Section 15008 Of Chapter 1. General Provisions From California Fish And Game Code >> Division 12. >> Chapter 1.
15008
. (a) The department shall, in consultation with the
Aquaculture Development Committee, prepare programmatic environmental
impact reports for existing and potential commercial aquaculture
operations in both coastal and inland areas of the state if both of
the following conditions are met:
(1) Funds are appropriated to the department for this purpose.
(2) Matching funds are provided by the aquaculture industry. For
the purpose of this section, "matching funds" include, but are not
limited to, any funds expended by the aquaculture industry before
January 1, 2006, for the preparation of a programmatic environmental
impact report.
(b) If the final programmatic environmental impact report is
prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) for coastal marine finfish
aquaculture projects and approved by the commission under the
California Environmental Quality Act set forth in Division 13
(commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code, the
report shall provide a framework for managing marine finfish
aquaculture in an environmentally sustainable manner that, at a
minimum, adequately considers all of the following factors:
(1) Appropriate areas for siting marine finfish aquaculture
operations to avoid adverse impacts, and minimize any unavoidable
impacts, on user groups, public trust values, and the marine
environment.
(2) The effects on sensitive ocean and coastal habitats.
(3) The effects on marine ecosystems, commercial and recreational
fishing, and other important ocean uses.
(4) The effects on other plant and animal species, especially
species protected or recovering under state and federal law.
(5) The effects of the use of chemical and biological products and
pollutants and nutrient wastes on human health and the marine
environment.
(6) The effects of interactions with marine mammals and birds.
(7) The cumulative effects of a number of similar finfish
aquaculture projects on the ability of the marine environment to
support ecologically significant flora and fauna.
(8) The effects of feed, fish meal, and fish oil on marine
ecosystems.
(9) The effects of escaped fish on wild fish stocks and the marine
environment.
(10) The design of facilities and farming practices so as to avoid
adverse environmental impacts, and to minimize any unavoidable
impacts.