USA - NOAA Aquaculture Policy Listening Sessions and National Call-in
As a first step in the development of a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aquaculture Policy, NOAA is seeking input on the components of a draft aquaculture policy from interested stakeholders including communities, state and local governments, tribes, businesses, associations, the aquaculture industry, commercial and recreational fishermen, the seafood industry, non-governmental organizations, and the general public.
Stakeholders can participate in three ways - by participating in a listening session, by submitting a comment online, or by participating in a national call-in. The details for all of these options are listed below. The public input period will begin on April 6 and end on May 14, 2010.
After the listening sessions are over, NOAA will analyze the public input and develop a draft national policy for review and public comment. Once that process is complete, the agency will issue a new NOAA Aquaculture Policy.
Aquaculture Listening Sessions and National Call-in
The NOAA aquaculture listening sessions and national call-in will be an open forum for the public to make recommendations to NOAA officials regarding a new policy that will address all forms of marine aquaculture. A time limit will apply to all comments. Listening sessions and the national call-in will be held as follows:
April 14 in Narragansett, Rhode Island
Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus
Room: Corless Auditorium (Building #27)
Address: 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
April 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District Building
Address: 7400 Leake Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118
Note: You must present a U.S. government-issued photo ID to enter this building.
April 22 in Seattle, Washington
Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Seattle Aquarium
Address: 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101
April 27 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Time: 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Ala Moana Hotel
Address: 410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu, HI 96814
April 29 in Menlo Park, California
Time: 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: U.S. Geological Survey Visitors Center Conference Room
Address: 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, California 94025
Note: You must present a U.S. government-issued photo ID to enter this building.
May 6 a national call-in hosted by NOAA
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Tollfree number: 1-877-779-7421
Participant passcode: NOAA
NOAA is currently seeking public input to help shape the scope and objectives of a draft policy. It is particularly interested in hearing ideas about how the policy can most effectively guide and support science; provide clear regulations; support outreach, education, and innovation; and define the U.S. role in this international industry. Below are questions that can guide discussion at the public listening sessions and comments submitted online or via the national call-in.
§ What opportunities exist for developing sustainable marine aquaculture nationwide? What are the major impediments?
§ What are the most important environmental considerations, and how can these be addressed?
§ Which social and economic consequences or outcomes will be the most important in the next 5 years or in the next 20 years?
§ How can NOAA best support essential research and innovation? What should be the goals of NOAA-funded research related to aquaculture?
§ How can NOAA best communicate with the industry and public on aquaculture issues? What are the opportunities for partnerships?
§ What role should NOAA play with respect to aquaculture issues and initiatives at the international level?
§ What other considerations need to be addressed in NOAA's aquaculture policy?
Submit a Comment
You may type your comment into the form on theNOAA website or upload a separate document. Supporting documents, links, etc., are welcome as long as they are pertinent to the process. The public input period will begin on April 6 and end on May 14, 2010. Click here to submit a comment. Also note the Discussion Questions listed above and the Commenting Guidelines listed below.
Comments may also be submitted:
Via fax: (301) 713-9108 (Attn: Aquaculture Program).
Via mail: NOAA Aquaculture Program, Attn: Public Comment, 1315 East-West Highway, SSMC#3-13th Floor, Mail Code: F, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Commenting Guidelines
In accordance with NOAA's Online Privacy Policy, your name, city, state, and any comments you provide will be treated as public information. You may enter a comment as ‘anonymous' if you do not want this information available to the public. Also, supporting documents, links, etc., are welcome as long as they are pertinent to the process. However, the appearance of external links, advertisements, political opinions, or other comments do not constitute endorsement or that of the U.S. Government.
While this is a public process, NOAA will not post content that meets the following criteria:
§ Contains vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, threats, obscenity, or offensive terms that target specific ethnic or racial groups;
§ Promotes services or products (non-commercial links that are relevant to the comment are acceptable);
§ Are far off-topic (i.e., not within the scope of the policy development process); or
§ Make unsupported accusations.
Background Materials
Aquaculture supplies almost half of the world's seafood and a significant portion of future increases in the global seafood supply are expected to come from aquaculture. The United States is a major consumer of aquaculture products, but a minor producer. Currently, 84 percent of the nation's seafood is imported, and half of that is from aquaculture. U.S. aquaculture supplies about five percent of U.S. seafood. Aquaculture techniques are also widely used in the United States to help restore valuable wild fisheries and habitat, including oysters.
For purposes of this policy, aquaculture is defined as the propagation and rearing of aquatic marine organisms in controlled or selected aquatic environments for any commercial, recreational, or public purpose. This definition covers all production of finfish, shellfish, and other marine organisms, excluding marine mammals, for:
Human consumption and other commercial uses;
Wild stock replenishment;
Rebuilding populations of threatened or endangered species; and
Restoration of marine habitat (e.g., oyster reefs).
The following documents provide background materials and context for this effort.
NOAA Aquaculture Program Backgrounder (pdf)
NOAA 10-Year Plan for Marine Aquaculture
1999 U.S. Department of Commerce Aquaculture Policy (pdf)
To contact the NOAA Aquaculture Program, send an e-mail to: NOAA.Aquaculture@noaa.gov.
