OUR PROGRESS
OUR VISION
Our vision at Santa Barbara Sea Ranch is to build a locally owned and operated offshore mariculture farm that generates a new, sustainable source of healthy and delicious protein that will help to meet the planet's need for increased food supply in a very environmentally friendly way. We will grow Mediterranean mussels, Pacific oysters, and purple-hinge rock scallops for sale to both local and regional markets. We will create economic opportunities for our community, as well as serving to advance state and national goals for increased domestic aquaculture and secure food supply.
Updated April 17, 2023:
We are working with stakeholders to ensure that our plans are compatible with the needs of others and that our overall impact, beyond aquaculture, is a positive one. Our exemplary advisory board includes representation from commercial fishing, recreational fishing, academia, seafood distribution, materials supply, and sales & marketing.
We have been working with state and local agencies to obtain the necessary state water bottom lease, permits, and approvals that are required before we can begin operations. Our project is listed on the Fish and Wildlife's Permit Counter in order to foster collaboration and efficiency between agencies. There are project participants from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Fish and Game Commission, California Coastal Commission, California State Lands Commission, US Army Corps of Engineers, California State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Public Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S Coast Guard.
Beginning in November 2018, while we began working to secure the lease, permits, and approvals, we were also taking water samples at the proposed lease location in accordance with a sampling plan designed by the California Department of Public Health in order to confirm that the selected lease location meets the standards of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP, 2017). We have met the sampling requirements needed to qualify the lease location for growing our crops. The water is perfect!
Q2-2023: We are currently working with the San Diego environmental consulting company, ECORP (https://www.ecorpconsulting.com), to define and prepare the required CEQA environmental impact report (EIR) that is required by CFG and CDFW for approval of the state water bottom lease. The proposed EIR study is currently in the second and final round of review prior to execution. The extensive work already performed in preparation of the CEQA Initial Study will greatly inform the EIR and significantly reduce the cost and time required for the full EIR process.