The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has officially adopted the Statewide Marine Aquaculture Action Plan. This document serves as a comprehensive roadmap aimed at improving governance, ensuring environmental protections, and facilitating the sustainable development of marine seaweed and shellfish aquaculture across the state.
The final Action Plan is the culmination of a collaborative, multi-year effort that began in 2021 when the OPC established an interagency Aquaculture Leadership Team. This team consists of several key state agencies, including:
- California Coastal Commission
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- California Fish and Game Commission
- California State Lands Commission
- California State Coastal Conservancy
- California State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards
- California Department of Public Health
- California Department of Food and Agriculture
Following their initial release of the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Marine Aquaculture, which outlined a vision for an industry informed by the best available science, the Leadership Team developed the Action Plan around three primary goals:
- Goal 1: Improve California’s aquaculture governance framework through increased interagency coordination and transparency.
- Goal 2: Maximize environmental sustainability and continue to protect and enhance public health.
- Goal 3: Facilitate sustainable development of marine aquaculture in state waters.
Each goal outlines specific actions the state intends to take to establish a consistent, comprehensive management and regulatory framework. The plan’s development included interagency coordination, tribal consultation, community listening sessions, and partner workshops. State agencies plan to maintain coordination with tribal, industry, and eNGO partners, alongside offering opportunities for public engagement, throughout the implementation phase.
Implementation has begun with the OPC’s approval of $500,000 in funding to California Sea Grant. These funds will support the development of an Aquaculture Science Plan designed to inform aquaculture governance statewide.
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