[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 NATIONAL AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION ACT OF 1994 INTRODUCED

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                        HON. BLANCHE M. LAMBERT

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 29, 1994

  Ms. LAMBERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation which 
will promote a growing domestic industry and help to create jobs in 
rural America. My bill will assist one of the fastest growing segments 
of American agriculture--aquaculture farming.
  As our country continues to play a leading role in the expanding 
global economy we must continue to first identify new markets and then 
secure an adequate market share for our commodities. This bill will 
help to accomplish both of those goals. Although this industry 
continues to grow in the United States we are far behind our global 
competitors--countries such as China, Japan, India, Norway, and 
Thailand all enjoy a larger percentage of the global market. Currently 
the United States imports approximately 60 percent of its fish and 
shellfish; a situation that results in an approximately $3.3 billion 
annual trade deficit in seafood products. Clearly there is room for 
improvement.
  There can be no doubt that the United States has the technology and 
production capacity to make such improvements, all we need now is a 
national strategy implemented through the Department of Agriculture. 
Traditional production agriculture has enjoyed the support of the 
American people for decades and the results have been no less than 
staggering: Our country produces the most abundant, safest and least 
expensive food supply in the world, supplying food and fiber not only 
for our country but also for the rest of the world. All of this is 
accomplished in spite of the fact that agriculture-related programs 
account for less than 1 percent of the Federal budget and have 
sustained massive cuts over the past several years. Yet agriculture is 
the only sector of our economy that enjoys a trade surplus.
  Mr. Speaker, over 30 States raise approximately two dozen species 
commercially. In my home State of Arkansas, aquaculture production, 
including catfish, baitfish and carp, has a total value of almost $100 
million, with almost 50,000 acres in production.
  This bill, although modest in scope and in cost, will provide the 
Secretary of Agriculture with a framework to pursue a national policy 
for private aquaculture. Specifically the bill will provide the 
Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretaries of 
Interior and Commerce, with the authority to develop an aquaculture 
program for private aquaculture within 1 year of enactment. The bill 
also authorizes the Secretary to establish an educational program for 
high school and vocational education students in order to increase the 
understanding of basic aquaculture farming principles and methods. In 
addition the bill would make aquaculture farmers eligible for farm 
credit loans and provide disaster assistance to aquaculture farmers who 
suffer losses due to damaging weather or a related condition. I should 
note that this bill does not provide a subsidy program for aquaculture, 
but merely gives aquaculture farmers access to some of the non-subsidy 
programs that are available to traditional agriculture.
  This bill is similar to legislation introduced in the Senate last 
year by Senator Akaka of Hawaii and now enjoys the support of 31 
cosponsors ranging from California to Maine. It is my hope that the 
House will move quickly to hold hearings on this bill and implement its 
provisions which will ultimately benefit rural America as well as the 
U.S. position in the global marketplace.

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