Subsidies for Aquaculture

Over half of todays fish supply comes from farmed fish and by 2030 over two-thirds will come from farmed fish according to the world bank. While in 1980 only 9% of fish consumed came from farming methods.

Another concern is the foreign seafood market share is increasing and the aquaculture environment that fish are not uniformly regulated. Foreign farmed seafood maybe of lower quality and less healthy than US raised seafood.

Great strides have been made in the US in aquaculture especially up in Maine where new techniques for raising scallops are being used. How ever the prices of broodstock and fish feed are expensive and make it hard for the small business owner to compete.

Many potential projects are not being funded and the Universities have less money to attractive future scientist to study aquaculture. subsidiaries for small businesses could be use for the purchase of broodstock and fish feed.

Proposal for the Department of Agriculture to set up a program to allocate money to states who develop a plan to promote aquaculture incentives to the small farmer or aquaculture start ups to help save their farms and to schools to increase promote aquaculture education. States could offer a tax rebate to individuals or small businesses that need to purchase broodstock , fish feed, or aquaculture equipment made in the USA.