Held on March 8, 2017Reserve Officers Association Building

One Constitution Avenue NE, Washington D.C.

Summary Document

1

Table of Contents Summary Highlights ..................................................................................................................... 2

Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 4

Featured Speakers ...................................................................................................................... 6

Mr. John Henderschedt ........................................................................................................... 6

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici .................................................................................... 7

RADM Paul Becker .................................................................................................................. 8

Congressman Jared Polis ....................................................................................................... 9

Senator Roger Wicker ........................................................................................................... 10

Dr. Beth Dunford , Ph.D. ....................................................................................................... 11

Food Safety Panel ...................................................................................................................... 12

Dr. Megan Davis, Ph.D. ........................................................................................................ 12

Dr. John Paul, Ph.D. .............................................................................................................. 13

Mr. Bill Dewey ......................................................................................................................... 14

Mr. Peter Koufopoulos ........................................................................................................... 15

Leadership Roundtable ............................................................................................................. 16

Mr. David Golden ................................................................................................................... 16

Congressman Don Young .................................................................................................... 17

Congressman Jim McGovern ............................................................................................... 18

Food Security Panel .............................................................................................................. 19

Dr. Rick Grosberg, Ph.D. ...................................................................................................... 19

Dr. Carol Anne Clayson, Ph.D. ............................................................................................ 20

Dr. Michael Rubino, Ph.D. .................................................................................................... 21

Mr. Sebastian Belle ................................................................................................................ 22

Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 23

COL Members............................................................................................................................. 24

The forum featured distinguished speakers, including:Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) Senate Oceans Caucus Co-Chair

Congressman Don Young (R-AK-At Large) House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA-2) House Hunger Caucus Co-Chair

Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO-2) Earth and Space Science Caucus Co-Chair

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair Mr. John Henderschedt Presidential Task Force on Combatting IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud

RADM Paul Becker U.S. Navy (ret.)

Dr. Beth Dunford Global Food Security Strategy

Feeding the growing global population, which is expected to swell to nearly 10 billion by the middle of the century, will require a 69 percent increase in food calories compared to what was produced in 2006. At the same time that we need a healthy planet with the capacity to increase its food production, Earth and ocean systems are experiencing unprecedented changes that impact both terrestrial and marine food supplies. It is clear that feeding this growing population, when hunger is already a worldwide issue, will be no simple task. On March 8, 2017, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership convened a forum to discuss the ocean’s role

in a safe and secure food supply, both from the sea and from land. Feeding the Future: An Ocean of Opportunity provided a venue for a diverse array of stakeholders to discuss the state of our knowledge on a number of relevant topics, including food security in contrast with the growing global population; the importance, challenges, and opportunities of promoting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; the role of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; the need to reduce seafood waste; and the complex connection between ocean dynamics and land-based agricultural productivity.

Participants included representatives from Academia (27%); Federal agencies (25%);

NGOs (23%); Industry (15%); Congress (10%)

Forum presentations, video, and summary on our website:

www.policy.oceanleadership.org

The Forum Included:Leadership Roundtable with congressional champions from the House Ocean Caucus and the House Hunger Caucus addressing the ocean’s role in food safety and food security from a legislative perspective.Food safety panelists from science, industry, and the government speaking to seafood issues, including emerging diseases from warming water temperatures, harmful algal blooms, seafood fraud, and environmental pollutants.Science, industry, federal agency, and Congress were all represented on the food security panel as they discussed various aspects of the ocean’s role in a secure food network, including the connections between coastal and inland regions, the global circulation system, and the role of aquaculture.

RecommendationsLed by panel moderators, Public Policy Forum participants built upon the panels and discussion to develop recommendations to best-utilize this ocean of opportunity to feed the future. The suggestions addressed here are specific, actionable items the community can implement immediately.

Food Safety RecommendationsThe recommendations regarding the ocean’s role in food safety can be classified into two themes: increasing aquaculture production and improving seafood testing.

1. Increase Aquaculture ProductionIncrease domestic aquaculture to meet the needs of a growing population and to reduce our nation’s trade deficit.• Science, technology, and industry recommendations

- Determine the appropriate trophic level of the food web on which to concentrate production efforts.- Use recirculation technologies to control seafood safety.- Expand hatcheries to support onshore and offshore aquaculture.- Effectively plan aquaculture facilities (e.g., when creating offshore and coastal zone aquaculture

enterprises, increase the use of marine spatial planning).

• Policy recommendations- Provide input for the creation of a science-based aquaculture bill, such as one suggested

by Senator Wicker during his address.- Identify a commonly agreed-upon definition of “sustainable aquaculture.”- Clarify and streamline siting, development, and production regulations while maintaining environmental safety

measures.

• Outreach recommendations- Develop a public-private partnership to address the public’s perception of aquaculture, including translating

science for consumers. Specific concerns upon which to focus include plastic pollution in seafood, GMO usage in aquaculture, and the effects of aquaculture on wild fisheries.

2. Improve Rapid Testing• Science, technology, and industry recommendations

- Advance rapid testing and reporting for seafood safety to ensure human health.- Develop sequencing tools for on-the-spot fraud detection.- Create testing tools and protocols to allow faster fisheries openings after environmental disturbances, e.g.,

harmful algal blooms.

• Policy recommendations- Working with government agencies, create a mechanism for citizen scientists to report seafood fraud.

Food Security RecommendationsThe recommendations regarding the ocean’s role in food security can be classified into three themes: metrics, challenges and opportunities, and collaborations.

1. Establish Metrics• Science, technology, industry, and policy recommendations

- Identify the main goals for food stability and sustainability and develop metrics, including tangible milestones with targeted goals and deadlines, to achieve those goals.

2. Overcome Challenges and Maximize Opportunities• Science, technology, and industry recommendations

- Identify short- (one-five years) and long-term (five to ten years) challenges and opportunities at local, regional, national, and global scales regarding the ocean’s role in sustainably feeding the planet’s growing population (e.g., farmed and wild seafood and the use of marine products in terrestrial agriculture).

- Explore and identify opportunities for, and obstacles to, diversifying the portfolio of harvested and cultured marine food species and the ecological, nutritional, and economic impacts of such diversification.

• Outreach recommendations- Increase awareness (to the public and policymakers) of the critical and rapidly-growing role that food from

the sea plays in supporting local, regional, national, and global nutrition, livelihoods, health, and overall food security.

- Provide information to address the public’s concerns on topics such as conflicts between coastal aquaculture and land-based agriculture and urbanized infrastructure.

- Expand education and outreach to, and engagement of, coastal community stakeholders to identify opportunities for, and obstacles to, expanded nearshore and offshore aquaculture operations.

3. Leverage Collaborations• Science, technology, industry, and policy recommendations

- Strengthen essential collaborations between governments, agencies, foundations, NGOs, academia, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to identify critical challenges and to develop the best-possible science and policy to sustain food security from the sea.

• Policy recommendations- Convene cross-agency and multi-stakeholder forums and partnerships to identify the core challenges of

integrating sustainable production of food from the ocean. This will improve governance of marine resources through the integration and coordination of the science and policy necessary to sustainably and safely grow the supply of food both from the sea or dependent on ocean resources.

6

Featured Speakers Mr. John Henderschedt Presidential Task Force on Combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection

In the opening of his presentation, Mr. John Henderschedt listed shocking statistics: the annual value of global seafood imports is more than $140 billion, 89 percent of which is harvested at or above biologically sustainable limits. Leading NOAA’s activity on the Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud, he implored the audience to consider the impacts of the illegal fishing practice. Though he admitted it is difficult to quantify the global impact, he stated there is little disagreement that it is in the billions of dollars because it increases the likelihood of overfishing, undermines management, and threatens resource sustainability and food security. He explained that the effects can be direct, such as the loss of fish stocks on small-scale fishing communities, which in turn can affect nutrition and loss of employment. He pointed out that IUU fishing can also have an impact on non-fishing communities due to inland regions that trade fish for cash or food.

Mr. Henderschedt stressed the drivers and impacts of IUU fishing are global and complex, and there is no single tool that can fully address all the issues. He shared both U.S. and global accomplishments that form a strong foundation for continued coordination and action. The first he discussed was the Presidential Initiative on Combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud. In March 2015, a task force made up of 10 federal agencies and five offices of the president rolled out a plan with four main categories -- engaging internationally, enhancing enforcement, strengthening partnerships, and establishing seafood traceability. Mr. Henderschedt said that while the actions are commendable, many of the objectives in the action plan represent starting points. He pointed to the web portal (www.iuufishing.noaa.gov), which serves as a source for activities of the federal government and as a repository for information on laws, regulations, and related policies.

In closing, Mr. Henderschedt stressed that IUU fishing results in billions of dollars in economic losses each year, costs jobs and livelihoods, and jeopardizes security around the world. Since markets are globally connected, combating the illegal practice requires coordinated global action.

7

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici Co-Chair of House Oceans Caucus (D-OR-1) In the fall of 2016, the Northeast faced the first-ever shellfish harvest closures, the West Coast underwent delays and closures in the Dungeness crab industry, and Florida dealt with harmful algal blooms (HABs). Representative Susan Bonamici (OR-1) highlighted these threats across

the country and stated the importance having a productive, healthy ocean to ensure we have the capacity to feed future generations. As Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus, Rep. Bonamici shared issues the bipartisan group is most concerned with, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; marine debris; ocean acidification; coastal economies; fisheries; weather and natural disasters in coastal zones; and marine wildlife. She also spoke about two pieces of ocean-related legislation she is currently working on: the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act (which she

already introduced) and another that would extend research on HABs. She stressed the need for federal support of both general research by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and specific coastal science and restoration studies by NOAA’s National Sea Grant Program. Rep. Bonamici talked of a visit to Antarctica with NSF as one of her most memorable ocean experiences. She emphasized the need for strong advocates to solve specific problems like marine debris, the warming ocean, climate change, overfishing, and ocean acidification. To this end, she vowed to personally continue to use science and research to try to convince her colleagues “climate change is real, humans contribute, and we need to address it.” Rep. Bonamici explained her tactic for communicating with colleagues in land-locked states, saying she stresses that people all over the country increasingly like to eat and buy seafood. She then urged the audience to carry the message of the ocean’s importance to the rest of the country and to their elected officials.

8

RADM Paul Becker U.S. Navy (ret.) Admiral Paul Becker began by stressing that food security is an important part of national security, and he urged the ocean science community to look at the issue through this lens. He pointed out that population projections show there will be 10 billion people on Earth by 2060, and one resulting effect will be more competition for food within both regional and international realms. He warned that the search for food will increasingly become a national security issue because restricted access destabilizes the political environment. The high seas (regions of the ocean beyond country jurisdiction) cover 50 percent of the Earth’s surface and are one of the least-monitored portions of the globe. Limited data are collected in these areas, he warned, and though some treaties exist that protect overfishing of specific species, there are effectively no protected areas on the high seas. He highlighted the benefits resulting from marine protected areas in coastal environments, including improved reefs, sea grass beds, mangroves, and increased fish size and quantity. Becker also shared how those authorized to protect fish – maritime law enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard, fisheries protection platforms, maritime militias, and the U.S. Navy – are also all groups concerned with national security. For that reason, he stated that food security is necessarily a part of a comprehensive national security effort. Becker then switched gears to a discussion of China and his concern over the country’s maritime efforts in disputed territories, citing the South China Sea as an example. He described the placement of a fishing moratorium meant to protect China’s fish stocks, which has in turn pushed fishers south into Vietnamese and Philippine waters. This example of “fish security” became a diplomatic and external security issue for controlling the fish themselves as well as potential mineral resources below the waters. Becker didn’t just share the problems; he also offered a series of solutions. The Global Food Security Act (an approach for U.S. foreign assistance promoting global food security, resilience, and nutrition) is a “good start,” he said, but its main “significant oversight” is not including ocean food sources. Other solutions include holding rule breakers accountable by publicly naming offenders, adding observers to larger ships, applying new technologies to tools that need improvement, and including transponders and remotely-operated cameras on smaller ships.

9

Congressman Jared Polis Earth and Space Science Caucus Co-Chair (D-CO-2)

“I hail from the coastal state of Colorado – oh wait, not yet,” laughed Representative Jared Polis (CO-2), co-chair of the Earth and Space Science Caucus. Though he opened with a joke about rising sea levels, he spent much of his talk on a more somber note discussing the impacts of climate on the ocean. He stressed that the “fate of life on our planet is inseparable from the fate of our ocean.” Human activity, he pointed out, has already left a marked influence on seawater salinity, increased plastic pollution, and amplified the lead and mercury content in fish. It has now also increased carbon dioxide levels. He noted that climate is predominately driven by the ocean and is projected to change weather patterns and increase storm frequency. He urged that these impacts of climate are an “imminent threat” that hinge on understanding,

which unfortunately did not include focus on the ocean until recently. Rep. Polis then turned to solutions and improvements to these ocean issues. There remain too few global mechanisms for fishing enforcement, he said, and he warned that the impacts of overfishing apex predators are known to cause cascading effects on other life in the ocean. He emphasized the importance of ocean observing systems and said he has a “strong interest” in improving weather predictions (both on the surface and through satellites) because they can have a significant impact on coastal regions and agriculture as well as positive economic effects on fishers. He stressed the importance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and grants in ocean research, and he stated his support for maintaining their funding. He closed his presentation by stressing that “no matter what kind of food you eat” and “regardless of what you think is changing climate,” we need to better understand long-term trends and the way they are impacting our ocean.

10

Senator Roger Wicker Senate Oceans Caucus Co-Chair (R-MS)

The city of Biloxi, Mississippi was once known as the “seafood capital of the world,” began Senator Roger Wicker (MS), co-chair of the Senate Oceans Caucus. He explained the city in his state can no longer claim that title due to the destruction of the Gulf of Mexico by Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Prior to those events, the Mississippi Oyster Council reported oyster harvesting in the Gulf of Mexico averaged 400,000 oyster sacks but is now down to 20,000. Currently, Senator Wicker said, the state economy gains $377 million from seafood production and sales, along with thousands of jobs. Both of those numbers used to be higher, he added, and said he

would like to increase the jobs figure to tens of thousands. The senator pointed to the new Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Wilbur Ross, who has stated his interest in decreasing the amount of seafood imported into the country, which is causing a $14 billion trade deficit. Senator Wicker turned to the audience for input, saying he’s seeking policy suggestions on whether he should introduce a bill that would streamline aquaculture permitting and increase aquaculture efforts through federal incentives, regulatory relief, and best practices. Specifically, he urged listeners to close the “research gap” in aquaculture fish stock understanding, genetics, and feeding practices. He ended with his concern over high metals and antibiotics found in imported catfish, and he implored the audience to eat farm-raised American catfish, which are grown under high safety standards. He closed with a smile and a non-safety related standard, adding, “We play soothing symphony music to it. So, they are happier and better for you.”

11

Dr. Beth Dunford , Ph.D. Global Food Security Strategy U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Food Safety As the Deputy Coordinator for Development for Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Dr. Beth Dunford brought an international perspective to the forum. She introduced the Feed the Future program and spoke of the importance of the ocean to global food security issues. She described the wide range of partners her program works with, including governments, leading American and international businesses, nonprofits, universities, and research institutions. She also highlighted their combined efforts in passing the Global Food Security Act of 2016, which laid out a roadmap for implementing the Global Food Security Strategy to promote global food security, resilience, and nutrition. Fisheries and the ocean feature prominently in the strategy, she said, because fish is a nutritious food source and one of the most traded commodities in the world market. Dr. Dunford urged a multi-pronged approach when working with global fishing industries. She listed the range of efforts used by her program and others, which can include a combination of managing access rights, promoting sustainable fishing practices, strengthening fishing associations, reducing inefficiencies and waste, removing inappropriate subsidies, and increasing local government investments. She noted the successful efforts in Cambodia and Senegal, where strengthened ecosystem-based management increased productivity and efficiency in the fishing economy. Along with these efforts, Dr. Dunford emphasized the importance of working with the government to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by encouraging participatory surveillance on boats and ships. To this end, she spoke of diplomatic efforts by the State Department on regional and global fisheries negotiations and to promote science-based conservation and management measures on the high seas. She also pointed to successful work by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Ocean Council for IUU fishing committee to promote stronger fisheries management. She ended her presentation by reinforcing that Feed the Future recognizes the importance of fisheries in global efforts to feed our growing population and by stressing the need to come together to develop partnerships and tools as new challenges arrive.

12

Food Safety Panel Dr. Megan Davis, Ph.D. FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute As a representative from the aquaculture community, COL Board Trustee Dr. Megan Davis moderated the food safety panel, which included the issue of seafood fraud as well as safety factors associated with developing new marine food sources and maintaining current ones. As the Associate Executive Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Dr. Davis oversees academic affairs and economic development. Her career spans 40 years and includes research in the areas of marine science, ecology, and aquaculture as well as leadership roles in research, academics, and for-profit companies. Dr. Davis stressed that here has “never been a time” with as many consumers eating seafood; the average person gets 17 percent of their animal protein from the sea. She described how the amount of wild-caught seafood harvested in the U.S. plateaued in the 1980s. In comparison, aquaculture has increased over time to meet growing demands, currently producing 50 percent of the total seafood protein consumed in the country, with projections showing an increase to 75 percent in the coming decades. Dr. Davis noted that Mr. Wilbur Ross (Secretary, Department of Commerce) discussed aquaculture in his nomination hearings. He listed the $11 billion trade deficit in seafood and highlighted aquaculture as an area of potential growth. Dr. Davis then turned to her own experience at the Harbor Branch Aquaculture Park, a 30-acre farm in its 20th year that grows a variety of fish and shellfish species and develops technology transferrable to industry. She described two successful systems: recirculating aquaculture and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture. Both reuse water to aid in year-round growing, and they reduce overall water usage and effluent discharge. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture cycles water to organisms based on their water quality needs, starting with the cleanest water for fish and using filter-feeding oysters to return water back to the fish. Ultimately, Dr. Davis noted that consumers drive consumption patterns due to issues of health, nutrition, convenience, value, and sustainability. To this end, she highlighted laudable programs in product labeling by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. She concluded her talk by quoting José Graziano da Silva (Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) saying, “Promoting

13

responsible and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture is key to the health of our planet and our own health. Future food safety and security all hinge on how we treat the blue world.” Dr. Davis’s opening statement set in motion the panel’s discussion on important aspects to consider in food safety, including emerging diseases from warming seawater temperatures, harmful algal blooms, seafood fraud, and environmental pollutants. Dr. John Paul, Ph.D. University of South Florida Stating his motto of “nucleic acids don’t lie,” Dr. John Paul brought a science perspective to the discussion on seafood safety. A professor of marine microbiology from the University of South Florida, Dr. Paul specializes in molecular detection of harmful algal blooms (HABs), seafood fraud, and seafood mislabeling. He developed a handheld tool for genetic fish identification and commercialized the technology by starting a company with a former graduate student. Dr. Paul began his talk with a definition of food safety, which encompasses chemical, microphysical, and microbiological aspects of food handling, preparation, and storage to prevent illness and injury. He called microbiological food safety the most important because it represents the highest food contamination illness occurrences in the U.S. He moved on to problems with seafood safety, a major one being that the vast majority of imported seafood is not examined by federal agencies during customs, stock assessments, and health and safety inspections. He pointed to a study by Oceana that found up to 30 percent of finfish were mislabeled. This seafood “black market” is valued at $25 billion annually and can have significant health effects when consumers unknowingly consume species with toxins or to which they are allergic. One solution, Dr. Paul suggested, is science. There are currently two major genetic technologies for identifying seafood, he explained. The first is nucleic acid amplification, a test that can detect the presence or absence of a particular species and can be completed in 15 minutes to two hours. The second test can identify species by sequencing target genes and takes two or more days. Here, he touted the capability of his own handheld technology at

14

PureMolecular, which can take “a little plug” of sample and tell you specifically if it is a grouper. The company is currently working on expanding to other types of fish. “We have one planet, and one [genetic] code,” concluded Dr. Paul, insisting that increases in the intensity and duration of HABs worldwide have made these issues even more critical going forward. Mr. Bill Dewey Taylor Shellfish Farms

After Mr. Bill Dewey showed a cartoon with an oyster fisherman telling a regulator to mind his own business, he laughed and shared how, in contrast, most of the time he is “happy” with regulators in the shellfish aquaculture industry. In fact, Mr. Dewey, the Director of Public Affairs for Taylor Shellfish, one of the largest producers of farmed shellfish in the U.S., spent much of his talk extolling the virtues of federal and interstate programs important to fish farming. After giving a slideshow showing the processes involved in oyster and shellfish culturing and planting, Mr. Dewey explained why Washington state became the hub of

aquaculture in the country. He called it “an early experiment in marine spatial planning” when, shortly after Washington became a state, the legislature passed oyster protections as some of their first laws. The state encouraged farming by establishing 40,000 acres of private ownership in barren tidelands solely for culturing oysters. These days, he said, the state monitors food safety by working with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP), which is administered by an interstate cooperative program. The NSSP holds an Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference every two years where farmers, regulators, and the public can submit regulation proposals, which will then enter a formal process determined by public health officials. Mr. Dewey also pointed out that his industry has a vested interest in food safety and clean water, including preventing sewage, storm, and agricultural pollutants from reaching coastal waters. He discussed the role of shellfish as filterers that purify water, detailing efforts to clean New York Harbor with oyster beds. He concluded by listing his policy priorities going forward, including efficient and predictable permitting and regulations, continued federal support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research and extension programs, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program.

15

Mr. Peter Koufopoulos Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Mr. Peter Koufopoulos began his presentation with a graph titled “seven billion of your closest friends,” showing projected population growth over the coming decades and contemplating what that trend would mean for food availability in the future. As Director of the Division of Seafood Safety in the Department of Health and Human Services at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mr. Koufopoulos brought the agency perspective to the panel. He pointed out the highest growing populations are in countries largely subsisting on seafood products, and his projections showed that they will likely face further strain for food. Noting the high percentage of seafood imported into the U.S. (up to 90 percent), Mr. Koufopoulos corrected “a bit of a misnomer” that only one percent of seafood entering the country is inspected by the federal government. He said the statistic sounds as if, “We just open the flood gates and 98 percent walks through the border and nobody cares.” However, this is not the case -- imports are “highly scrutinized and screened.” He described the factors considered during import by a computer program that examines 50 risk parameters, including foreign inspections, sampling, customs, environmental information, and evidence from other authorities. When a particular firm, product, or location has an issue (such as fraud or flooding) the inspection goes from one to two percent to a high level of scrutiny, even up to 100 percent. Mr. Koufopoulos also discussed lesser-known seafood efforts by the FDA. The agency educates foreign governments with whom they do not have direct oversight to teach aquaculture best practices to curb problems before they start. The FDA has also been compiling genetic DNA-based seafood identification information since 2009. The agency formally partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to help research and identify fraudulent mislabeling of seafood by cataloguing genetic information and housing specimens in the museum’s collections. He stated they could “literally take the fish out and bring it to court,” if need be. This represents a “unique and robust” initiative, and last year, the FDA partnered with the University of Louisiana, Lafayette to expand the effort to include crustaceans.

Click here to see the PowerPoint presentations for the Food Safety Panel.

16

Leadership Roundtable Mr. David Golden Eastman Chemical Company Mr. David Goldman opened with a rhetorical question, “Chances are, when you flipped through the program and you wondered – who is Eastman Chemical Company, and why are they in the Consortium for Ocean Leadership?” He answered, “Point to one place in the world where the ocean doesn’t matter.” As senior vice president of the advanced materials company, Mr. Golden addressed the industry perspective and how materials science innovation can help technological advances be more efficient. Prior to introducing the Leadership Roundtable, he spoke about their partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and how combining his resources with a world-class not-for-profit can help them develop efficient materials to do more science with less funding. He also stated his pride in the first National Ocean Sciences Bowl teams sponsored by Eastman Chemical and the importance of marine science education.

17

Congressman Don Young House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair (R-AK-At Large)

Representative Don Young (AK-At Large) opened by explaining that he first became interested in the ocean because of the food aspect – its ability to feed the world. As the longest-serving Republican from the largest state in the union with the most coastline, he stated his top interests as “oceans, wildlife, and the management thereof” and touted the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as essential legislation to his state. Rep. Young, co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus, said fishing is the largest economic boost to Alaska, and he spends time thinking about how to “preserve, protect, and provide” for increasing needs from the

growing population. He urged those in the ocean community to work together and “[think] outside the box” for solutions to ocean and fisheries issues because “collectively we can be more constructive.” One specific area the congressman stressed was communicating effectively with the public to increase understanding of the complexities of ocean and fisheries issues. “How do you get them to care?” he asked and then explained that everyone needs to understand the food, security, and minerals Americans use every day come from the ocean, no matter the person’s location. He also discussed other issues our ocean faces, such as the impact of plastic pollution and possible solutions.

18

Congressman Jim McGovern House Hunger Caucus Co-Chair (D-MA-2)

“Forty-two million Americans are food insecure or hungry,” stressed Representative Jim McGovern (MA-2), co-chair of the bipartisan House Hunger Caucus. He said it’s a “shameful” problem because we have the money and resources, just not the political will or the urgency to solve the issue. He went on to highlight the inextricable link between hunger and our climate and the ocean, saying a properly functioning ocean system is critical to food production. Recalling his yearly visits to farms in his home district, Rep. McGovern conveyed comments

from constituents he now receives about “dramatic changes” and “crazy weather patterns.” He pointed out that agriculture is one of the most vulnerable industries, tied “forcefully” to changes in weather. He described the tie-in from agriculture to the ocean, where warming temperatures cause higher evaporation rates that change atmospheric weather patterns – in turn increasing storms, droughts, and floods, which impact our food supply. He also stressed the role that the ocean plays economically, due to 12 percent of world’s population depending on fisheries for their livelihoods. Rep. McGovern pointed to food waste as another important issue. While 40 percent of the food we produce is never eaten, and wasted seafood is a big part of the picture, he stressed the agreement that it is a worthy problem to address. Solutions he covered include education, changed date label practices, updated food donation laws, and the creation of an office in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the problem in the supply chain. He shared an ocean-specific solution of creating more targeted fishing processes and updating equipment. He ended his address by professing his long-time love and fascination of the sea, stating that ultimately, “We need to be better stewards of the ocean.”

19

Food Security Panel Dr. Rick Grosberg, Ph.D. University of California, Davis

The whole concept of food security, and the role of the ocean in providing it, is a problem that encompasses “just about every discipline, whether geographic, climatological, political, ecological, economic boundary imaginable,” began Dr. Rick Grosberg, professor of evolution and ecology and founding director of the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute at the University of California, Davis. He reminded the audience that “we live on a very small, very blue, and highly interconnected planet.” With the global movement of humans, ships, planes, and ocean and atmospheric currents, Dr. Grosberg highlighted the connections between land and sea and stressed they cannot be divided up by ecosystem, as evidenced by the fact that agriculture relies heavily on marine products. Additionally, he

shared how ocean actions impact both coastal and inland communities. For example, in California, coastal upwellings of nutrient-rich deep water drives ocean productivity in the surface water and supports communities of salmon, Dungeness crab, kelp forests, and aquaculture farms, while on land these same upwellings drive coastal fog, which supports the agriculture that makes the region famous, including cows (cheese) and vineyards (wine). Dr. Grosberg described conflicts that can arise between stakeholders in the two land and sea ecosystems (e.g., agriculture runoff impacting coastal water quality) and the need for increased awareness of the interconnectedness of the systems and terrestrial connections to the sea. He offered one solution – creating partnerships between the private sector and local communities, which is an area where UC Davis’ Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute has had success. He then introduced the panel, which represented a diverse group of stakeholders who each spoke to a different aspect of the ocean’s role in food security.

20

Dr. Carol Anne Clayson, Ph.D. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

“You’re studying oceanography in Colorado? You know there’s no ocean there,” started Dr. Carol Anne Clayson, recalling the frequent comment she received while in graduate school in the land-locked state. While she now lives on the coast as a senior scientist in the Department of Physical Oceanography at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, she still spends much of her time explaining the important linkages between coastal and inland regions. She focused her presentation on these connections, with emphasis on the impacts of ocean-atmosphere dynamics on inland agriculture. Dr. Clayson introduced a broad overview of the ocean and atmospheric circulation systems, describing how the two together determine weather and climate patterns.

Ultimately, the ocean and atmosphere distribute heat towards the poles due to the uneven heating of the Earth from the sun. The resulting global wind and ocean currents are intricately tied to one another, and a shift in one region can cause global changes. She gave an example most people are familiar with -- the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, where relatively small changes in the east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean shift the entire atmospheric circulation patterns and resulting water cycle. She specifically tied these changes to impacts on the water cycle because “40 percent of rain and snow falling over land originated directly from ocean evaporation.” This greatly impacts agriculture across the country, including through changed crop yields, delayed harvests, increased insects, and altered plant diseases. Ending her presentation by relating these changes to longer-term climate, Dr. Clayson said that because of the interconnectedness of the global circulation systems, increased weather predictability would help with reducing uncertainty and understanding the potential magnitude of changes. She suggested that investments in ocean science and ocean observing systems are key to climate and weather forecasting which ultimately improve predictability in agriculture. She urged the audience to “think locally” when communicating these issues to communities and to therefore use regional water cycle examples.

21

Dr. Michael Rubino, Ph.D. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Fisheries Service Office of Aquaculture Dr. Michael Rubino, director of the Office of Aquaculture at the NOAA’s Fisheries Service, detailed his experiences interacting with seafood processers and buyers, fisherman, and aquaculture entrepreneurs in the Gulf of Mexico. He explained that consumers are increasingly seeking out local fish; however, buyers are unable to keep up with the demand. As a result, most fish have to be imported, frozen, from Asia. The solution, Dr. Rubino said, lies with aquaculture. He outlined the current state of aquaculture in Maine, citing the state as the best location in the country in terms of production, research, and successful collaboration between stakeholders. He touted aquaculture as a solution to keep working waterfronts operable, provide healthy “superfoods,” and create jobs for local communities. Dr. Rubino then addressed potential environmental concerns, saying there has now been 30 years of experience with the practice in the U.S., and these concerns can be adequately addressed to ensure responsible sustainable aquaculture. Dr. Rubino described finding the solutions to allow the aquaculture industry to grow as a global business opportunity. He cited the U.S. as a major seafood consumer and a “modest player” in wild-capture seafood but only a “tiny player” in aquaculture. He stressed that the manpower, technology, and physical ocean space all exist; however, these factors are not the roadblocks. He attributed the slow growth of aquaculture to challenging permitting processes, conflicting uses of space, increased environmental concerns, and ultimately a lack of “social license” with wanting to grow the fish locally. He turned again to Maine, stressing their cooperation and innovation, from the governor to the state legislature to academic research centers. On the West Coast, he pointed to large seafood companies that are now amongst the biggest U.S. aquaculture companies as well because they “understand the growing demand” for seafood. Dr. Rubino listed research and development “bright spots” in U.S. aquaculture, including shellfish culture, environmental models, open ocean farming, feeds, and equipment. He shared several solutions to increasing aquaculture efforts, specifically regulatory efficiency, regional and local public-private partnerships, longer-term research and development, and science. In terms of research, he highlighted beneficial computer modeling efforts, including water quality and benthic impact models, genetic escapes models, and aquatic animal health management.

22

Mr. Sebastian Belle Maine Aquaculture Association

“If the underlying fundamentals are good, invest in it,” began Mr. Sebastian Belle. As the Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, representing shellfish and finfish growers, he brought a business perspective to the panel. He explained why aquaculture makes a good investment. First, he reviewed the high demand – projected growth of the U.S. population combined with the overall increasing consumption of seafood globally. Next, he outlined problems growing food on land that have been complicated by changing climate patterns and urbanization, which have in turn affected water and nutrients patterns. Given those trends, he

stressed the ocean as an untapped resource ripe for opportunity. He then shared an added environmental and cost benefit – aquatic animal protein farming is more efficient in water and nutrient use when compared to terrestrial agriculture.

Mr. Belle told the audience reasons why he believes aquaculture is not currently more widely practiced in the U.S., including lack of investor confidence and access to capital, complicated permitting agencies and environmental impact reviews, lack of regional management tools and development programs, and poor species and production choices. He offered solutions to some of these barriers, such as creating a national aquaculture economic development program. He also made the case for introducing incentives that are already given to land-based agricultural products, including designation of a specialty crop, exemptions for farmed animals, and insurance programs.

Click here to see the PowerPoint presentations for the Food Security

Panel.

Thanks to our sponsors!

23

AlabamaDauphin Island Sea Lab

AlaskaAlaska Ocean Observing SystemArctic Research Consortium of the United StatesNorth Pacific Research BoardUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks

CaliforniaAquarium of the PacificBodega Marine LabEsriL-3 MariPro, Inc.Liquid Robotics, Inc.Monterey Bay Aquarium Research InstituteMoss Landing Marine LaboratoryNaval Postgraduate SchoolStanford UniversityUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa CruzUniversity of California, San Diego Scripps Institution of

OceanographyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaRomberg Tiburon Center for Environmental StudiesTeledyne Marine

ColoradoCooperative Institute for Research in Environmental

Sciences

ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut

DelawareMid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean

Observing SystemUniversity of Delaware

FloridaEarth2Ocean, Inc. FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic InstituteFlorida Institute of OceanographyMote Marine LaboratoryNova Southeastern UniversityUniversity of FloridaUniversity of MiamiUniversity of South Florida

GeorgiaSkidaway Institute of Oceanography

of the University of GeorgiaSavannah State University

HawaiiUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

IllinoisJohn G. Shedd Aquarium

LouisianaASV Global, LLC Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Louisiana State University

MaineBigelow Laboratory for Ocean SciencesThe IOOS Association University of Maine

MarylandJohns Hopkins UniversityNational Aquarium Severn Marine Technologies, LLCUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

MEMBERS OF THE CONSORTIUM FOR OCEAN LEADERSHIPThe Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that represents the leading ocean science and technology institutions — public and private, academia, aquaria, and industry. Our mission is to shape the future of ocean science and technology. In addition to our advocacy role as the voice of the ocean research and technology community, COL manages a variety of community-wide research and education programs in areas of ocean observing, ocean exploration, and ocean partnerships.

24

MassachusettsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of MassachusettsWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution

MichiganUniversity of Michigan

MississippiUniversity of MississippiUniversity of Southern Mississippi

New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire

New JerseyMonmouth University Urban Coast InstituteRutgers University

New YorkColumbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryStony Brook University

North CarolinaDuke University Marine LaboratoryEast Carolina UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Wilmington

OregonOregon State University

PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State University

Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode Island

South CarolinaSouth Carolina Sea Grant ConsortiumUniversity of South Carolina

TennesseeEastman Chemical Company

TexasHarte Research InstituteSonardyne, Inc.Texas A&M UniversityUniversity of Texas at Austin

VirginiaCollege of William and Mary Virginia Institute of Marine

Sciences Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Old Dominion UniversityU.S. Arctic Research Commission

WashingtonSea-Bird Scientific, Inc.University of Washington

Washington, DCMarine Technology SocietyNational Ocean Industries AssociationSoutheastern Universities Research Association

WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater

Sciences

AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University

of Tasmania

BermudaBermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

CanadaDalhousie University

25

1201 New York Avenue, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20005P. 202.232.3900 • F. 202.332.8887

www.OceanLeadership.org

#PPF17

ReserveOfficersAssociationBuilding