Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aquaculture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Florida aquaculture leaders urge state support to expand production, shore up disaster and land protections
Summary
Dr. Nicole Kirchoff and Adrienne Johnson told the Senate Agriculture Committee Florida's aquaculture sector is growing but constrained by land-use instability, lack of insurance, hurricane vulnerability, and water-quality limits; they urged state-backed risk programs, modernization incentives, and water-infrastructure investment.
Dr. Nicole Kirchoff, owner of Live Advantage Bait, told the committee that more than half of global seafood is raised by aquaculture and that the United States imports roughly 90% of its seafood, creating a large trade deficit. "90% of our seafood is imported and represents a $25,000,000,000 trade deficit," she said, arguing Florida is well positioned to expand production and capture investment.
Kirchoff listed constraints: inconsistent land-use rules and coastal development pressure that leave many farms on leased land vulnerable; lack of access to capital; insufficient insurance options for broodstock and tanks (noting many farmers rely on ELAP or lack USDA NAP eligibility); and water-quality problems that force harvest closures even when product is safe. She urged state-backed loan guarantees or risk-sharing programs, modernization incentives (low-interest loans, matching funds), and investments in wastewater infrastructure to unlock growth.
Adrienne Johnson, Executive Director of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association, emphasized shellfish farms' ecosystem services, saying clam and oyster farms "clean millions of gallons of water for free every day," and urged continued protections (she thanked the committee for prior unanimous votes blocking threats to shellfish water quality in the Apalachicola River Basin).
Senator Bernard asked about insurance solutions; Kirchoff said some jurisdictions have state risk-mitigation funds to rebuild rapidly after storms, and noted limitations in federal insurance programs for aquaculture. The committee did not take formal action on the record but invited continued collaboration.
