California Aquaculture Association

CLEAR Legislation to Prohibit

Aquaculture Activities

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering major energy legislation called the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 (CLEAR) bill, H.R.3534. While the main purpose is to establish new sources of energy, it contains a provision (Section 704) entitled Offshore Aquaculture Clarification that will prohibit the Department of Commerce, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the several federal fishery management councils from approving a fishery management plan that authorizes aquaculture activities pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It also would invalidate any aquaculture-related permits that have been issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Act prior to this legislation.

On Friday, July 2 the NAA faxed a letter, attached, to the Nick J. Rahall, II, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources and to the members of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation opposing the Section 704 provision and requesting that the provision be deleted from the CLEAR bill.

It is imperative that NAA members contact their Congressional representatives today, especially if they serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources or the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, requesting that the Section 704 provision be stricken from the CLEAR bill. Committee listings are attached.

The following websites are available for emailing Congressional representatives:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml