Sec. 71004. Offshore aquaculture
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/bill/117/hr/4521/pcs/section-71004·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall enter into an agreement with the Board of Ocean Studies and Board Science, Technology, and Economic Policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive assessment on the development of offshore aquaculture in the exclusive economic zone including— assessment of the potential environmental impacts of offshore aquaculture operations, including an evaluation on the risks of siting, water pollution, habitat impact, escape of farmed species on wild population stocks, waste treatment and disposal, feed operations, and the cumulative risks of multiple aquaculture operations in shared ecosystems; evaluation of the potential for offshore aquaculture to serve as a tool for environmental management, including connections to water quality, watershed management, and fishery conservation and management; identification of existing control technologies, management practices and regulatory strategies to minimize the environmental impact of offshore aquaculture operations, including from traditional aquaculture methods and practices of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; recommending best management practices related to sustainable feed for the offshore aquaculture industry, including best practices for sourcing from sustainably managed fisheries and traceability of source fish meal ingredients; evaluation of the potential impact of offshore aquaculture on the economies of coastal communities, particularly those dependent on traditional fishery resources; and assessment of the impacts of growing international offshore aquaculture operations on the United States seafood market and domestic seafood producers, including dependence of the United States on foreign-sourced seafood.