Aquaculture Negative WDCA 2014-15

Aquaculture Negative WDCA 2014-15

Novice Packet

Aquaculture Neg

Table of Contents

Aquaculture Neg 1

Glossary 2

Inherency 3

Global Aquaculture Slowing 8

Global aquaculture growth slowing 9

Seafood Imports 10

Economy Impact 11

Decline Does Not Cause War 13

Sustainability 17

Fisheries Not Collapsing 18

Alt Causes Prevent Solvency 24

Biodiversity / Environment Impact 28

Solvency 33

Aquaculture Turns 40

Harms Environment (General and Laundry Lists) 41

Overfishing / Food Security 47

Glossary

What is aquaculture?

http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Protecting_ocean_life/Sustainable_Marine_Aquaculture_final_1_07.pdf

The FAO has defined aquaculture as “the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production as well as ownership of the stock being cultivated” (FAO 2000).

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)- area of the ocean where the United States has the right to economically develop

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/eez.html

The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the U.S., including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over which the United States exercises sovereignty. Within the EEZ, the U.S. has: Sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources, whether living and nonliving, of the seabed and subsoil and the superjacent waters and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds; Jurisdiction as provided for in international and domestic laws with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures, marine scientific research, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment; and Other rights and duties provided for under international and domestic laws.

Fisheries - area where fish are caught in the wild as opposed to those raised in aquaculture

Fish stocks- number of fish living in a fishery or geographic area

Litigation-

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a US federal agency that deals with (you guessed it) issues surrounding the oceans and atmosphere.

Sustainable- able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. Usually used to refer to practices that take into account their environmental impact

Inherency

Obama already advancing a national policy to expand ocean aquaculture

Luening, 13 (1/2/2013, Erich, “Obama's First Term Aquaculture Successes,” http://marthasvineyard.patch.com/groups/erich-luenings-blog/p/bp--obamas-first-term-aquaculture-successes)

WASHINGTON D.C.--With the Obama Inauguration for a second term in January, a look at the aquaculture policy successes of the first four years of the administration shows significant momentum in establishing new policies for the industry among other positive developments.

Under the first Barack Obama presidency the first National Aquaculture Policy (NAP) was adopted, along with the coordination of aquaculture and other marine stakeholders under the president’s National Ocean Council’s (NOC) Draft Implementation Plan, indicating a serious effort to push the domestic seafood farming sector forward, say aquaculture policy makers and industry members.

Aquaculture professionals say there has been a change in how aquaculture is perceived at least on the policy level over the last four years.

“I can see that starting to happen slowly now,” said Sebastian Belle of Maine Aquaculture Association, at the December Northeastern Aquaculture Conference and Expo.

NAP was the most significant and most headlined aquaculture development under Obama’s first term, Dr. Michael Rubino, the Director of Aquaculture at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA, told Aquaculture North America but there were other accomplishments made on-the-ground that were important as well.

“There was a fair number of the sort of nots in bolts things that happened too,” he said. “Certainly when Jane Lubchenco was appointed as NOAA director they asked us to look at everything we are doing, stakeholders and all, on aquaculture.”

The NOAA went around the country and got input at several public meetings as well.

“The federal government hadn’t done that in 10 years, and we got a broad economic view. NOAA policy was addressed on the kind of things we do as far as marine stewardship and engagement,” Rubino said. “Going back 40 years, there have been several commissions, all the way up to the establishment of the National Oceans Council in 2004, and others in between. They all have had aquaculture components, all saying the same thing. Aquaculture has to be done sustainably, with trade policy and good science behind it.”

It’s fair to say that the adoption of the NAP came out of all of those commissions over the years enhanced by the efforts under Lubchenco to get NOAA officials out to different regions of the country to add their voices and interests to the dialogue around framing the new policy.

In the summer of 2011, the United States National Aquaculture Policy was announced, making headlines as the first of its kind in a country that has 95,471 statute miles of tidal shoreline and 200 nautical miles from those coasts out to sea as part of the Exclusive Economic Zone, according to NOAA.

The new aquaculture policy and its components, which reflect the public comments received after draft policies were released on February 9, focus on:

encouraging and fostering sustainable aquaculture that increases the value of domestic aquaculture production and creates American business, jobs, and trade opportunities;

making timely management decisions based on the best scientific information available;

advancing sustainable aquaculture science;

ensuring aquaculture decisions protect wild species and healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems;

developing sustainable aquaculture compatible with other uses;

working with partners domestically and internationally; and,

promoting a level playing field for U.S. aquaculture businesses engaged in international trade, working to remove foreign trade barriers, and enforcing our rights under U.S. trade agreements.

Regulatory concerns being resolved in a systemic manner

Luening, 13 (1/2/2013, Erich, “Obama's First Term Aquaculture Successes,” http://marthasvineyard.patch.com/groups/erich-luenings-blog/p/bp--obamas-first-term-aquaculture-successes)

***Note --- Dr. Michael Rubino is the Director of Aquaculture at the NOAA

The third initiative, under the National Ocean Policy, is to improve the regulatory environment for aquaculture without hurting environmental stewardship, he added. “We are starting to do work on that specifically on shellfish, which is way ahead of finfish aquaculture here in the U.S.,” he explained. “Setting out with ‘who does what when,’ with permitting and applying that at the core district areas. We also want to set up one-stop-permit shops. Once we get our work done on shellfish, same people will work on fin fish, using Washington State, Hawaii and Maine as examples.”

Current policy is expanding sustainable aquaculture

ENS, 11 (6/13/2011, Environmental News Service, “Obama Administration Promotes Aquaculture in U.S. Waters,” http://ens-newswire.com/2011/06/13/obama-administration-promotes-aquaculture-in-u-s-waters/)

The new aquaculture policies, which reflect the public comments received after draft policies were released on February 9, focus on:

encouraging and fostering sustainable aquaculture that increases the value of domestic aquaculture production and creates American business, jobs, and trade opportunities

making timely management decisions based on the best scientific information available

advancing sustainable aquaculture science

ensuring aquaculture decisions protect wild species and healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems

developing sustainable aquaculture compatible with other uses;

working with partners domestically and internationally

promoting a level playing field for U.S. aquaculture businesses engaged in international trade, working to remove foreign trade barriers, and enforcing our rights under U.S. trade agreements

Along with the Obama administration’s new policy, the Commerce Department and NOAA announced additional steps in the future to support the development of the aquaculture industry through:

Developing a National Shellfish Initiative in partnership with the shellfish industry to increase commercial production of shellfish, which would create jobs, provide locally-produced food, restore shellfish populations and habitats, and improve water quality.

Implementing the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plan for Aquaculture, which includes the regulatory infrastructure needed for offshore aquaculture development in the Gulf.

The domestic aquaculture industry – both freshwater and marine – currently supplies about five percent of the seafood consumed in the United States.

The cultivation of shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, comprises about two-thirds of U.S. marine aquaculture production.

Salmon and shrimp aquaculture contribute about 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Current production takes place mainly on land, in ponds, and in states’ coastal waters.

“This new focus on helping us develop and expand sustainable aquaculture is welcomed,” said Bill Dewey, a shellfish biologist and clam farmer of more than 27 years based in Shelton, Washington. “When done right, aquaculture can improve the environment, provide jobs and reclaim American dollars that are being spent on imported aquaculture products.”

New policies expanding sustainable aquaculture

NOAA, 11 (6/29/2011, “Commerce and NOAA release national aquaculture policies to increase domestic seafood production, create sustainable jobs, and restore marine habitats,” http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110609_aquaculture.html)

The Department of Commerce and NOAA today released national sustainable marine aquaculture policies to meet the growing demand for healthy seafood, to create jobs in coastal communities, and restore vital ecosystems. Foreign aquaculture accounts for about half of the 84 percent of seafood imported by the U.S., contributing to the $9 billion trade deficit in seafood.

“Our current trade deficit in seafood is approximately $9 billion,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “Encouraging and developing the U.S. aquaculture industry will result in economic growth and create jobs at home, support exports to global markets, and spur new innovations in technology to support the industry.”

“Sustainable domestic aquaculture can help us meet the increasing demand for seafood and create jobs in our coastal communities,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Our vision is that domestic aquaculture will provide an additional source of healthy seafood to complement wild fisheries, while supporting healthy ecosystems and coastal economies.”

The new aquaculture policies, which reflect the public comments received after draft policies were released on February 9, focus on:

encouraging and fostering sustainable aquaculture that increases the value of domestic aquaculture production and creates American business, jobs, and trade opportunities;

making timely management decisions based on the best scientific information available;

advancing sustainable aquaculture science;

ensuring aquaculture decisions protect wild species and healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems;

developing sustainable aquaculture compatible with other uses;

working with partners domestically and internationally; and,

promoting a level playing field for U.S. aquaculture businesses engaged in international trade, working to remove foreign trade barriers, and enforcing our rights under U.S. trade agreements.

Along with its new policy, the Department and NOAA announced additional steps in the future to support the development of the aquaculture industry through:

Implementing the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plan for Aquaculture, which includes the regulatory infrastructure needed for offshore aquaculture development in the Gulf.

The domestic aquaculture industry (both freshwater and marine) currently supplies about five percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. The cultivation of shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, comprises about two-thirds of U.S. marine aquaculture production. Salmon and shrimp aquaculture contribute about 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Current production takes place mainly on land, in ponds, and in states’ coastal waters.

“This new focus on helping us develop and expand sustainable aquaculture is welcomed,” said Bill Dewey, a shellfish biologist and Shelton, Wash.-based clam farmer of more than 27 years. “When done right, aquaculture can improve the environment, provide jobs and reclaim American dollars that are being spent on imported aquaculture products.”

The Commerce and NOAA policies build on priorities of President Obama’s National Ocean Policy, including the emphasis on protecting, maintaining and restoring healthy and diverse ecosystems; supporting sustainable uses of the ocean; and increasing scientific understanding and applying that knowledge to make better decisions.

Global Aquaculture Slowing

Global aquaculture growth slowing

Klinger & Naylor, 12 --- *Ph.D. student in Stanford's Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environmental and Resources, AND **professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford (Dane & Rosamond, “Searching for Solutions in Aquaculture: Charting a Sustainable Course,” http://woods.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/files/searching%20for%20solutions%20in%20aquaculture.pdf)

Solutions, Opportunities, and Limitations to Growth

Despite rapid increases in recent decades, growth in global aquaculture production may be slowing (3). Natural resource limitations and negative environmental impacts are two of the most significant impediments to continued growth in the aquaculture sector (21). There is a global trend toward intensification of farming systems as competition for land and water resources increases; this trend is particularly apparent in China and other Asian countries facing rapid economic growth, high population densities, and limited resource supplies. Life-cycle assessments of aquaculture production indicate higher energy dependency and greater environmental stress with high rates of intensification (48–50).

Seafood Imports

Economy Impact

Seafood trade deficit doesn’t undermine the economy

Kite-Powell, 11 --- aquaculture policy specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (9/21/2011, Hauke, interview by Kate Madin, “Where Will We Get Our Seafood? Unlike the rest of the world, the U.S. has not embraced aquaculture,” http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/where-will-we-get-our-seafood)

What conclusions did you reach about the U.S. seafood trade deficit?

Kite-Powell: Two key facts were highlighted in the colloquium discussions. First, the U.S. seafood trade deficit is important to the seafood industry, but it's not a big contributor to our national trade picture—it's swamped by our trade in petroleum and manufactured goods. So eliminating the seafood trade deficit is not going to make a noticeable dent in our nation’s overall trade situation.

And second, trade in seafood is not necessarily a bad thing. If there are other countries that can produce high-quality seafood much more efficiently than we can, it makes sense for us to buy it from them. There are species that we may not want to grow in large quantities in the U.S.—possibly shrimp, which comprises a big chunk of our seafood trade deficit. Shrimp are farmed most efficiently in coastal ponds, and we don't have a lot of spare coastal real estate for ponds in the U.S. So it may not make sense to try to become self-sufficient in shrimp.