NOAA Fisheries announced a 30-day comment period on our preliminary marine spatial planning study to identify draft Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) Options within Alaska state waters. 

This marine spatial planning study results from a collaborative effort between NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, NOAA Fisheries, and the State of Alaska. As finfish aquaculture is not permitted in Alaska State waters, this effort only considers shellfish and seaweed farming. 

We invite you to provide comments on the conditions, feasibility, and historic or current activities within or around the Alaska Draft AOA Options that may impact suitability. Your input will be used to finalize AOA Options, and to inform the next steps of the AOA process. Comments may be submitted via the Federal Register Notice until May 23, 2025. 

We will also host two public listening sessions to gather input from those who prefer to submit oral comments. Please register here.

The listening sessions will occur:

1. May 8, 2025,  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

2. May 16, 2025, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Additional information may be accessed here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/notice-availability-alaska-draft-aquaculture-opportunity-area-options. 

NOAA may, or may not, select AOAs within the draft AOA Options. All NOAA actions will be guided by science, public participation, and a National Environmental Policy Act review.