Offshore Fish Farming: New Research and Permit Program
A house committee must act next: committee consideration.
The bill has support from both parties and addresses food security, but it faces a long road through multiple committees and potential pushback from environmental groups.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill treats Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian communities as stakeholders and gives Tribal leaders of specially affected coastal areas the right to comment on and recommend denial of permits. It also requires that Tribal and Indigenous traditional knowledge be considered in best management practices, giving Tribes a formal voice in siting decisions near their waters.
“provide to the Governor or Tribal leader of each specially affected coastal jurisdiction, the application”
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
As the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act continues to move through Congress, proponents highlight its potential to streamline the permitting process for offshore fish farming. The bill would authorize NOAA to permit commercial-scale demonstration projects, similar to a small-scale project off Florida that recently received its final permits after an eight-year multi-agency review. The Act aims to create a coordinated federal pathway for sustainable seafood production.
Industry advocacy groups, including Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS), held a legislative fly-in to urge the passage of the MARA Act. The bipartisan legislation would establish a federal framework for commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture and create a dedicated Office of Aquaculture within NOAA. Supporters argue the bill is essential for reducing the U.S. seafood trade deficit and creating jobs in coastal communities through a consolidated environmental review process.
The MARA Act (S.2586/H.R. 5746) seeks to modernize the U.S. seafood industry by authorizing NOAA's Office of Aquaculture to lead permitting for offshore farms. The bill focuses on science-based demonstration projects to evaluate environmental and economic impacts. Proponents emphasize that the legislation incorporates strict environmental performance standards and best practices to ensure that the expansion of domestic fish farming does not compromise marine ecosystems.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
MARA Act of 2026
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