NOAA Fisheries is releasing a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for a potential aquaculture management program in Federal waters of the Pacific Islands Region. The draft PEIS is available at: https://www.regulations.gov/. (Search under NOAA-NMFS-2021-0044). Comments are being accepted for 90 days through August 5, 2021.

Aquaculture plays a variety of important roles in the Pacific Islands region’s and the nation’s fisheries, contributing to seafood supply, fostering economic growth and development, restoring fish habitats, and helping preserve indigenous cultural practices. The DPEIS evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of several management alternatives on the human, physical, and biological environment. This is an opportunity for the public to provide input on the environmental analysis and alternatives within the PEIS, which we will consider in any final PEIS and within any future management action by NOAA Fisheries and the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Pacific Islands Regional Aquaculture Specialist, Tori Spence McConnell, at tori.spence@noaa.gov.

Click here to view FR notice.