AJR 43, as introduced, Chesbro. California shellfish.
This measure would state that the Legislature supports ensuring a clean and healthy marine environment to protect existing shellfish beds and access to additional acreage for shellfish farming and restoration, and further supports a dialogue between industry, environmental, and federal and state agency leaders to develop an improved permitting process that is efficient and economical for both shellfish restoration and commercial farming.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, The California Shellfish Initiative (Initiative) is a
2collaborative effort of growers, regulators, nongovernmental
3organizations, and scientists to restore and expand California’s
4shellfish resources, including oysters, mussels, clams, abalone,
5and scallops; and
6WHEREAS, The Initiative’s goals are to protect and enhance
7our marine habitats, foster environmental quality, increase jobs,
8encourage interagency coordination and communication, and
9strengthen coastal economies; and
P2 1WHEREAS, In California, over 90 percent of our seafood is
2imported and over 60 percent of our shellfish are supplied, mostly
3by air transport, from other states; and
4WHEREAS, Many coastal communities with estuarine resources
5and working waterfronts are working to measure and predict how
6changing socioeconomic and environmental factors, including
7climate change, will affect their future; and
8WHEREAS, These communities seek a balance between
9protecting and restoring their marine and estuarine habitats while
10also maintaining a local economy. These communities could greatly
11benefit from a coordinated effort to promote sustainable shellfish
12aquaculture production in a manner that achieves both desired
13goals in conformance with California’s strong environmentally
14protective laws and policies; and
15WHEREAS, California has an enormous opportunity to create
16living-wage jobs in coastal communities, improve water quality,
17and restore important ecosystem functions through expansion of
18sustainable shellfish farming and habitat restoration; and
19WHEREAS, Public demand for local shellfish has risen
20dramatically in recent decades, and worldwide, demand for farmed
21seafood has never been greater, as global farmed aquaculture
22exceeded beef production for the first time in 2012; and
23WHEREAS, California is the third-largest shellfish consuming
24state in the United States, and state production meets less than half
25of this demand, contributing to a state and national seafood trade
26deficit and a lost opportunity for economic growth; and
27WHEREAS, California could lead the nation to meet an ever
28growing shellfish demand while creating environmentally
29sustainable “blue jobs” in coastal communities; and
30WHEREAS, California could increase competitiveness in the
31national and global aquaculture economy and encourage shellfish
32restoration projects while ensuring proper protection of its valued
33coastlines and estuaries; and
34WHEREAS, A successful Initiative will engage coastal
35stakeholders in a comprehensive process to grow California’s $25
36million sustainable shellfish harvest, restore natural shellfish reefs,
37protect clean water, and enhance healthy watersheds, in
38conformance with California’s laws and policies; and
39WHEREAS, The Initiative can utilize the state’s Geoportal and
40other state-of-the-art planning tools to involve the public and
P3 1evaluate the opportunities and challenges for new shellfish
2operations and restoration areas along California’s coastal and
3offshore ocean waters. The Initiative supports the completion and
4approval of a Marine Aquaculture Programmatic Environmental
5Impact Report, currently being prepared by the Department of Fish
6and Wildlife, which will identify and address any environmental
7impacts of expanded shellfish production in the state; now,
8therefore, be it
9Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
10California, jointly, That the Legislature supports ensuring a clean
11and healthy marine environment to protect existing shellfish beds
12and access to additional acreage for shellfish farming and
13restoration, and further supports a dialogue between industry,
14environmental, and federal and state agency leaders to develop an
15improved permitting process that is efficient and economical for
16both shellfish restoration, and commercial farming; and be it further
17Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
18of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
19States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
20President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and to each
21Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the
22United States.
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