One of the primary barriers to aquaculture development is the complexity of the regulatory frameworks that govern the industry at the federal, state, and local level. While local governance plays a role, many city and county-level officials are unaware of the industry, ill-informed, or do not understand their role in this complex system. This lack of awareness and understanding of the industry, including the products, environmental impact, and potential for supporting coastal economies can make it difficult for entrepreneurs looking to start a hatchery, farm, or other aquaculture operation. This project aims to help educate local government officials about the industry in order to facilitate aquaculture production.
The Southeast Aquaculture Communication Collaborative is developing an online toolkit that leverages the National Sea Grant Law Center’s legal expertise and the Southeast Sea Grant extension network to help county commissioners and city councils to become more aware of the aquaculture industry and their role in the legal framework that governs it. The toolkit will include an online course, starting with a brief introduction to the aquaculture industry on the national and state level, including the type of fish and seafood produced in the regions, as well as economic and environmental impacts. Then, it will provide an overview of the role of federal and state policy in the governance of the aquaculture industry to help contextualize the county and city level information that follows. The main section of the course will focus on the role of local policy in the regulation of and potential growth of the industry, including local zoning codes, city and county ordinances, and business rules. In addition to the online course, we will develop materials such as presentation slides and event guides to support in-person educational opportunities through the Sea Grant extension network to expand the reach of the course.