NOAA Chief Faces Questions on " Blue Economy " Proposal, Budget Cuts

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acting Administrator Timothy Gallaudet testified before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard on July 24, 2018. Lawmakers questioned Gallaudet about NOAA’s plan to triple aquaculture production in the United States to reduce seafood imports. NOAA’s “blue economy” plan is intended to boost ocean farming and mineral extraction, produce more seafloor maps, increase vessel safety at seaports, and promote energy development and tourism opportunities. “One-half of the global seafood supply is farmed, but in the U.S., less than 10 percent of our seafood is from aquaculture,” Gallaudet said. He also said that NOAA needs to work towards promoting energy production and mineral extraction. “Relying on foreign sources of critical minerals is a national security vulnerability that NOAA can help address through ocean exploration,” he said. Democratic lawmakers insisted that such a proposal must also include environmental protections. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the ranking member on the subcommittee, questioned Gallaudet on why he removed the word “climate” from a NOAA presentation delivered at a Commerce Department “Vision Setting Summit” in June 2018. Gallaudet said the proposed change was intended “merely to foster discussion” and has already been changed. “We are c...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news