According to NOAA Fisheries Service the public comments on the DPEIS is necessary to analyze the impacts of proposed offshore marine aquaculture regulations in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that the main aim of the DPEIS developed by NOAA Fisheries Service, in cooperation with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council), is to evaluate the effects of a range of alternatives for regulating offshore marine aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Council said that this action was initiated to provide a programmatic approach to evaluating the impacts of aquaculture proposals in the Gulf of Mexico and a comprehensive framework for regulating such activities. The actions in the DPEIS include:
1) Aquaculture permit requirements, eligibility, and transferability; 2) aquaculture permit application requirements, operational requirements, and restrictions; 3) duration an aquaculture permit is effective; 4) species allowed for offshore marine aquaculture; 5) allowable systems for growing cultured organisms; 6) marine aquaculture siting requirements and conditions; 7) restricted access zones surrounding marine aquaculture facilities; 8) recordkeeping and reporting requirements; 9) status determination criteria and biological reference points; and 10) framework procedures for reviewing the aquaculture program and modifying regulations.
NOAA Fisheries Service has fixed a deadline for public comments on these actions so that it can implement the DPEIS accordingly.
