device, such as a buoy. No recreational or commercial fishing, other than
aquaculture may occur in the restricted zone.
• Facility Access—Permittees are required to provide NMFS personnel and
authorized officers access to their aquaculture facility and records in order to
conduct inspections and determine compliance with applicable regulations.
• Facility Inspection—Permittees should inspect the aquaculture systems for
entanglements or interactions with marine mammals, protected species, and
migratory birds. The frequency of inspections will be specified by NMFS as a
condition of the permit.
• Biologics, Pesticides, Drugs—Farms have to comply with all applicable U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA, and Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) requirements. Use of aquaculture feeds should be conducted in compliance with EPA feed monitoring and management guidelines.
• Notification of Harvest—NMFS should be notified 72 h prior to the intended
time of landing. The landing notification would include the time, date, and port
of landing.
• Crop Landing—Permittees participating in the aquaculture program are allowed
to offload fish at dealers only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., local time. All fish
landed would have to be maintained whole with heads and fins intact. Any
cultured fish harvested and being transported should be accompanied by the
applicable bill of lading through landing ashore and first point of sale.
• Reporting Requirements—Permittees are required to report to NMFS the following events: major escape events, e.g., escape of 10% of fish from one cage;
findings of reportable pathogens; and entanglements or interactions with marine
mammals, protected species or migratory birds. All these events have to be
reported within 24 h of discovery. Permittees must also report any change in the
hatchery source of fingerlings or use of a new animal drug.
• Compliance with Permits—Permittees have to monitor and report environmental
assessment data to NMFS in accordance to procedures specified by NMFS.
Applicants also have to comply with all monitoring and reporting requirements
specified in their Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (ACOE).
Sanctions and Denials
• Permit Revocation, Suspension and Modification—An aquaculture permit
issued pursuant to the Gulf Plan and Proposed Rule may be revoked, suspended,
or modified in accordance with general procedures governing enforcementrelated permit sanctions found in sub part D of 15 Code of Federal Regulations
part 904. Further denial of submissions of initial permits and renewals are
covered by this part of the law (CFR 2014).
• Review Process—Briefly, the process includes the following steps: (1) Notice of
permit sanction or denial, (2) Opportunity for a hearing before the NOAA
202
J.S. Corbin et al.
aquaculture may occur in the restricted zone.
• Facility Access—Permittees are required to provide NMFS personnel and
authorized officers access to their aquaculture facility and records in order to
conduct inspections and determine compliance with applicable regulations.
• Facility Inspection—Permittees should inspect the aquaculture systems for
entanglements or interactions with marine mammals, protected species, and
migratory birds. The frequency of inspections will be specified by NMFS as a
condition of the permit.
• Biologics, Pesticides, Drugs—Farms have to comply with all applicable U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA, and Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) requirements. Use of aquaculture feeds should be conducted in compliance with EPA feed monitoring and management guidelines.
• Notification of Harvest—NMFS should be notified 72 h prior to the intended
time of landing. The landing notification would include the time, date, and port
of landing.
• Crop Landing—Permittees participating in the aquaculture program are allowed
to offload fish at dealers only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., local time. All fish
landed would have to be maintained whole with heads and fins intact. Any
cultured fish harvested and being transported should be accompanied by the
applicable bill of lading through landing ashore and first point of sale.
• Reporting Requirements—Permittees are required to report to NMFS the following events: major escape events, e.g., escape of 10% of fish from one cage;
findings of reportable pathogens; and entanglements or interactions with marine
mammals, protected species or migratory birds. All these events have to be
reported within 24 h of discovery. Permittees must also report any change in the
hatchery source of fingerlings or use of a new animal drug.
• Compliance with Permits—Permittees have to monitor and report environmental
assessment data to NMFS in accordance to procedures specified by NMFS.
Applicants also have to comply with all monitoring and reporting requirements
specified in their Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (ACOE).
Sanctions and Denials
• Permit Revocation, Suspension and Modification—An aquaculture permit
issued pursuant to the Gulf Plan and Proposed Rule may be revoked, suspended,
or modified in accordance with general procedures governing enforcementrelated permit sanctions found in sub part D of 15 Code of Federal Regulations
part 904. Further denial of submissions of initial permits and renewals are
covered by this part of the law (CFR 2014).
• Review Process—Briefly, the process includes the following steps: (1) Notice of
permit sanction or denial, (2) Opportunity for a hearing before the NOAA
202
J.S. Corbin et al.