41 



also lead in the investigation of uses of aquaculture for creating habitat in offshore 

 areas. 



What remains now is for these recommendations and strategic plans to be put 

 into action. This will require the establishment of a reasonably high priority within 

 NOAA for marine aquaculture and, most importantly, the appropriation or alloca- 

 tion of sufficient funds to make a difTerence. One of the greatest problenis facing 

 marine aquaculture has been a consistent paucity of funding, particularly within the 

 NMFS, to suppxDrt marine aquaculture. It is now essential that marine aquaculture 

 be given higher priority and funding within the NOAA agencies. Further, the NRG 

 committee recommended a $12 milHon national R&D initiative for marine aqua- 

 culture. Certainly, NOAA would be a good place for at least some of these funds 

 to be appropriated. 



Marine aquaculture is an effective tool to restore depleted species, help rebuild 

 and enhance coastal habitats, produce high-quality seafood to meet escalating 

 consumer demand and reduce reliance on imports, protect water quality, and create 

 jobs and economic development opportunities. NOAA is the principal marine agency 

 in the country, and its authorizing legislation should clearly spell out marine aqua- 

 culture development as one of its priority missions, one that cuts across its fisheries, 

 habitat, and environmental stewardship responsibilities. 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I again thank you for the oppor- 

 tunity to appear before you today and would be happy to try to answer any ques- 

 tions you may have. 



Senator Kerry. Thank you very much, Dr. Sandifer. 

 Mr. Garrison, welcome, glad to have you. Sorry to have to drag 

 you out of that beautiful island, but we are glad to have you here. 



STATEMENT OF ROB GARRISON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 

 NANTUCKET RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION 



Mr. Garrison. Thanks very much, and I appreciate the oppor- 

 tunity to be able to speak with you today. My name is Rob Garri- 

 son. I am the director of NREF, the Nantucket Research and Edu- 

 cation Foundation. We operate aquaculture development and ma- 

 rine research and education programs on Nantucket Island. We 

 also operate the Nantucket Marine Laboratory, which is a shellfish 

 hatchery, aquaculture, research, and education facility on Nan- 

 tucket. 



The marine lab is the result of an innovative public-private ven- 

 ture that brought together the town of Nantucket, a private com- 

 mercial shellfish firm, and our nonprofit. Seed money provided by 

 the town got it started, and combined with private business over 

 a 2-year development period, now the nonprofit runs this facility 

 with very minimal town support. At this facility, shellfish seed are 

 produced for aquaculture development programs, for enhancement 

 of the public fisheries, and also to be sold to private aquaculture 

 businesses. Other programs benefit the public, students, industry, 

 and the environment. Town government has reduced its involve- 

 ment, but accomplished its original public goals. 



With the cooperation of the town, we have developed the Nan- 

 tucket aquaculture program. This began last year with State-com- 

 munity development funding, and is expanding this year with 

 funds appropriated by Congress and we thank you very much for 

 that, and through NOAA it is operated. 



This program provides training in shellfish aquaculture. The 

 trainees, the targeted clientele are commercial fisherman on Nan- 

 tucket. They are provided training, the necessary materials, and 

 shellfish seed to begin into business. And another component of the 

 program involves enhancement of the natural populations of the 

 shellfish there. One-half of those seed, once they reach a size of 



