The California Aquaculture Association (CAA), along with California Farm Bureau, recently submitted a letter to Governor Jerry Brown, imploring him to veto statewide groundwater regulation bills, SB 1168 (Pavley), AB 1739 (Dickinson), and SB 1319 (Pavley). These bills, which are currently on their way to the Governor, would have significant negative impacts on the aquaculture and agriculture industries in California. The growth of the aquaculture industry is imperative to help satisfy the continually growing demand of seafood while also helping to protect and replenish our oceans.The bills listed above would significantly hinder this growth.
The full letter from CAA to Governor Jerry Brown can be viewed below.
We strongly urge you to write a similar letter or email to Governor Jerry Brown asking him to veto SB 1168 (Pavley), AB 1739 (Dickinson), and SB 1319 (Pavley).
Governor Jerry Brown’s contact info:
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160
RE: SB 1168 (Pavley), AB 1739 (Dickinson), SB 1319 (Pavley) – Statewide Groundwater Regulation
Dear Governor Brown:
The members of the California Aquaculture Association recognize the need for better management of groundwater basins that are in danger of being permanently damaged. We applaud your leadership in addressing this issue. Our members agree that sound groundwater management by local entities to maintain safe yield is a compelling and necessary goal. However, we are urging you to veto SB 1168, AB 1739 and SB 1319 relating to groundwater.
Aquaculture is low consumptive use of water. Water borrowed for aquaculture production is often used to irrigate other food crops and is used to maintain wetlands, another area of concern in drought conditions. Aquaculture needs a clean, reliable cost effective source of first use water. Many of our farms rely on ground water to produce safe and nutritious products. Restricting ground water, in the manner outlined in SB 1168, AB 1739 and SB 1319 is not a prudent and responsible approach to the use of water in California. It will impact much more than businesses in the State.
This year the percentage of aquaculture produced fisheries products will exceed 50% of global supply. The challenge is to keep up with the demand created by population growth and the reduction of wild caught fish while keeping environmental and financial sustainability in balance.
To maintain the current level of fish consumption in the world, aquaculture will need to provide an additional 23 million tons of farmed fish by 2020. The supply of domestically produced fish must increase.
Recently, the number of commercial fish farms, both land-based and offshore, in almost all other areas of the world has out stepped the growth in the United States. This is largely due to regulatory impediments, financial constraints, and the lack of federal and state funding support.
What can we do here in California to foster prosperity and secure or food source? We can reflect on the successes of conventional agriculture in California and how it propelled agriculture worldwide. We can look into the future with the technology and science available right here in our own backyard to propel aquiculture in the same way.
The legislature must be engaged in the process:
- Promote and protect aquaculture. Make sure aquaculture is considered when crafting agricultural and fishery policy.
- Help streamline the permit process and assist in dialogs between fish farmers and agencies. Permit processes that take several years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars do not encourage business to settle in California.
- Insist that groups opposing aquaculture growth use sound science as a basis.
- Recognize the economical and environmental benefits of aquaculture. They are numerous and significant.
- Streamline existing regulations and appose onerous new restrictions.
SB 1168, AB 1739 and SB 1319 work directly against these goals to provide safe and nutritious food for the citizens and visitors to California.
We recently signed on to a California Farm Bureau letter asking for a veto and outlining the consequences of these bills passing. We work very closely with the CFBF and agree with their position on this issue.
Please stop this process so that it can be revisited and reworked with the full support of the people producing out food. Integrating a variety of environmentally different production areas, species, and methods will help to focus on the production of fishery products for food and recreation. This includes stewardship of our water. In addition satisfying jobs improves the quality of life for the citizens of the state and secures a safe and secure food supply.
Signed,
Michael Passmore
President, California Aquaculture Association
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