Habitat Conservation Division Aquaculture Best Management Practices
To enhance the collaboration between the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) andpartner agencies when reviewing projects that other agencies are permitting and that may haveadverse impacts on essential fish habitat (EFH), we propose the following conservation
recommendations (CRs) as best management practices (BMPs) for aquatic farms. These
recommendations, in conjunction with state and federal partner agencies’ regulatory
requirements, aim to minimize adverse impacts on EFH:
1. Monitor the lease site for the presence of eelgrass and delineate any beds observed.
Refer to the USACE eelgrass delineation protocols for survey methods (USACE 2018). If
present, do not disturb the beds during set-up or maintenance:a. Locate the lease site to avoid shading any established beds. Maintain a minimum
buffer zone of 6 m (20 ft) for the expansion of eelgrass beds without the need formoving the aquaculture operation. Eelgrass beds can expand by 5 m (16.5 ft)
annually (USACE 2018), so the project should be planned with that possibility
considered.
b. Operate vessels at sufficiently low speeds to reduce wake energy, avoid
turbidity, avoid prop wash/scour effects, and designate no-wake zones within 6m (20 ft) of established eelgrass beds (Limpinsel et al. 2023). These CRs givefurther context to the State regulation to maintain the health and abundance ofkelp and eelgrass beds (5 AAC 41.240(a)(1)(E)).
2. Implement a site monitoring plan at least weekly to ensure no loss or entanglement ofgear, and include extra site visits after storm events separate from the generalmonitoring plan.
3. Pacific herring are an important prey species for several commercial groundfish species,
and an adverse impact to prey is an adverse impact to an EFH component. Do not locate
your farm within or near a known historical herring spawning site. The Alaska
Aquaculture Permitting Portal provides resources on herring spawning locations. Survey
the farm site for herring presence in the spring and for herring spawn. If spawn-on-kelp
is present, no kelp harvests can occur until after the eggs have hatched. Herring eggs onother farm materials, including oysters and oyster gear, must be allowed to hatch. Referto ADF&G standard permit conditions on reporting eggs.

4. When operating an oyster farm, it is crucial to manage shell and biofouling waste
responsibly to protect the surrounding aquatic environment. Here are guidelines forproper waste disposal:a. Prohibit shell and biofouling dumping: Do not dump oyster shells or biofoulingmaterial from gear near the proposed farm site. Such dumping can create abarren zone on the seabed, preventing the growth of submerged aquaticvegetation (SAV).
b. Land-based disposal: Dispose of all oyster shells and biofouling material on land,following appropriate waste management practices. This helps prevent
environmental degradation and maintains the health of surrounding marine
habitats.
c. Recycling and reuse: Whenever possible, recycle oyster shells for use inrestoration projects, such as creating new oyster reefs, or as a component inconstruction materials. This reduces waste and supports ecosystem restoration
efforts.
By adhering to these guidelines, oyster farms can minimize their environmental
footprint and promote the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.
5. Prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species that can occur when any
aquatic farm activities translocate gear and product, as follows:a. Use of new materials for aquaculture infrastructure placed in the water for theculture of any species is preferable to previously used materials. Any previously
used in-water infrastructure materials must be inspected for non-native orinvasive species prior to relocation. Refer to ADF&G standard permit conditions
for treatment measures of used materials. After decontamination and prior to
deployment, survey the materials to ensure such efforts were effective.
b. If operating an oyster farm, ensure that oyster spat transported from other areas
are free of non-native species. Use the hot water dip method to remove foulingorganisms from Pacific oysters (e.g., Applied Shellfish Farming’s foulingpresentation); this is a common and effective practice in aquatic farming.
c. Develop a monitoring schedule to periodically inspect in-water infrastructure forinvasive species, such as the tunicate Didemnum vexillum.
d. Develop a response plan that identifies steps for quickly responding toobservance of invasive species in any aspect of in-water operations.
e. Report observations of non-native or exotic species occurring on the aquatic
farm site to dfg.dsf.InvasiveSpecies@alaska.gov.

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6. Remove all mooring buoys, anchoring systems, and all farm-associated gear and theaquatic farm site within 4 weeks of vacating the operation to minimize continued
impacts to EFH from abandoned structures.

References
Limpinsel, D., S. McDermott, C. Felkley, E. Ammann, S. Coxe, G.A. Harrington, S. Kelly, J.L. Pirtle,
L. Shaw, and M. Zaleski. 2023. Impacts to Essential Fish Habitat from Non-Fishing
Activities in Alaska: EFH 5-year review from 2018-2023. National Marine FisheriesService, Alaska Region, Juneau, Alaska. U.S. Dep. Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFSF/AKR-30. doi: 10.25923/9z4h-n860
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/50445
USACE. 2018. Components of a Complete Eelgrass Delineation Report. United States Army
Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, 21 p. Accessed online:
https://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Portals/27/docs/regulatory2/FormsEtc/Components%20of%20Eelgrass%20Delineation%2020180109.pdf?ver=2018-01-12-102015-010

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