Information on how to start and maintain your aquaculture farm in Massachusetts.
Aquaculture can provide positive environmental services, including seafood, jobs, and nutrient remediation. But aquaculture also may prevent others from accessing public waters, it can cause environmental harm from access, gear deployment, and harvesting, and can aggravate outbreak and spread of shellfish disease due to high density stocking. Therefore, a complicated permitting process has arisen to adequately identify problems and solutions.
The Massachusetts Aquaculture Permitting Plan is being developed to identify how the state is permitting and managing aquaculture for public health safety, permitting efficiency, and sustainability. It provides:
A description of permitting for state resource managers and regulators focused on identifying best management practices and performance criteria for aquaculture activities typical to Massachusetts
Detailed guidance for aquaculture and propagation project proponents
A framework for addressing cumulative impacts associated with aquaculture
