Ventura Shellfish Enterprise Program
Ventura Shellfish Enterprise (VSE) is developing a program to bring sustainably cultivated shellfish operations to Ventura Harbor in order to enhance and sustain Ventura Harbor as a major west coast fishing port and support the local economy.
Project Facts
- Ventura Harbor District
- Ventura County, California
- Project is ongoing
The Challenge
The project seeks to establish twenty 100-acre plots for growing Mediterranean mussel in the Santa Barbara Channel near Ventura Harbor. VSE’s goal is to provide a useful permitting template for other areas of the California coast to realize offshore aquaculture projects. The project requires permits/approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
The Solution
We prepared an initial study in which air quality, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, and transportation and traffic were determined to be potentially significant issues for the project, and we are currently preparing the PEIR to evaluate these issues. We also coordinated a pre-application effort to introduce the project goals and challenges to the regulatory agencies and gained useful feedback for obtaining permits in a timely fashion.
In Our Words
“The VSE project is using an exciting, innovative approach to address the opportunities and challenges associated with developing shellfish aquaculture as a sustainable, local seafood source. We plan to serve as the model for offshore aquaculture projects moving forward.”
Laurie Monarres
Senior Environmental Planner
What We Do
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