FRANKFORT, Ky. — There is no doubt the local food movement is here to stay and one product consumers seem to want more of is seafood. One way to supply the demand is through aquaculture.

Demand is greater than the supply and in Kentucky, the number of producers is not growing at a fast enough rate to keep up. But that is not only a problem for Kentucky, it is a national issue.

According to information from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Aquaculture, globally, the United States is a minor aquaculture producer but is the leading  global importer of fish and fishery products, with 91 percent of the seafood consumed here (by value) originating abroad – half of which is from aquaculture.

The agency also reports the U.S. seafood trade deficit has grown to more than $11.2 billion annually. While that may not be the best news for consumers, the nation is a leader in a variety of advanced technology, feed, equipment and investment to other producers around the world.

Kentucky has become one of the major players in aquaculture research through efforts at Kentucky State University’s aquaculture program and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA). Angela Caporreli, KDA aquaculture coordinator and marketing specialist, said the opportunities exist for aquaculture growth in the state – it’s a matter of getting more producers involved.

She noted producers in the state were almost 10 years before their time where the market was concerned. “We had the production, we had a processing facility and we had a lot of farmers excited about it but yet, the price was relatively high and we really had a hard time growing from there because there wasn’t that much of a push from the buy local (movement),” said Caporreli.

“In the past 10 or 12 years, we’ve seen a huge expansion of ‘buy local’ and people are willing to pay a lot more now than they were back then, for knowing where their products come from.”

While the market for fish and related products from a local source is still somewhat niche, she thinks those markets are going to continue to grow, creating possibilities for producers to do well.

“I think if people have the patience and really want to work with those niche markets, they can do really well. The buy local movement is not going away,” she said.

Caporreli said American consumers spend the least amount of their incomes on food as compared to other countries in the world, but are willing to increase that amount for quality food. Jim Tidwell, a professor and chair of KSU’s Division of Aquaculture, thinks the sector can be a moneymaker for farmers and help them diversify their farming operations while supplying that consumer demand.

But he said comprehensive studies probably need to be done at markets to give farmers an idea of what their consumer base wants in those particular markets, and if they can meet the demand at the price point consumers are willing to pay.

“There are people that got in before the market was ready and it’s very hard for them to get back in when it didn’t work the first time,” said Tidwell. “And for those looking to get in it that haven’t tried it, they’re going to have to know there is enough of a market and how to address it and make it a viable market.”

While there are opportunities for producers in a growing consumer market, there are challenges as well – including facing aquaculture naysayers. Caporreli said some people say they won’t eat farm-raised fish but they can’t really explain why.

She also noted in the case of almost all livestock commodities, including free-range poultry and grass-fed beef, at some point those animals are grown under controlled situations; the same is true when it comes to aquaculture. Tidwell said half of the wild salmon consumed comes from hatcheries and half of the seafood consumed comes from aquaculture.

“Without aquaculture, you wouldn’t have most of the wild fish, with salmon being an example of that,” he explained.

For those who think aquaculture is bad for the environment, Tidwell said they need to understand the negative environmental impact of the many trawlers and equipment used in commercial fishing.

With the demand here so great, he said more than 90 percent of this country’s seafood is imported. He thinks people will once again get into aquaculture, but it won’t look the same as it did in the beginning.

“You’re going to see different types of systems and not just ponds, because Kentucky is a hard place to build ponds and that is one of the reasons we’re looking at other technologies,” he said.

Caporreli pointed out U.S. producers have to adhere to many rules and regulations when it comes to aquaculture to ensure its safety; it’s one reason growers here can’t produce at the same price foreign producers can. But with so much of the seafood coming into this country from places that don’t have to produce under the same rules, the case for local production is even greater.