[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12074-12075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04444]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Research Service


Soliciting Comments on a Draft Outline of a Strategic Plan for 
Aquaculture Economic Development and on Updating the National 
Aquaculture Development Plan

AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) is seeking public 
comment on a draft outline of the Strategic Plan for Aquaculture 
Economic Development (SPAED), and information on a planned update to 
the 1983 National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP).
    The SCA is a statutory subcommittee that operates under the 
Committee on

[[Page 12075]]

Environment of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) under 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of 
the President [National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-362. 94 
Stat. 1198, 16 U.S.C. 2801, et seq.) and the National Aquaculture 
Improvement Act of 1985 (Pub. L. 99-198, 99 Stat. 1641)]. In May of 
2020, the SCA established a Task Force charged with developing the 
SPAED, and this Task Force is seeking public comment on a draft outline 
regarding the goals and objectives to be included. The draft outline is 
available at https://www.ars.usda.gov/SCA/.
    In addition, the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 required select 
federal agencies to develop, and update as necessary, the NADP. Last 
completed in 1983, the NADP describes aquaculture-associated 
technologies, problems, and opportunities in the United States and its 
territories. It recommends actions to solve problems, and analyzes the 
social, environmental, and economic impacts of growth in aquaculture. 
As announced in the Federal Register in August 2021, the SCA is 
updating the NADP, which will incorporate by reference the final and 
any subsequent updated versions of the National Strategic Plan for 
Aquaculture Research (NSPAR), the Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory 
Efficiency in Aquaculture (SPEREA), and the SPAED. The NSPAR and the 
SPEREA are in the final stages of review. Draft versions can be found 
at www.ars.usda.gov/sca, where final versions will be posted once 
approved. The SCA is seeking comments on additional topics to be 
covered in the NADP.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 1, 2022, to be assured of 
consideration.

ADDRESSES: The draft outline of the SPAED can be downloaded at 
www.ars.usda.gov/sca/. Address all comments concerning the SPAED and 
topics to be covered in the NADP to:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic public comments 
to [email protected]; or
     Mail: Gabriela McMurtry, Attn: Aquaculture Economic 
Development Plan Comments, Office of Policy, F/AQ, 1315 East-West 
Highway, 14th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or 
individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be 
considered. All comments received are part of the public record and 
will be made available for public viewing upon request. All personal 
identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential 
business information, or other sensitive information submitted 
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deputy Director, Office of 
Aquaculture, NOAA Fisheries--David O'Brien, [email protected], 301-
427-8337. Assistant Deputy Administrator, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Rural Development--Andy Jermolowicz, 
[email protected], 202-690-0361.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Type of Request: Seeking public review and comment on the draft 
outline of a Strategic Plan for Economic Development through 
Aquaculture and input on additional topics to be covered in the 
National Aquaculture Development Plan.
    Abstract: The Subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA)--previously known 
as the Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture (IWGA) and the Joint 
Subcommittee on Aquaculture (JSA)--is a statutory subcommittee that 
operates under the Committee on Environment of the National Science and 
Technology Council (NSTC) under the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy in the Executive Office of the President [National Aquaculture 
Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-362. 94 Stat. 1198, 16 U.S.C. 2801, et seq.); 
the National Aquaculture Improvement Act of 1985 (Pub. L. 99-198, 99 
Stat. 1641)]. The SCA is co-chaired by the Department of Agriculture, 
Department of Commerce, and the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy. Members include the Department of Agriculture, 
Department of Commerce, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the 
Interior, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection 
Agency, and the Office of Management and Budget. The SCA serves as the 
Federal interagency coordinating group to increase the overall 
effectiveness and productivity of Federal aquaculture research, 
regulation, technology transfer, and assistance programs. This 
interagency coordinating group has been functioning since before the 
National Aquaculture Act was signed into law in 1980.
    In 2020, the SCA established an Economic Development Task Force 
charged with developing a strategic plan to support a robust, 
resilient, and environmentally sustainable domestic aquaculture sector. 
The plan seeks to support the viability and expansion of existing 
operations, encourage new entrants, and maximize the effectiveness of 
existing federal policies and programs, while strengthening the public-
private partnerships with federal stakeholders. This Task Force 
includes federal employees from the Department of Agriculture, 
Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, the State 
Department, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Small 
Business Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency.
    The NAA of 1980 requires, in revising the NADP, that the Secretary 
of Agriculture consult with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary 
of the Interior, other appropriate Federal officers, States, regional 
fishery management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
and representatives of the aquaculture industry. In addition, the Act 
requires the Secretary of Agriculture to give interested persons and 
organizations an opportunity to comment during the development of the 
Plan. The NADP is required to include all the elements listed in 
National Aquaculture Act of 1980; and additionally, identify legal/
regulatory constraints and solutions, and specifically those associated 
with use rights. The main elements of the NADP are described in Sec. 
2303(b)(1) through (6) of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980.
    The SCA believes that much of the required content of the NADP was 
developed either within the former Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture, 
the current SCA, or individually by agencies. As described in this 
notice, the NSPAR and SPEREA are in their final stages of review, and 
the SPAED is under development. The SCA believes that much of the 
required content of the NADP will be contained within these three 
strategic plans. The SCA seeks public comment on additional topics to 
be addressed in the NADP that are not covered in the NSPAR, SPEREA, and 
SPAED.
    All comments received will become a matter of public record.

Simon Y. Liu,
Associate Administrator, ARS.
[FR Doc. 2022-04444 Filed 3-2-22; 8:45 am]
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