(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.
(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 36, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2007.)
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