EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fish & Game Code §15105, as amended by Senate Bill 809 (2017), directs the Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report regarding the aquaculture program undertaken using revenues derived pursuant to that program, the benefits derived, and its recommendations for revising the aquaculture program requirement, if any.
This report provides a short overview of the CDFW Aquaculture Program, a description of program activities undertaken during the past five years, a discussion of program funding, and general recommendations to address challenges.
Benefits derived from recent Aquaculture Program activities include the coordination of federal funding and completed first-phase population genetics research that has laid a foundation for future public-private-academic partnerships in conservation aquaculture and fisheries restoration efforts. Additionally, the development and maintenance of an online aquaculture permitting guide, a virtual permit counter coordinating tool, and the establishment of new administrative procedures are important first steps toward improved interagency coordination and permitting efficiency. However, program capacity challenges remain that constrain more effective oversight of aquaculture leasing processes that may currently be extremely protracted and uncertain for applicants.
Recommendations include reevaluating the efficiency of Aquaculture Program funding, specifically the need for broader support of CDFW programs (such as Marine Region, Fisheries Branch, and others) with natural resource management, oversight, and enforcement responsibilities related to commercial aquaculture. Potential funding solutions should recognize the nascent scale of California aquaculture development and the constrained access to opportunity posed by increasing upfront leasing or permitting costs as a means of fully funding the program.
Solutions that enhance public trust management and administrative capacity would allow for a smoother environmental review process, resulting in efficient processing of more commercial aquaculture permits and more equitable access to opportunity for new potential producers. Expanded aquaculture activity would then have the capacity to better contribute to state program funding needs and fulfill California’s vision of an environmentally protective, robust and sustainable aquaculture industry.