The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) has released an overview of the National Aquaculture Development Plan and the third and last component to the national plan: Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development.

The National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP) guides national actions to advance aquaculture—the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants for commercial, recreational, or conservation purposes—to improve public health and nutrition, strengthen resilience in communities, grow a strong economy, and support a healthy planet.

The NADP is comprised of an overview and three strategic plans, summarized below, addressing aquaculture research, economic development, and regulatory efficiency. The strategies build on the work of federal and state agencies, Tribes and Indigenous communities, universities, other users of aquatic resources, and aquaculture stakeholders to help guide and support the nation’s interest in aquaculture development.

Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development (released December 2024) 

Describes actions federal agencies will undertake to support a robust, resilient, globally competitive, and environmentally sustainable domestic aquaculture sector. Effective implementation of this plan will require a significant amount of public-private collaboration with a diverse set of stakeholders.

The plan supports both the viability and expansion of existing aquaculture operations and encourages new entrants by addressing needs across the seafood supply chain and diverse production systems. The proposed actions serve as points of intersection between climate-smart food production, private-public partnerships, blue economy, healthy aquatic ecosystems, community resilience and health, workforce development, working waterfronts, urban and rural development, and seafood supply chains.

The aquaculture industry encompasses a broad variety of practices, species, and operational structures, so this plan offers several approaches acknowledging and supporting this diversity. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to aquaculture development; therefore, the plan includes a wide range of actions tailored to the specialized needs of diverse aquaculture operations to assist in industry growth.

The plan outlines four strategic goals to guide interagency collaborative efforts, coordinated through the SCA, to meet the nation’s aquaculture priorities: (1) increase aquaculture engagement, communications, and literacy; (2) support infrastructure and workforce development; (3) encourage industry investment and growth; and (4) expand market opportunities for U.S. aquaculture products. These goals are informed by and will advance cross-cutting themes to: (1) enable aquaculture and communities to be climate-ready; (2) advance equitable economic development of the domestic aquaculture industry; and (3) contribute to healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research (released February 2022) 

Describes federal priorities for research and technology development that will facilitate development and uses of domestic aquaculture. The plan is foundational for supporting a science-based industry that increases seafood availability, creates jobs, and provides economic and recreational opportunities while also providing for the restoration and promotion of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Federal aquaculture research programs benefit the American people, including current and future generations.

The plan identifies three strategic goals that will support U.S. aquaculture development through federal agency and interagency research, science, and technology coordination over a five-year term: (1) develop economic growth while promoting healthy aquatic ecosystems; (2) improve aquaculture production technologies and inform decision-making; and (3) uphold animal well-being, product safety, and nutritional value.

Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture (released February 2022) 

Describes actions federal agencies are undertaking to improve efficiency, predictability, and timeliness, and reduce the costs of reviewing, approving, monitoring, and enforcing permits and other regulatory requirements for commercial aquaculture ventures. The plan describes key interagency and federal-state aquaculture regulatory issues, as well as science and technology needs for facilitating more efficient state and federal aquaculture management actions. The plan’s strategic goals are: (1) improving efficiencies in aquaculture permitting and authorization programs; (2) implementing a national approach to aquatic animal health; and (3) refining, developing, and disseminating tools for aquaculture regulatory management.

What does all this mean?

The NADP aims to support a globally competitive, science and technology–driven aquaculture sector that meets increasing demands for aquatic products that are affordable and meet high standards for safety, quality, nutrition, human health, and environmental stewardship while providing new opportunities for economic growth.

The three strategic plans comprising NADP describe federal actions toward accomplishing these goals. The Strategic Plans will be periodically reviewed and revised with engagement from federal and non-federal participants, including Tribes, states, the private sector, and the public. Updates, information, and opportunities for engagement will be posted to the Subcommittee on Aquaculture website.

Want to know more about NADP?

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture and the National Aquaculture Association are hosting an interactive NADP session on March 7^th during Aquaculture 2025 that will be held in New Orleans. This session, Federal Support for the Expansion of U.S. Aquaculture, is free and open to the public. Attendees wishing to visit the Trade Show or attend additional conference sessions will have to register here.

Subcommittee on Aquaculture

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA), and its predecessors, were established as the federal interagency coordinating group to increase the effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture research, regulation, technology transfer, and assistance programs. The SCA is a statutory subcommittee composed of federal agency representatives that operates under the Committee on Environment of the National Science and Technology Council under the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. The Subcommittee and NADP are authorized by the National Aquaculture Act of 1980.