[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 160 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 160

 To express the sense of the Senate that the Federal Government should 
   actively pursue a unified approach to strengthen and promote the 
                    national policy on aquaculture.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2003

Mr. Akaka submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To express the sense of the Senate 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 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 about 16 kilograms 
        today 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 7109 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
        (Public Law 107-171; 116 Stat. 436) reauthorized the National 
        Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) until 2007, but did not 
        adequately address emerging national issues such as offshore aquaculture 
        development, water quality concerns, invasive species impacts, and a 
        coordinated siting, permitting, and licensing process: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to 
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 new technical and 
        scientific information that supports aquaculture development;
            (4) with regard to marine aquaculture, providing 
        encouragement and identification of marine zones favorable to 
        aquaculture that take into consideration desired environmental 
        conditions and potential use conflicts; and
            (5) establishing a goal of a 5-fold increase in United 
        States aquacultural production by 2025.
                                 <all>