Aquaculture News Around the Country

CLEAR Legislation to Prohibit Aquaculture Activities

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering major energy legislation called the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 (CLEAR) bill, H.R.3534.  While the main purpose is to establish new sources of energy, it contains a provision (Section 704) entitled Offshore Aquaculture Clarification that will prohibit the Department of Commerce, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the several federal fishery management councils from approving a fishery management plan that authorizes aquaculture activities pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Act.  It also would invalidate any aquaculture-related permits that have been issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Act prior to this legislation.

The following websites are available for emailing Congressional representatives:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

USDA Grants Assistance to US Catfish Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently announced that it has certified a petition for catfish under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers Program.  Beginning June 25, U.S. catfish producers nationwide have 90 days to apply for training and benefits.
Applications (form FSA 229-1) are available on the FAS Web site at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/taa/taaforms.asp
All TAA for Farmers Federal Register notices can be found on the FAS Web site at:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/fr/notices.asp

NASAC is on LinkedIn

NASAC now has a profile on LinkedIn. If you have a profile, please search out NASAC and request to be connected
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3128950&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

USDA Provides Emergency Assistance to Producers of Farm-Raised Fish

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that disaster assistance will be issued starting today to livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers that suffered losses in 2008 because of disease, adverse weather or other conditions. The aid will come from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=ner&newstype=newsrel&
type=detail&item=nr_20100630_rel_0349.html

Comment Period for the NPDES

The comment period for the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for pesticides closes July 19, 2010
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=410

NASAC Study Underway

NASAC is helping Dr. Chris Weible and Saba Siddiki at the University of Colorado Denver with a study of aquaculture partnerships across the US. Read about the study here