The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. to consider comments from the public on the proposed revisions to 7 DE Admin. Code 3801 Shellfish Aquaculture (Docket No. 2022-R-F-0014).

This proposed revision of 7 DE Admin. C. 3801 Shellfish Aquaculture should improve operations for the shellfish aquaculture industry in Delaware’s Inland Bays while ensuring shellfish aquaculture remains compatible with commercial and recreational finfishing and shellfish, boating navigation and public safety, public water access and use, and native biota. Proposed revisions include modification of shellfish aquaculture definitions, updates to the shellfish aquaculture subaqueous land lease application process, changes to shellfish nursery structures, shellfish aquaculture gear and lease boundary marking requirements, modification to importation for shellfish aquaculture, alteration of shellfish aquaculture species, addition to harvesting from a lease, adjustments to the conditions for maintaining active use of shellfish aquaculture subaqueous land lease sites, alterations to the reporting requirements for shellfish aquaculture subaqueous land leases and nurseries, amendment to lease transfer, and additional shellfish aquaculture prohibited activities.

The proposed amendments may be inspected online starting September 1, 2023, at regulations.delaware.gov/services/current_issue.shtml, or in-person, by appointment only, by contacting John Clark by phone at 302-739-9914 or by email at John.Clark@delaware.gov.

The virtual public hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The web link to the virtual hearing can be accessed through the DNREC Public Hearings site at de.gov/dnrechearings. If prompted, use Meeting ID: 875 4107 2704 Passcode: 884733. To access the audio-only portion of the virtual hearing, dial 1-646-931-3860 and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode noted above. Closed captioning is available in over 20 languages, including English and Spanish, to attendees via the Zoom platform utilized for all DNREC Public Hearings.

Those wishing to offer verbal comments during DNREC virtual public hearings must pre-register no later than noon on the date of the virtual hearing at de.gov/dnreccomments or by telephone at 302-739-9295.

The Department will accept public comment through the close of business on Thursday, October 12, 2023. Comments pertaining to the above matter will be accepted in written form via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, using the online form at de.gov/dnreccomments, or by U.S. mail to the following address:

Theresa Smith, Hearing Officer
DNREC — Office of the Secretary
89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS NOTICE WILL APPEAR

Related Topics:  aquaculture, fish and wildlife, permitting and regulation, public comment, public hearing, public notice, shellfish