If given federal approval, the U.S. could see its first oceanic aquaculture farm on 30 acres of water under federal jurisdiction in the Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts. The farm would produce mussels – production much needed in the U.S. as 90% of the mussels consumed in the country are imported. Prince Edward Island aquaculture farms in Canada export 35 million pounds of blue mussels to the U.S. annually at a value of US$19.3 million and during the first seven months of 2012 the U.S. imported US$150 million worth of mussels – 86% from Canada and New Zealand.
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