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House committee backs bill to classify aquaculture as agricultural product, adds amendment excluding ocean‑raised stock
Summary
The House Agriculture Committee concurred in Senate Bill 161, which would add aquaculture products to the definition of raw agricultural products and give rulemaking authority; the committee also passed an amendment excluding ocean‑raised stock and sent the bill to the House floor 17‑0.
Sen. Greg Hertz, who represents Senate District 7, introduced Senate Bill 161 to recognize aquaculture products — including farm‑raised shrimp produced in controlled conditions — as raw agricultural products in state code.
"The FDA has recognized aquaculture as agriculture," Hertz told the House Agriculture Committee, saying the bill would add aquaculture to the statutory definition of raw agricultural product and enable producers to sell directly to restaurants and at farmers' markets. He described a constituent who raises saltwater shrimp indoors in above‑ground tanks and said classifying aquaculture would allow year‑round production and…
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