National Ocean Month: Fisheries Science Points to Open Ocean Aquaculture as a Tool for Ocean Stewardship
"We don't have to choose between thriving fisheries and sustainable aquaculture."
That’s the conclusion of Jesse Trushenski, a fisheries scientist and former President of the American Fisheries Society (AFS)—the world’s oldest and largest professional society of fisheries scientists, researchers, and managers. AFS advocates for open ocean aquaculture because of its commitment to wild fisheries and ocean health.
National Ocean Month is an opportunity to reflect on what the science actually shows—that responsibly managed open ocean aquaculture is a key tool in ocean stewardship. Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) spoke with Trushenski to better understand why fisheries scientists support open ocean aquaculture development.
Supporting Oceans by Reducing Pressure on Wild Fisheries
"For years, AFS has recognized and advocated for responsibly managed aquaculture—including open ocean aquaculture in U.S. federal waters—as a critical tool for reducing pressure on wild capture fisheries and addressing the seafood gap in a way that is mindful of climate change, habitat loss, and other threats facing aquatic resources," Trushenski told SATS.
Seafood demand is growing, while wild harvests cannot continue to expand. As Trushenski explained, “we know it can’t come from capture fisheries. Even the most optimistic assessments tell us that we’re not going to get any more wild-caught fish from the ocean. If anything, in the future, we may get less.”
Open ocean aquaculture offers a way to help feed Americans while supporting the long-term health of marine ecosystems. Trushenski explained that the U.S. must decide whether it will “cultivate wholesome seafood ourselves, relieve pressure on marine resources, and ensure a safe, sustainable seafood supply.”
The Science Has Transformed the Industry
Any public debate around aquaculture tends to rely on outdated concerns. According to AFS, the science and technology supporting modern aquaculture have evolved dramatically.
In a letter of support sent to Congress, AFS explains that it has worked for years to dispel “false and outdated scientific information around the environmental impacts of open ocean aquaculture,” pointing instead to “significant advances in fish farming technology and use of best management practices” that have reduced environmental impacts.
Trushenski pointed to feed innovation as one example. The industry has shifted toward using fish meal and fish oil derived from seafood processing byproducts—the parts of wild-caught fish that would otherwise go to waste—reducing reliance on whole wild fish. Today's feeds are also formulated to lower carbon intensity and minimize wild fish inputs.
Feed innovation is just one piece of a broader research effort. In its letter, AFS highlighted how decades of work have improved aquaculture practices across feed, fish health management, and farm operations—from sophisticated modeling tools that help site farms where environmental impacts and user conflicts are minimal, to vaccines and probiotics that support fish health, to cameras and sensors that monitor feeding and protect water quality.
One of the most significant advances, AFS notes, has been the increasing sophistication of site selection. "The three rules of real estate—location, location, location—also apply to aquaculture operations," said Trushenski.
Modern open ocean aquaculture projects undergo extensive site evaluations that account for water depth, temperature, currents, vessel traffic, migratory species, and weather conditions. Sophisticated modeling tools help identify suitable areas while avoiding sensitive habitats and regions unable to accommodate operations.
“Proper siting allows infrastructure and operations to be tailored to the conditions—and just as importantly—identifies locations that are unsuitable so that they can be avoided,” she said.
The Remaining Challenge Is Not Scientific, It’s Regulatory
The remaining challenge is implementation, not basic science. As Trushenski explained, "research has addressed questions and identified solutions for proper siting, fish health management, preventing escapement, and so forth."
“There is a limit to what can be learned at the experimental or pilot scale. The prospect of commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture in U.S. federal waters has been sufficiently derisked, and practitioners and regulators are well positioned to take the next step in a conscientious manner.”
AFS reinforces this view in its support for the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act, calling for “a clear, predictable, regulatory framework that will enable industry growth in a conscientious, environmentally sustainable manner” alongside continued research that can be validated under real-world conditions. The Society explains that the proposed framework would allow NOAA to evaluate commercial-scale operations while maintaining environmental safeguards and generating data to refine future standards.
A Shared Commitment to Healthy Oceans
At its core, the case for open ocean aquaculture is simply an extension of ocean conservation, supported by years of research.
As AFS emphasizes, responsibly managed aquaculture can “reduce overreliance on seafood imports and improve seafood security with wholesome, domestically farmed seafood that minimizes the environmental and social footprint of the industry on our marine habitat and resources.”
AFS’s support for open ocean aquaculture flows directly from its mission to protect aquatic resources—because when done right, aquaculture will relieve pressure on wild fish populations and the ecosystems they depend on. For fisheries scientists and aquatic conservation professionals, the objective is not to choose between aquaculture and wild fisheries. It is to ensure both can thrive within a healthy ocean system.