N.C. Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture Permitting Program
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries administers the Shellfish Lease and Franchise Program for the purposes of shellfish cultivation, aquaculture and mariculture within the State of North Carolina. The state has allowed shellfish leases on unproductive bottom since 1858. (Table 1). Shellfish Lease Applications:Shellfish bottom lease and water column applications are accepted annually from March 1 through Sept. 1. Shellfish lease site investigations are conducted from April 1 through Oct. 31 to coincide with the growing season for submerged aquatic vegetation. *Shellfish lease applications will be available again starting March 1, 2021 To learn about the status of a current shellfish lease application or about the location of an active or terminated shellfish lease, please use our interactive shellfish aquaculture tool. The shellfish aquaculture tool is designed to allow new shellfish lease applicants, current shellfish lease holders, and anyone else interested in shellfish leases to follow the application process. The tool is updated weekly to ensure the most up-to-date information is posted.
The shellfish aquaculture tool, in combination with the resources below, are there to assist applicants in planning for a potential shellfish farm site. To get started with the interactive tool, a quick user’s guide is available here, or a more detailed user’s manual is available here. Table 1: Lease Type by Acreage
Table 2: Lease Applications by Year
Resources:N.C. Shellfish Lease Presentation Lease SitingMany criteria need to be considered when siting a new shellfish lease. The North Carolina Shellfish Lease Siting Tool, created and maintained by the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is an interactive decision-support tool that will assist new or current growers in siting new or expanding shellfish operations on the North Carolina coastline. It provides visual representation of data specifically related to shellfish aquaculture such as salinity, bottom type, depth, and shellfish growing area classifications. To use this siting tool, visit: http://uncw.edu/benthic/sitingtool/ Shellfish SanitationThe division’s Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section is responsible for ensuring the safety of molluscan shellfish by monitoring water quality throughout coastal waters. The link below shows shellfish closures statewide. Aquaculture-Related PermitsThere are other permits that are required for various aquaculture activities at no cost. The type of permit required will be determined by the specific type of aquaculture operations. Applications for the most commonly used permits are listed below. For other aquaculture-related permits for shellfish, crustacean, or finfish species, or for questions, interested parties should contact Marla Chuffo with the Division of Marine Fisheries. (Shellfish.Lease.Permits@ncdenr.gov) Aquaculture Seed Transfer Permit Seed Oyster Management Area (SOMA) Permit Provides the opportunity to relay oysters out of Seed Oyster Management Areas (SOMA) to shellfish leases between April and October. The relay is restricted to 100 bushels per acre of shellfish lease, not to exceed 1,000 bushels per lease. Permitees must submit a SOMA transplant report to the division by Oct. 31 (no future relay permits will be issued if a transplant report is not received). Mechanical Methods/Harvest Permit Aquaculture Operations Permit (AOP) Application to Introduce, Transfer, or Hold Imported Marine and Estuarine Organisms Application for Under the Dock Permit Statutes, Rules, and Proclamations:www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_113/Article_16.pdf Contacts:For Shellfish Lease correspondence please contact:North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries For Aquaculture Permit correspondence please contact:North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
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