Aquaculture America 2020

February 9 - 12, 2020

Honolulu, Hawaii

A SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE/WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS

Barry A. Costa-Pierce*
 
Graduate Program in Ocean Food Systems
 UNE NORTH: The Institute for North Atlantic Studies, University of New England
 Portland and Biddeford, ME USA
 Swedish Mariculture Research Center, University of Gothenburg, SWEDEN
 

For over 30 years there have been numerous studies on the feasibility of integrating offshore aquaculture with non-renewable (oil, gas) and renewable (wind, wave, tidal, etc.) energy systems in the USA. Opportunities/ constraints have been reviewed, debated, revisited, re-reviewed, and debated again with no significant developments in offshore aquaculture , while offshore aquaculture speeds ahead internationally . The USA has t he best conditions  in the world  for the expansion of offshore aquaculture ; Kapetsky et al. (2013)  found  the US  EEZ  to have >5,800 km2 space for economically viable offshore production. Based upon Statistics Norway (2017) and Liabø (2011), biosecure  salmonid aquaculture alone in this area could produce 8-18 MMT live weight ;  other  analytical  predictions are higher when  full consideration  of  the full panoply of  the available  marine species  is given due to  the wide range of temperatures available  such as cobia, yellowtail, mussels/oysters , kelps, etc.  FAO (2018) data ranke d the USA 16th in total aquaculture production in 2016  just  below Ecuador , producing just 0.4 MMT; however, the USA produces high value products worth ~$1.2 billion or ~$3,100/T. The USA imports more seafood than any other nation, spending an estimated $20.5 billion in 2016. Taking th is high value estimate, it could tak e only  ~7 MMT of new  offshore  aquaculture production to equal the total value of all US imports and virtually erase the horrendous US seafood trade deficit.  Development US offshore aquaculture w ould turn the USA into one of  the world's largest mariculture nations. Why is there no offshore aquaculture combined with energy production in the USA?  We conclude  that the  economic and legal/regulatory structures of offshore oil/gas  leasing systems have not and will not change, and that offshore aquaculture will not develop to any significant degree in the  fossil fuel  industry  or in  their  lease areas.  This is  conclusion should be  nothing new to anyone. However,  what is new is the coming "blue wave" of offshore windpower, especially in the N E USA (~17 GW by 2035). I n De .  2018 a "frenzied two-day auction " was run  by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management  for windpower development sites off Massachusetts. Winn ers  were  experienced  European companies  who  paid  over $400 mil  for  just three lease areas.  How can offshore aquaculture develop rapidly in windpower lease sites?  The  experiences of Deepwater Wind who installed  the first  US offshore wind energy facility (~30 MW off Block Island ,  RI)  are  relevant  especially in needs for accelerated offshore engineering capabilities , state-based port upgrades and manufacturing enhancements ,  and  especially  for  Jones Act compliant vessel s  to  eliminate imports  of major parts and vessels from Europe. But the  business case  has to be  combined with thoughtful,  respectful, participatory, transdisciplinary , University/ Sea Grant extension processes  that  have the ability to convene  hundreds of stakeholders  over an extended time period to meet the multiple requests for information. The Rhode Island experience points the way  forward  not only to secure the business case but also for enh anced federal-state investments in  offshore aquaculture in the windpower leases.