What are some of the troubling provisions of the National Offshore Aquaculture Act (H.2010 )?
• The proposed bill lacks strong and specific environmental standards. • The legislation gives almost exclusive control for permitting and operations to the Secretary of Commerce. • The legislation would allow for multi-national and foreign corporations to lease the sites. • The proposed legislation specifically exempts projects/proposals from the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the regional fishery management councils. • The bill allows for any marine species to be authorized: “the term ‘marine species’ means finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, marine algae and all other forms of marine life, excluding marine mammals and birds. • A programmatic EIS needs to be included in legislation. The revision contains no such provision for NOAA to conduct a programmatic EIS. • There is no provision explicitly prohibiting genetically modified species. • There is a need for a standard requiring species-specific offshore aquaculture that would not compete economically or environmentally with w
