46 



d) Town/Trainee Coop (field grow-out through inch) Trainees receive shellfish 

 seed produced at the Nantucket Marine Laboratory and are responsible for grow- 

 out to 1 inch in a town specified area. Materials and supplies are provided by the 

 program. In addition, stipends are available to trainees based on need and perform- 

 ance. As the shellfish reach one inch, 50 percent are returned to the town for plant- 

 ing in commercial and recreational areas (enhancement). The remaining 50 percent 

 are the property of the trainee as in-kind payment. The trainee grows these out to 

 maricet size and sells them. It is anticipated that income from sales of shellfish will 

 allow participants to continue in business. 



NREF will assist trainees in the formation of a cooperative style organization for 

 business and marketing purposes; and identify programs offering no or low interest 

 loans and tax incentives to fishermen and others who wish to establish 

 an,aquaculture business. In addition, NREF will complete a course curriculum for 

 the above mentioned sessions to be made available to other communities interested 

 in the program. At least one workshop will be conducted to assist other towns inter- 

 ested in implementing the program. NREF also anticipates developing a genetic 

 marker for shellfish in order to assess the effectiveness of the enhancement portion 

 of the program. 



[Other miscellaneous materials may be found in the committee files.] 

 Senator Kerry. Thank you very much, Mr. Garrison. Mr. 

 Hallerman. 



STATEMENT OF DR. ERIC HALLERMAN, ASSISTANT PROFES- 

 SOR, DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES, 

 VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVER- 

 SITY 



Dr. Hallerman. Mr. Chairman, my name is Eric Hallerman. I 

 am an assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife sciences at Vir- 

 ginia Tech University, where I carry out research, teaching, and 

 public outreach activities regarding aquaculture. I am honored to 

 offer suggestions on how NOAA authorizing legislation might be 

 framed in order to promote marine aquaculture. 



Reauthorization provides a context for discussing unmet needs 

 and new opportunities for NOAA's mariculture programs. The com- 

 mittee chairman has asked me to discuss the environmental effects 

 of marine aquaculture and to address the role of science and tech- 

 nology in promoting environmentally sound marine aquaculture. 



With the growth of mariculture, the frequency of new species in- 

 troductions has grown. In addition to the desired effects of species 

 introductions for mariculture, a growing body of evidence indicates 

 negative effects, including introduction of pathogens and parasites, 

 habitat alterations, heightened competition or predation, gene pool 

 deterioration, and unwanted socioeconomic effects. 



Another potential impart of mariculture results from wastes from 

 production operations. In ecosystems where dilution is insufficient, 

 large loadings of soluble nitrogen and phosphorous wastes pose eu- 

 trophication programs. Accumulation of solid wastes can change 

 the physical and chemical environment, reducing numbers and di- 

 versity of species living near mariculture operations. A mechanism 

 for assuring careful siting of marine aquaculture operations might 

 be embodied in new legislation. 



A related problem is posed by solid and liquid waste disposal 

 from processing and packaging plants. Improved waste reduction, 

 reuse, and disposal methods are needed, which could be ap- 

 proached by authorization of targeted research. 



