The state is looking to bolster its evolving aquaculture industry, a sector that has experienced significant growth over the past five years — even after Hurricane Sandy hammered parts of it hard.
There are now 319 leaseholders farming primarily shellfish on 35,226 acres in three new Aquaculture Development Zones in Delaware Bay and the Atlantic coastal bays and rivers, according to the state’s coastal management program in the Department of Environmental Protection.
Hoping to give a boost to the sector, legislation is being pushed to create a “one-step shopping permit,’’ eliminating layers of bureaucracy that applicants are now forced to navigate. The bill (S-317) won approval from the Senate Economic Growth Committee earlier this month.
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