Provide coordination and facilitation support for two separate but related groups focused on interagency and industry aquaculture coordination: the california aquaculture interagency working group and…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Sea Grant Support program (CFDA 11.417) to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2027. The award funds coordination and facilitation support for two interagency and industry working groups: the California Aquaculture Interagency Working Group and the California Aquaculture Development Committee (ADC). The principal investigators will organize and facilitate regular meetings with detailed agendas and established goals, providing a structured forum for regulators and industry members to discuss regulatory frameworks, environmental review processes, permitting procedures, and monitoring of sustainable aquaculture in federal and state waters off the California coast.

The primary deliverable is the development of a community of practice that generates actionable regulatory recommendations and resources to streamline California's aquaculture permitting environment. By fostering collaboration between state and federal agencies and industry stakeholders, the project aims to reduce permitting burdens on both regulatory staff and aquaculture farmers while facilitating expanded aquaculture development throughout the state. No subrecipient activities are associated with this award.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide coordination and facilitation support for two separate but related groups focused on interagency and industry aquaculture coordination: the california aquaculture interagency working group and the california aquaculture development committee (ADC). By supporting these two groups aquaculture development in california as IT is related to permitting is expected to improve eventually resulting in a more transparent, streamlined permitting environment and more aquaculture activity in the state.

Activities

The working groups will meet regularly over the course of the project with detailed agendas and agreed upon goals facilitated by this projects principal investigators. The groups will discuss the regulatory setting, environmental review, permitting, and monitoring of sustainable aquaculture in federal and state waters off the coast of california with a view to develop regulatory actions and resources needed to facilitate aquaculture development in the state.

Expected outcomes

IT is expected that by providing a well organized forum for both regulators and industry members that a community of practice for both groups will be developed leading to actions and resources that will facilitate aquaculture development in california. This will reduce the permitting burden on both regulators and industry and help to streamline the development of the industry.

Intended beneficiaries

This project is intended to benefit california state and federal agencies to improve and reduce permitting burdens on their staff for the consideration of aquaculture development as IT relates to their agency. In turn IT is expected that the california aquaculture industry will benefit from the project by also resulting in a reduced regulatory burden on farmers and also develop permitting actions and resources to promote aquaculture development in the state.