New Jersey Aquaculture

This practice is used to reduce, clean, or remove biofouling organisms and other waste from bivalve production areas. Fouled gear is brought on shore, air dried, and cleaned at an approved off-site location.

Wildlife movement can be inhibited by the oyster production racks. Wildlife (especially horseshoe crabs) may be trapped beneath the racks during low
tide and unable to reach nesting habitat on shore. NRCS can aid replacement of existing oyster racks with new racks built and installed to the appropriate height (minimum 12 inches) and spacing to allow for wildlife movement under and around racks.

Successful oyster growth occurs on beds that have a firm substrate. Land used for aquaculture production that needs improvement to the bottom for
spat on shell and wild oyster production may qualify for oyster bed restoration assistance.

Prevent the loss of land or damage to banks of streams, lakes, reservoirs, or estuaries (does not apply to ocean fronts). Vegetation and bioengineering treatments are used to stabilize low risk areas.

Financial assistance is available to inventory and analyze farm systems that use energy and identify opportunities to improve efficiency through the development of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP). The AgEMP, or energy audit, is completed by NRCS-certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs) and provides:

• Itemized energy use by individual systems to establish a baseline for electricity and other fuel improvements,
• Recommendations for equipment improvements and upgrades,
• Potential energy reductions and financial savings for each recommendation
• Cost estimates of potential improvements, and
• Length of expected payback for energy efficiency upgrades