Courtesy of NAA:

The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) is seeking public comment on a draft outline of the Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Economic Development(SPAED), and information on a planned update to the 1983 National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP).

The SCA is a statutory subcommittee that operates under the Committee on Environment of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) under the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President.

In 2020, the SCA established an Economic Development Task Force charged with developing a strategic plan to support a robust, resilient, and environmentally sustainable domestic aquaculture sector. The plan seeks to support the viability and expansion of existing operations, encourage new entrants, and maximize the effectiveness of existing federal policies and programs, while strengthening the public-private partnerships with federal stakeholders. This Task Force includes federal employees from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, the State Department, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Small Business Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency.

The NADP is required to include all the elements listed in National Aquaculture Act of 1980; and additionally, identify legal/ regulatory constraints and solutions, and specifically those associated with use rights. The main elements of the NADP are described in Sec. 2303(b)(1) through (6) of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980.

The National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research and Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture are completed and the SPAED is under development. The SCA believes that much of the required content of the NADP will be contained within these three strategic plans. The SCA seeks public comment on additional topics to be addressed in the NADP that are not covered in the research, regulatory efficiency and economic development plans.

Comments must be received by April 1, 2022, to be assured of consideration.

Address all comments concerning the SPAED and topics to be covered in the NADP to:

• Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic public comments to AquacultureEcoDev@usda.gov; or
• Mail: Gabriela McMurtry, Attn: Aquaculture Economic Development Plan Comments, Office of Policy, F/AQ, 1315 East-West Highway, 14th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.