To meet the growing demand for domestic seafood, NOAA is supporting the expansion of the U.S. aquaculture industry. This means that aquaculture gear, such as shellfish cages, fish netpens, and kelp long lines, must be permitted to comply with relevant regulations and ensure sustainability.
Resource managers play a key role in this by reviewing aquaculture projects prior to authorization for installation. To support this, scientists at NOAA Fisheries released a new technical memo on aquaculture gear for resource managers: The Technical Guide to Marine Aquaculture Gear.
This guide serves as an orientation to aquaculture gear systems for decision makers conducting environmental reviews for aquaculture permitting and management. “Having a one-stop shop for information about aquaculture gear is beneficial, particularly for someone new to the industry,” said Matt Bowden, an environmental engineer and one of the authors of the publication. “This guide will help our federal partners who are involved in aquaculture permitting. It will help them to make scientifically sound decisions while making the permitting process more efficient for the industry."
Understanding the Right Gear for the Job
The guide identifies gear suited for different types of marine aquaculture, outlining relevant advantages and disadvantages, and considerations for installation, maintenance, and harvest. Illustrations of gear types, glossaries of key terms, and descriptions of shellfish, seaweed, and finfish species provide a comprehensive overview for resource managers.
“This type of document is immensely helpful for resource managers,” explains Tori Spence, regional aquaculture coordinator for NOAA Fisheries. “There’s a broad diversity of gears used for aquaculture in the ocean, and these gear types can be complex, even if some aspects may be common to other maritime applications. It’s useful to have a repository for resource managers where they can see the aquaculture-specific information and make decisions to ensure the gear is appropriate, safe, and reliable across the country."
Management considerations vary by farm. This gear guide aims to provide a baseline understanding to inform the review and permitting of aquaculture farms around the country. The scale of a farm, species cultivated, environmental conditions, and regional practices are all factors in the review process.
This resource will also benefit aquaculture growers. As Rusty Grice, administrator at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab, explains to farmers, “The most important and largest line item on your business plan budget is for infrastructure. Once one has committed to a particular type of gear, it is costly to reinvest in another.” This guide minimizes the risk of farmers needing to reinvest because everyone involved can understand how different systems will perform in various environmental settings.
Innovations in a Growing Field
Advances in aquaculture gear are helping to make the industry more sustainable and profitable. Innovations such as co-location with existing infrastructure, alternative materials, and new monitoring and feeding technologies are rapidly developing.
“Resource managers need to stay informed on aquaculture gear and technology, including those ensuring growth and sustainability across the aquaculture industry,” explains Lindsey Feldman, one of the publication’s authors. “The gear guide will enable them to do just that.”
Within the expanding industry, NOAA Fisheries is committed to supporting aquaculture science and research. This guide shows how we are equipping scientists and managers with the latest technologies, as well as tried and true methods. These strategies will help American seafood farmers and provide safe and sustainable seafood to American families.
