Question for the group : Has anyone ever considered an offshore farm to avoid the permitting process? That is - eat the extra cost of anchor chain and set up operations more than 12nm offshore? What makes the above infeasible, other than the high cost of setting up?
@joseph_kettering -
Hi Joseph,
I believe that farmers would still need a permit for farming offshore.
There are some obstacles with farming in open waters. One is that there are less nutrients in the water column the farther you are from land or a source of freshwater. The majority of nutrients the kelp is absorbing is coming off of the land.
There are more costs associated with gas, traveling back and forth to the site. You would also need larger anchors to account for the rough weather. Open ocean will be less protected and heavier gear with less frequent visits would be necessary.
I hope this helps!
Jill Pegnataro
@joseph_kettering -The US EEZ extends from 3 nm to 200nm from the coast. So, at 12+ nm while you would be out of state waters you'd still be in waters under the jurisdiction of the federal government and arguably a far more demanding permitting process.
Permit-less aquaculture seems possible in international waters. It is unclear to me if being free drifting (un-anchored) would relieve you of any regulatory burden.