Comment through March 16
Today, NOAA Fisheries released the draft National Seafood Strategy and invites public comment through March 16, 2023. The strategy outlines our direction for supporting a thriving domestic U.S. seafood economy and enhancing the resilience of the seafood sector in the face of climate change and other stressors.
Our vision is to ensure that:
- U.S. seafood continues to be produced sustainably
- U.S. seafood production increases to support jobs, the economy, and the competitiveness of the U.S. seafood sector
- The U.S. seafood sector contributes to the nation’s climate-ready food production and to meeting critical domestic nutritional needs
- Supply chains and infrastructure are modernized with more value-added activity in the United States
- Opportunities are expanded for a diverse and growing seafood workforce
The Strategy
The strategy also responds to the unprecedented challenges facing the U.S. seafood industry, including climate change, the coronavirus pandemic, new technologies and other ocean uses, and significant labor shortages and aging infrastructure.
NOAA Fisheries plans to implement the strategy by focusing on four goals:
- Sustain or increase sustainable U.S. wild capture production
- Increase sustainable U.S. aquaculture production
- Foster access to domestic and global markets for the U.S. seafood industry
- Strengthen the entire U.S. seafood sector
The strategy was developed based on feedback from partners, industry, Tribes, and stakeholders on the many challenges the seafood sector faces and the role NOAA Fisheries might play in sustaining it. We will leverage existing capabilities and partnerships to meet these goals. We will also seek new resources and collaborations for the aspirational, yet important, activities. We look forward to working with you on advancing these goals.
How Do I Comment?
Public comments are integral to finalizing the strategy and helping guide the direction of our work to support the seafood sector. Information on how to submit written comments or join our two virtual listening sessions is available on our website.
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