North American marine aquaculture faces the challenges of developing within a culture that resists alterations to coastal regions. Although there are dire predictions of disappearance of wild fish stocks in the very near future, there continues to be resistance to the development of aquaculture in North America. Much of this resistance centers on health concerns; specifically food safety risks, health impacts on wild animals and the impacts on environmental health. This presentation will examine the role veterinarians have in the North American debate on environmental impacts of aquaculture and how they can serve as objective health professionals providing evidence to help people and governments make rational health decisions.