North Carolina § 113-215 - Definitions.

§ 113-215. Definitions.

In addition to the definitions in G.S. 113-128 and G.S. 113-129, the following definitions shall apply in this Article: Marine aquaculture. - The propagation and rearing of marine aquatic species in controlled or selected environments, including, but not limited to, ocean ranching, marine hatcheries, and other deep water fish farming operations in the coastal fishing waters of the State and, to the extent not inconsistent with federal law, to the limits of the United States exclusive economic zone, as that term is defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. § 1801, et seq. Marine aquaculture lease. - A lease of the public bottom and superjacent water column granted by the Secretary for marine aquaculture. Marine aquatic species. - Any species of finfish, mollusk, crustacean, or other aquatic invertebrate, amphibian, reptile, or aquatic plant, and including, but not limited to, "fish" and "fishes," as defined in G.S. 113-129(7), found exclusively or for part of its life cycle in coastal fishing waters. History (2017-190, s. 1.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2017-190, s. 2, provides: "The Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Quality shall do the following: "(1) Request that the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils develop a Fishery Management Plan for regulating offshore aquaculture in federal waters offshore from the North Carolina coast. "(2) Petition the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to initiate rule-making proceedings to implement a comprehensive regulatory program for managing the development of an environmentally sound and economically sustainable aquaculture fishery in federal waters offshore from the North Carolina coast. "The Division shall provide an interim report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources no later than February 1, 2018, regarding their progress in implementing this section and a final report on or before May 1, 2018, that includes the request and petition required by this section."