# Summary of S. 1861, the AQUAA Act
The Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act establishes a federal regulatory system for sustainable offshore fish farming in U.S. ocean waters. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to designate "aquaculture opportunity areas" where companies can operate fish farms, and to issue permits for farms in those designated areas or elsewhere in federal waters, subject to strict environmental and sustainability standards. Companies must use native or historically naturalized species, prevent fish escapes through structural requirements, source fish feed from sustainable fisheries, and comply with comprehensive monitoring and recordkeeping rules. The legislation creates an Office of Aquaculture within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to oversee implementation, provides $60 million to $80 million annually from fiscal year 2024 through 2028 to support research, workforce development, and industry assistance, and establishes a 15-year permit duration (25 years for designated opportunity areas) renewable if operators maintain compliance. The bill aims to reduce the U.S. seafood trade deficit, create jobs in coastal communities, and complement wild fisheries while protecting marine ecosystems, with enforcement authority granted to federal agents and state officers who can levy civil penalties up to $37,500 per violation and pursue criminal penalties up to 5 years imprisonment for knowing violations.
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