By John Spinelli
HIGHLANDS – Seafood, sustainability and equity were on the minds of local fishermen and politicians last week as U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6) introduced a new bill to support and fund aquaculture in New Jersey and around the country.
“Investing in aquaculture will help ensure all Americans have access to safe and affordable seafood nationwide,” Pallone said from the James T. White Clam Depuration Plant in Highlands Aug. 1 while introducing the bipartisan Supporting Equity and Seafood (SEAS) Act. “When we increase the consumption of American seafood, we can alleviate food insecurity, create new economic opportunities and reduce our food system’s impact on the environment.”
Aquaculture is the process of farming fish and shellfish in a controlled environment, both on land and in natural water.
The new legislation would create equal access to federal funding for aquaculture and seafood industries, addressing an imbalance in the USDA’s support for aquaculture compared to land-based animal farming. Currently aquaculture receives a disproportionately small amount of funding compared to land-based agriculture from the USDA’s $495.52 billion federal budget – as of May 30 about $52 million for seafood grants.
“The Act will help us meet the growing demand for American seafood and provides critical congressional support for USDA’s aquaculture programs,” Pallone said. The bill was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, a Republican who represents Florida’s Third District.
“Compared to other countries, we are actually far behind. This bill is meant to catch us up,” Pallone said.
In attendance at the event were Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon; Keith Craffey, Baymen’s Protective Association president; and Michael P. De Luca, director of the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center.
The Baymen’s Protective Association is a clam collective that operates out of the plant where the press conference was held. The association leases the plant building – where clams from the bay are cleaned before going to market – from the borough.
“The SEAS Act is an important first step to ensure seafood and aquaculture are treated fairly at the Department of Agriculture,” Craffey said. “(Pallone’s) bill will help the USDA meet the growing demand for seafood and help us continue to provide affordable local seafood to people throughout the state.”
Richard Iseksen, president of the Belford Seafood Cooperative, agreed the bill will help local fishermen. “I believe anything they could do is a plus,” Iseksen said. “Rep. Pallone is someone who really helps us. Anything he could do for fishing and farming, I support 100%.”
Over the past decades, like many commercial fishermen in Monmouth County, his company has had some economic uncertainties. He said government regulations are “killing the industry. There used to be 20 lobster boats in our area but now there are none. If there’re no fishermen or farmers, how are you going to feed the country?” Iseksen asked.
He said the co-op has never researched utilizing aquaculture but it is “something that might be considered in the future.”
The seafood bill would also have an impact on restaurants in the area, said Jay Cosgrove, owner of Bahrs Landing in Highlands.
“At our restaurant, about 75% of our seafood we use is local and wild-caught, the rest is farmed and imported,” he explained.
“Although the bill sounds positive, I’m curious to know what it will be like in practice,” Cosgrove said.
The article originally appeared in the August 10 – 16, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
