Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in U.S. Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

As directed by the Executive Order 13921, “Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth” (May 7, 2020), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Region is developing a draft programmatic environmental impact statement (DPEIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the potential adverse and beneficial impacts of identifying one or more Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in U.S. federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and the potential impacts associated with siting future commercial aquaculture operations in those locations. The intent of this DPEIS is to support long-term planning for offshore aquaculture in the Gulf. The identification of AOAs does not support a specific regulatory or permitting action and does not authorize or permit any specific aquaculture-related activities or individual aquaculture operations