(Washington, D.C., Thursday, August 5, 2021)  – The United States is the world’s second-largest consumer of seafood, and the demand is only growing. Now more than ever, conscientious consumers want to know where their fish comes from and whether it was sustainably sourced.

Americans import more than 85% of all the seafood we eat and more than half of that is farmed. But it often comes from countries that lack strong standards for safety, environmental protection and other issues.

The result is lost jobs in our coastal communities and reduced food security. Also lost is the opportunity for the U.S. to lead the way in developing practices for sustainable production of healthy seafood meeting the most stringent environmental and health standards.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is releasing a report looking at American’s views on aquaculture. The report looks at the need for stronger regulations on seafood as well as the health and environmental impacts of both foreign and domestic aquaculture.

While sustainable wild-capture fisheries are key, they won’t be enough to meet demand, even under the best management scenarios. A domestic aquaculture industry, including offshore finfish, has the potential to play a significant role in creating jobs, improving food security and doing so in a way that minimizes risks for the environment and maximizes benefits to coastal communities. It can also help reduce carbon emissions since seafood is a more climate-friendly source of protein than other protein sources.

Environmental Defense Fund’s mission is to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends. Guided by science and economics, they find practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems.