.4 percent for 
        capture fisheries and 2.8 percent for terrestrial-farmed meat production 
        systems;
Whereas freshwater aquacultural production increased from 15,900,000 metric tons 
        in 1996 to 22,600,000 metric tons in 2001, marine aquacultural 
        production increased from 10,800,000 metric tons in 1996 to 15,200,000 
        metric tons in 2001, and total aquacultural production increased from 
        26,700,000 metric tons in 1996 to 37,800,000 metric tons in 2001;
Whereas economic modeling predicts that global annual consumption of fish and 
        shellfish per person will increase over time, from approximately 16 
        kilograms in 2003 to between 19 and 21 kilograms in 2030, due to 
        increased health consciousness and the stronger demand for seafood 
        products;
Whereas the United States imports more than 60 percent of its seafood products, 
        resulting in an annual seafood trade deficit in excess of 
        $7,000,000,000; and
Whereas section 7139 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
        reauthorized the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 until 2007, but did 
        not adequately address emerging national issues such as offshore 
        aquacultural development, water quality concerns, invasive species 
        impacts, and a coordinated siting, permitting, and licensing process: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Federal Government should actively pursue a unified approach to 
strengthen and promote the national policy on aquaculture, including as 
priorities--
            (1) ensuring the sustainable development of production 
        where aquaculture is economically viable, environmentally 
        feasible, and culturally acceptable;
            (2) analyzing the supply and demand for domestic and 
        exported aquacultural products to enable the United States to 
        compete in the global marketplace;
            (3) increasing the availability of technical and scientific 
        information that addresses environmentally sound aquacultural 
        development and production activities;
            (4) increasing the availability of technical and scientific 
        information that will promote stock enhancement of marine 
        aquatic species where wild stocks have been depleted;
            (5) encouraging and identifying marine zones favorable to 
        aquaculture that take into consideration desired environmental 
        conditions and potential use conflicts; and
            (6) establishing a goal of a five-fold increase in United 
        States aquacultural production by 2025.
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