Restorative Aquaculture Incentive Programs

Summary: Federal agencies can establish US crop subsidies and incentive programs for restorative aquaculture (e.g., shellfish, seaweed). Increase in restorative aquaculture practices on existing farms and expansion of seaweed, kelp, and shellfish aquaculture would: (1) provide blue carbon benefits, (2) enhance resilience to SLR, OA, and more frequent and more severe storms in coastal areas, (3) increase blue jobs as well as food security and economic diversity in rural coastal communities vulnerable to climate impacts, and (4) keep shellfish and seaweed farmers in business as their operations are increasingly impacted by climate change and also increasingly important to protect coastal communities. State and federal governments are currently trying to advance restorative aquaculture for these and other benefits. Federal buy-back programs could also be used to purchase seaweed, kelp, and shellfish for use in fertilizers and/or for carbon sequestration (e.g., use of shells in construction materials).

There is delay and uncertainty in establishing blue carbon markets that might otherwise incentivize restorative aquaculture as researchers work to quantify potential carbon benefits. Given opportunities to sequester the carbon in aquaculture products are currently limited, prospects of blue carbon aquaculture credits in the near term may be slim.

However, the US already uses crop subsidies and PES (payments for environmental services) to promote ecological benefits (e.g., cover crops). There are other environmental incentive programs available to land-based farmers and small foresters through USDA NRCS (e.g., Environmental Quality Incentives Program). And, in fact, the Administration may be considering similar programs to pay farmers to implement natural climate solutions practices in lieu of an established market for ag-based carbon credits.

Sector: Legal
Organization: Plauche & Carr
POC: Diani Taylor Eckerson, diani@plauchecarr.com