The American Farm Bureau Federation supports a USDA proposal to possibly classify farm-raised fish as livestock.  That will help ease trade restrictions, says AFBF.  Fish farmers have had healthy fish product shipments returned due to an inadequate health certification process.

"This action is consistent with the services and protection USDA provides to other livestock that assures the free and open trade of healthy, farm-raised animals," said AFBF President Dean Kleckner.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has the authority to protect the health of livestock and poultry with programs that include poultry, horses, swine, cattle and other livestock.  APHIS is considering an expansion of those services to domesticated aquatic animals.

Aquaculture in the United States generates more than $1 billion annually.  Classifying farm-raised fish as livestock would open interstate and foreign commerce for producers and would satisfy import requirements by foreign nations and trade agreements, says AFBF.