The United States launches nationwide site‑selection for developing priority aquaculture development zones

According to SalmonBusiness, federal regulators in the United States have launched a national consultation on site‑selection for the country’s next batch of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. The initiative aims to expand domestic seafood production and reduce reliance on imports.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting information on suitable locations, farmed species, water depths and offshore distances. It also requests evidence of potential conflicts with commercial fishing, protected species, recreational activities and culturally significant areas.

This process is designed to identify areas deemed to have potential for commercial aquaculture, rather than granting approvals for specific aquaculture farms.

NOAA stated that U.S. imports of farmed seafood were estimated at $12 billion in 2024, accounting for nearly half of its total seafood imports worth $25 billion.

In 2025, the agency identified 13 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in federal waters off Southern California and in the Gulf of Mexico, covering a total area of more than 21,000 acres.

An independent atlas released in February this year mapped 77 potential sites across 10 study areas in Alaska’s waters.

The public comment period closes on September 14.