§ 3322. Assistance programs

(a) Research and extension program

The Secretary may develop and implement a cooperative research and extension program to encourage the development, management, and production of important aquatic food species within the several States and territories of the United States and to enhance further the safety of food products derived from the aquaculture industry, in accordance with the national aquaculture development plan, and revisions thereto, developed under the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 [16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.].

(b) Grants

The Secretary may make grants to—

(1) land-grant and sea grant colleges and universities;

(2) State agricultural experiment stations;

(3) colleges, universities, and Federal laboratories having a demonstrable capacity to conduct aquacultural research, as determined by the Secretary; and

(4) nonprofit private research institutions;

for research and extension to facilitate or expand promising advances in the production and marketing of aquacultural food species and products and to enhance further the safety and wholesomeness of those species and products, including the development of reliable supplies of seed stock and therapeutic compounds. Except in the case of Federal laboratories, no grant may be made under this subsection unless the State in which the grant recipient is located makes a matching grant (of which amount an in-kind contribution may not exceed 50 percent) to such recipient equal to the amount of the grant to be made under this subsection, and unless the grant is in implementation of the national aquaculture development plan, and revisions thereto, developed under the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 [16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.].

The Secretary may assist States to formulate aquaculture development plans for the enhancement of the production and marketing of aquacultural species and products from such States and may make grants to States on a matching basis, as determined by the Secretary. The aggregate amount of the grants made to any one State under this subsection may not exceed $50,000. The plans shall be consistent with the national aquaculture development plan, and revisions thereto, developed under the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 [16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.].

(d) Aquacultural centers

To provide for aquacultural research, development, and demonstration projects having a national or regional application, the Secretary may establish in existing Federal facilities or in cooperation with any of the non-Federal entities specified in subsection (b) of this section up to five aquacultural research, development, and demonstration centers in the United States for the performance of aquacultural research, extension work, and demonstration projects. Funds made available for the operation of such regional centers may be used for the rehabilitation of existing buildings or facilities to house such centers, but may not be used for the construction or acquisition of new buildings or facilities. To the extent practicable, the aquaculture research, development, and demonstration centers established under this subsection shall be geographically located so that they are representative of the regional aquaculture opportunities in the United States. To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that equitable efforts are made at these centers in addressing the research needs of those segments of the domestic aquaculture industry located within that region.

(e) Listing of laws on aquaculture

The interagency aquaculture coordinating group established under section 6(a) of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2805 (a)) shall, in consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies, compile a listing of Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations materially affecting the production, processing, marketing, and transportation of aquaculturally produced commodities and the products thereof. The interagency aquaculture coordinating group shall make such listing available to the public not later than January 1, 1992, and shall update and revise such listing not later than January 1, 1996, to show such laws, rules, and regulations as in effect on that date.

(f) Fish disease program

The Secretary shall implement, in consultation with the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture referred to in section 6 of the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2805), a fish disease program to include the development of new diagnostic procedures for fish diseases, the determination of the effect of water environment on the development of the fish immune system, and the development of therapeutic, synthetic, or natural systems, for the control of fish diseases.

U.S. Code

§ 3322. Assistance programs