Rancho Dominguez, CALIFORNIA – Santa Monica Seafood Co. welcomes the reintroduction of the American Aquaculture Quality and Understanding Act (AQUAA). The bipartisan bill, reintroduced on October 28, would set national standards for offshore aquaculture, help meet growing demand for local, sustainable seafood, and create new jobs.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that the United States has over 95,000 miles of coastline. Roger O’Brien, President and CEO of Santa Monica Seafood, said, “The ability to access federal waters to grow and deliver sustainable seafood to the American public will help reduce our reliance on imported seafood. The United States imports over 90% of our seafood and the bipartisan AQUAA bill will go a long way in reducing that trade deficit. “
The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the fishing industry, and the job opportunities the law will create in coastal communities cannot be overstated. The seasonality of the industry means that the significant number of workers who devote their lives to seafood have the opportunity to tap into the valued stability aquaculture farms can offer.
On a large scale, aquaculture can reduce the need to catch wild fish, help prevent overfishing, and protect marine habitats. The AQUAA Act will potentially help meet the long-term goal of providing our growing population with sustainable protein. “We commend Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) for crossing party lines for the good of the American economy and the future of our oceans,” said O ‘ Brien.
ABOUT SANTA MONICA SEAFOOD – Santa Monica Seafood, an 82 year old privately owned company, is the largest specialty wholesaler and processor of fresh and frozen seafood in the Southwest with over 250,000 sf manufacturing facilities in 12 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, New Mexico and Texas. Santa Monica Seafood also owns and operates two retail stores and cafes – in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa, California – that specialize in seafood and seafood-related products. Santa Monica Seafood was the first and remains the only seafood company in the United States to achieve FSSC 22000 certification for food safety management systems, ISO 14001 certification for environmental management programs, and BAP certification for its main processing facility for repackaging salmon and tilapia Products received.
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