[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 201 (Thursday, October 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72046-72048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23084]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD381]


Identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for information.

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SUMMARY: NOAA is beginning the process to identify Aquaculture 
Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Alaska state waters to help sustainably 
advance invertebrate (e.g., shellfish, sea cucumber) and seaweed (e.g., 
macroalgae, kelp) aquaculture, in partnership with the State of Alaska. 
NOAA requests data, comments, views, information, analysis, or 
suggestions from the public to support the identification of AOAs in 
Alaska state waters, including siting parameters that can be used to 
select potential study areas for further analysis. Please respond to 
the questions listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, as 
appropriate.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 18, 
2023.
    Two webinar-based listening sessions are scheduled for Alaska.
    1. November 14, 2023, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (AKST) Alaska.
    2. November 15, 2023, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (AKST) Alaska.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2023-0113, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0113 in the Search box. 
Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter 
or attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written information to Jon Kurland, Regional 
Administrator for Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: Records Office. Mail 
comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
     Webinar links: Links and toll-free phone numbers for each 
webinar can be found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/request-information-identifying-aquaculture-opportunity-areas-alaska.
    Instructions: 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 by NMFS. Responses to this request are voluntary. 
Respondents need not reply to all questions. All comments received are 
a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public 
viewing on https://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal 
identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential 
business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted 
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept 
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to 
remain anonymous).
    Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for any costs 
that you may incur in responding to this Request for Information (RFI), 
or for the use of any information contained in the response. The 
documents and information submitted in response to this RFI become the 
property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicia Bishop, 907-586-7724, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An AOA is a defined geographic area that 
NOAA has evaluated through both spatial analysis and a programmatic 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and determined to be 
environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate to support 
multiple commercial aquaculture operations. On June 1, 2023, NOAA 
announced the beginning of the process to identify AOAs in partnership 
with the State of Alaska in Alaska state waters. This is the beginning 
of a multi-year process in which NOAA and the State of Alaska will work 
to analyze locations and identify AOAs in Alaska state waters to help 
sustainably advance invertebrate (e.g., shellfish, sea cucumber) and 
seaweed (e.g., macroalgae, kelp) aquaculture. NOAA will not consider 
finfish aquaculture during identification of AOAs in Alaska because it 
is prohibited by state law.
    NOAA has directives to preserve ocean sustainability and facilitate 
domestic aquaculture in the U.S., including through the National 
Aquaculture Act of 1980, the NOAA Marine Aquaculture Policy, and the 
Executive Order 1321, Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and 
Economic Growth (May 7, 2020). NOAA has a variety of proven science-
based tools and strategies that can support these directives and help 
communities thoughtfully consider how and where to sustainably develop 
aquaculture that will complement wild-capture fisheries, working 
waterfronts, and our nation's seafood processing and distribution 
infrastructure.
    The areas identified as AOAs will have characteristics that are 
expected to be able to support multiple aquaculture farm sites of 
varying types; however, all portions of the AOA may not be appropriate 
for aquaculture or for all types of aquaculture. Identifying AOAs is an 
opportunity to use the best available science, which includes 
Indigenous Knowledge, and supports the ``triple bottom line'' of 
environmental, economic, and social sustainability. This approach has 
been refined and utilized widely within states and by other countries 
with robust, sustainable aquaculture sectors.
    The Secretary of Commerce will identify AOAs in consultation with 
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, other appropriate Federal 
officials, and appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in 
coordination with appropriate State and Tribal governments.

[[Page 72047]]

    NOAA held a 60-day public comment period in 2020 (85 FR 67519, 
October 23, 2020) to collect input on where in the country to focus the 
science-based, inclusive process to identify AOAs. During that comment 
period, NOAA received letters of support from individuals, industry, 
Alaska Native organizations, state agencies, and the state legislature 
to begin the process in Alaska state waters.
    NOAA cannot conduct spatial modeling on the scale of the entire 
coast of Alaska, and will narrow down to study areas that will be the 
focus moving forward. This will be done using a combination of spatial 
mapping, scientific review, public input gathered through this RFI, and 
other relevant information. NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean 
Science will use public input and the best available data, which 
includes Indigenous Knowledge, to account for key environmental, 
economic, social, and cultural considerations to identify areas that 
may support sustainable aquaculture development. NOAA will then combine 
those data with input from other State and Federal agencies, Fishery 
Management Councils, Marine Fisheries Commissions, Alaska Native Tribes 
and organizations, and the general public to identify areas that will 
be considered in more depth through the NEPA process. Through this 
notice, NOAA is requesting data, comments, views, information, 
analysis, or suggestions from the public to support the identification 
of AOAs in Alaska state waters, including siting parameters that can be 
used to select potential study areas for further analysis. The public 
input provided in response to this request for information will inform 
NOAA as it works with Federal, State, and Local agencies, appropriate 
Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with 
appropriate Alaska Native Tribes and organizations to identify AOAs. 
Additional opportunities for public input will be provided during the 
NEPA process.
    NOAA may use the information received through this notice in the 
NEPA process. The information could inform the development of potential 
NEPA alternatives, such as different locations, different aquaculture 
types in each location (e.g., seaweed in one location, shellfish in 
another location), and different configurations of farm locations or 
farming gear. NOAA expects to publish a notice of intent (NOI) to 
prepare a programmatic NEPA document. Public notices announcing the NOI 
and announcing the availability of a draft NEPA document will provide 
future opportunities for public comment on the identification of AOAs 
in Alaska state waters.
    AOA identification is a planning process, and does not result in 
areas permitted for aquaculture. Future aquaculture operations proposed 
within an AOA would be subject to the same Federal and State permitting 
and authorization requirements as an aquaculture operation proposed 
anywhere else and would be required to comply with all applicable 
Federal and State laws and regulations. Site-specific environmental 
surveys may be required for the permitting process. Additional NEPA 
analysis beyond that completed for identification of AOA(s) may be 
necessary as a part of permitting and authorization processes for 
individual operations.
    Additional information on identifying AOAs in Alaska, including 
frequently asked questions, is available on NOAA's website at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/aquaculture/identifying-aquaculture-opportunity-areas-alaska.

Request for Information

    NOAA requests data, comments, views, information, analysis, or 
suggestions from the public to support the identification of AOAs in 
Alaska state waters, including siting parameters that can be used to 
select potential study areas for further analysis.
    NOAA proposes using the following parameters to select study areas 
in Alaska state waters:
    a. State waters within a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius of coastal 
community population centers (based on 2010 census data) as a proxy for 
needed infrastructure to support aquaculture development in Alaska.
    b. State waters that do not regularly experience significant sea 
ice cover (based on the 10 year aggregate maximum sea ice cover 
reported by the U.S. National Ice Center).
    Figures showing the potential AOA study areas that would result 
from use of these parameters can be found on the NOAA's National 
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Alaska AOA study area website: 
https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/alaska-aquaculture-opportunity-areas/.
    These parameters are proposed starting points, from which NOAA will 
select study areas using a combination of spatial mapping approaches, 
scientific review, public input, Indigenous Knowledge, and any other 
relevant information.
    Specifically, NOAA is soliciting information and feedback on:
    1. Are the preliminary parameters (noted above) useful? Are there 
other parameters NOAA should consider in identifying initial study 
areas for the aquaculture siting analysis? Are there other distances 
from population centers/local infrastructure that should be considered, 
and why?
    2. Are there size limitations NOAA should consider for AOAs in 
Alaska? How many farms should fit within an AOA? Should the size of 
AOAs be aligned with state economic development goals for shellfish and 
seaweed aquaculture?
    3. Are there specific locations within Alaska state waters that 
should be considered or avoided for AOAs? Please be as specific as 
possible and include latitude and longitude or defining landmarks. 
Please indicate why such areas should be considered or avoided, for 
example, favorable biological parameters, water quality (e.g., 
nutrients or other constituents that might make an area favorable), 
proximity to infrastructure (e.g., ports, testing or processing 
facilities, or hatcheries that could supply seed for grow-out), 
relationship to other planned initiatives, etc.
    4. Are there subsistence harvest locations, fishing areas, and 
other traditionally and culturally important locations or sacred sites 
that should be avoided? Is there available spatial data or geographic 
information system (GIS) layers, or a point of contact for these data 
or information?
    5. Are there specific locations within Alaska state waters where 
the presence of aquaculture gear may overlap with sensitive habitats or 
biologically important areas for protected species (e.g., whales, sea 
otters, sea lions, etc.)?
    6. Are there specific locations within Alaska state waters that 
should be avoided because of concerns about harmful algal blooms (HABs) 
or impaired water quality?
    7. Is there ongoing environmental, economic, or social science 
research that would assist in the identification of AOAs in Alaska 
state waters? If so, please describe in as much detail as is available.
    8. Is there information that may not be readily available or 
accessible online that would be useful for AOA planning processes in 
Alaska state waters? This includes spatial data or GIS layers 
representing subsistence, environmental, and socioeconomic 
considerations, or a point of contact for these data, for the following 
categories:
    a. Biophysical/oceanographic (ice cover, temperature, ocean 
acidification indices, wave climate, currents, bathymetry),
    b. Natural resources (minerals, energy resources, fishes and other 
aquatic

[[Page 72048]]

organisms, protected species and habitats, marine mammals, kelp beds, 
eelgrass beds, biodiversity),
    c. Social, historical, and cultural resources (cultural and 
subsistence harvest, community subsistence hunting, subsistence 
fishing, culturally important sites to encourage or avoid, shipwrecks),
    d. Government boundaries,
    e. Industry (fishing, energy production, transportation, 
communication cables),
    f. Military,
    g. Navigation, and
    h. Recreational resources (fishing, hunting, etc.).
    9. Are there aquaculture species or gear considerations that may 
result in optimized growth in Alaska state waters? This might include 
(but is not limited to): species or aquaculture gear depth thresholds, 
water current thresholds, temperature thresholds, salinity thresholds, 
etc. Are there any species or gear not currently being used in Alaska 
state waters that you would like to see in the future? Do they extend 
any of these (or other) thresholds? Please be as specific as possible.
    10. Is there any additional information NOAA should consider?
    When providing input, please specify:
     The question number(s) you are responding to; and
     Whether your comments are related to specific type(s) of 
aquaculture (macroalgae, invertebrates, or a combination of species).
    Responses to this request are voluntary. Respondents need not reply 
to all questions.
    Authority: E.O. 13921.

    Dated: October 12, 2023.
Danielle Blacklock,
Director, Office of Aquaculture, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-23084 Filed 10-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P