Maine
Maine began leasing sheltered State offshore waters for salmon aquaculture in
1970. Shellfish was the primary species initially and then cage culture of salmon
became a target. There are three different access vehicles to State waters for different purposes, described below (State of Maine 2014). Today Maine boosts one of
the most valuable aquaculture industries in the U.S. valued at $57 M in 2013. The
Core Terms are highlighted as follows:
• Limits on Production—No limits are placed on volume of production, but there
are limits on the size of the site that can be leased.
• Species Grown—For the Experimental Lease and the Standard Lease, any
species already present in Maine. Bringing in out-of -state stock requires a State
Department of Marine Resources import permit. With a Limited Purpose
Aquaculture License (LPA) the species cultured can be blue mussels, clams,
American and European oysters, sea and bay scallops, green sea urchins and
marine algae.
• Site Size—Maximum size for a Standard Lease is 40 ha and for an Experimental
Lease is four acres. For the LPA license it is up to 400 sq. ft.
• Method of Site Disposition and Terms—A lease is the site disposition vehicle
for an experimental project that can be up to 3 years and the large-scale,
long-term commercial project that can be up to 10 years. A license mechanism
is used for the short-term, one calendar year LPA project. Renewals are possible
for the Standard Lease and LPA license for similar terms.
• Cost of the Lease—The Standard Lease costs $1500 for shellfish and $2000 for
finfish, plus $100 per acre per year rent. Renewal fees after 10 years are $1000
for shellfish and $1500 for finfish.
• Bond for Facility Removal—Both the Standard Lease and Experimental Lease
require a bond for removal of the facility and crop if the lease is terminated.
The LPA license does not require a bond.
Hawaii
Hawaii began leasing State marine waters for commercial aquaculture in 2001, with
the first farm in the U.S. to be sited in open ocean conditions and operated totally
submerged growing the Pacific Threadfin fish. This was followed shortly after by a
second farm growing Amberjack (Sims 2013). Today Hawaii has one offshore fish
farm and several in the permit process. Its total aquaculture industry was valued at
$58 M in 2013.
Obtaining an offshore site requires a two-step process. First the company must
obtain a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) from the Department of Land
and Natural Resources (DLNR), which is a conditioned permit that describes the
site and the aquaculture use (State of Hawaii 2014). The CDUP application requires
an Environmental Assessment be carried out. Upon approval of the use by DLNR,
206
J.S. Corbin et al.
Maine began leasing sheltered State offshore waters for salmon aquaculture in
1970. Shellfish was the primary species initially and then cage culture of salmon
became a target. There are three different access vehicles to State waters for different purposes, described below (State of Maine 2014). Today Maine boosts one of
the most valuable aquaculture industries in the U.S. valued at $57 M in 2013. The
Core Terms are highlighted as follows:
• Limits on Production—No limits are placed on volume of production, but there
are limits on the size of the site that can be leased.
• Species Grown—For the Experimental Lease and the Standard Lease, any
species already present in Maine. Bringing in out-of -state stock requires a State
Department of Marine Resources import permit. With a Limited Purpose
Aquaculture License (LPA) the species cultured can be blue mussels, clams,
American and European oysters, sea and bay scallops, green sea urchins and
marine algae.
• Site Size—Maximum size for a Standard Lease is 40 ha and for an Experimental
Lease is four acres. For the LPA license it is up to 400 sq. ft.
• Method of Site Disposition and Terms—A lease is the site disposition vehicle
for an experimental project that can be up to 3 years and the large-scale,
long-term commercial project that can be up to 10 years. A license mechanism
is used for the short-term, one calendar year LPA project. Renewals are possible
for the Standard Lease and LPA license for similar terms.
• Cost of the Lease—The Standard Lease costs $1500 for shellfish and $2000 for
finfish, plus $100 per acre per year rent. Renewal fees after 10 years are $1000
for shellfish and $1500 for finfish.
• Bond for Facility Removal—Both the Standard Lease and Experimental Lease
require a bond for removal of the facility and crop if the lease is terminated.
The LPA license does not require a bond.
Hawaii
Hawaii began leasing State marine waters for commercial aquaculture in 2001, with
the first farm in the U.S. to be sited in open ocean conditions and operated totally
submerged growing the Pacific Threadfin fish. This was followed shortly after by a
second farm growing Amberjack (Sims 2013). Today Hawaii has one offshore fish
farm and several in the permit process. Its total aquaculture industry was valued at
$58 M in 2013.
Obtaining an offshore site requires a two-step process. First the company must
obtain a Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) from the Department of Land
and Natural Resources (DLNR), which is a conditioned permit that describes the
site and the aquaculture use (State of Hawaii 2014). The CDUP application requires
an Environmental Assessment be carried out. Upon approval of the use by DLNR,
206
J.S. Corbin et al.