Offshore Finfish Aquaculture in the United States: An Examination of Federal Laws That Could be Used to Address Environmental and Occupational Public Health Risks

Abstract

Half of the world’s edible seafood comes from aquaculture, and the United States (US) government is working to develop an offshore finfish aquaculture industry in federal waters. To date, US aquaculture has largely been regulated at the state level, and creating an offshore aquaculture industry will require the development of a new regulatory structure. Some aquaculture practices involve hazardous working conditions and the use of veterinary drugs, agrochemicals, and questionable farming methods, which could raise environmental and occupational public health concerns if these methods are employed in the offshore finfish industry in the US. This policy analysis aims to inform public health professionals and other stakeholders in the policy debate regarding how offshore finfish aquaculture should be regulated in the US to protect human health; previous policy analyses on this topic have focused on environmental impacts. We identified 20 federal laws related to offshore finfish aquaculture, including 11 that are relevant to preventing, controlling, or monitoring potential public health risks. Given the novelty of the industry in the US, myriad relevant laws, and jurisdictional issues in an offshore setting, federal agencies need to work collaboratively and transparently to ensure that a comprehensive and functional regulatory structure is established that addresses the potential public health risks associated with this type of food production.

Epigenetics in aquaculture – the last frontier

“…It can also be relevant for offshore aquaculture, where the organisms can be affected by environmental pollution (Fry et al . ). An example of such potentially transferable studies is the work by Pierron et al .…”

“…Addressing the effects of metal exposure, for example, may be relevant in the context of aquaculture for species cultured in recirculating aquaculture systems as this type of substances may accumulate in the water, due to the feeds used and the corrosion of materials (Martins et al 2011). It can also be relevant for offshore aquaculture, where the organisms can be affected by environmental pollution (Fry et al 2014). An example of such potentially transferable studies is the work by Pierron et al (2014), where immature European eels (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of cadmium (0.4 and 4 lg L À1 ) for 45 days.…”

Mythbusters: What's Real and What's Not When It Comes to Fish Drugs

“…Based on these scenarios, it is difficult to find scientific support for the comment that hatchery fish are "festooned" with drugs. In addition to the aforementioned FDA regulatory oversight of drug use in fish culture, Fry et al (2014) identified nine other federal laws (e.g., the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Ocean Dumping Act) which could be used to address antibiotic use and/or food safety in offshore aquaculture (i.e., aquaculture in U.S. federal waters).…”

Occupational Injuries of Aquaculture Workers: Washington State

“…A global increase in farmed fish consumption has prompted the United States to implement offshore finfish aquaculture in federal waters off the coasts of California, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, and Washington (6). Food fish sales in 2013 ($732,147,000) were more than 2.5 times that in 2005 in the U.S. (2).…”

“…Washington's state plan, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), is part of the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) that develops and enforces occupational safety and health rules as empowered by the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA). OSHA regulates aquaculture as an agricultural activity, but exempts operations with fewer than 11 non-family employees from inspections and OSHA enforcement (6). OSHA has jurisdiction over WA employees working on floating worksites that are not connected to the land (such as floating net pens and harvest barges).…”