General support for industry

(a) In general The Administrator shall support the development of offshore aquaculture consistent with this Act and other applicable Federal law. (b) Marketing and promotion grants The Administrator, in consultation with private sector aquaculture stakeholders, shall establish and administer a grant program to support the sale and public perception of cultured species domestically and internationally. (c) Workforce development grants (1) In general The Administrator, in consultation with private sector operators of offshore aquaculture facilities, academic institutions, and the national sea grant college program, shall establish and administer a grant program to support the education and training of individuals with the skills needed to manage and operate offshore aquaculture facilities. (2) Aquaculture Centers of Excellence The Administrator may carry out paragraph (1) through the program established under section 302(b)(1). (d) Regional networks The Administrator, through each regional fisheries office of the Administration, shall organize a network of— (1) regional experts and Federal agency contacts, in coordination with relevant organizations, including the national sea grant college program, the Regional Aquaculture Centers of the Department of Agriculture, institutions of higher education, and the Cooperative Extension System of the Department of Agriculture, to provide technical expertise and extension services for offshore aquaculture and information on Federal permit requirements for offshore aquaculture; and (2) individuals and businesses interested in aquaculture operations and products to facilitate professional development, marketing, mentoring opportunities, and agency outreach and education on aquaculture. (e) Aquaculture database (1) In general The Administrator shall establish and maintain an aquaculture database within the Office of Aquaculture established by section 101. (2) Inclusions The database required by paragraph (1) shall include information on research, technologies, monitoring techniques, best practices, and advisory board recommendations relating to aquaculture and offshore aquaculture. (3) Safeguarding of information The Administrator shall make the database required by paragraph (1) available in a manner that safeguards personally identifiable information and confidential business information. (4) Patents The inclusion of information in the database required by paragraph (1) shall not be considered to be publication for purposes of subsection (a) or (b) of section 102 of title 35, United States Code. (f) Technical assistance programs for operators (1) In general The Administrator, through the Office of Aquaculture established by section 101 and the regional aquaculture coordinators described in such section, shall organize a program in each regional fisheries office of the Administration to provide technical assistance to operators of offshore aquaculture facilities. (2) Tailoring The programs required by paragraph (1) shall be tailored to meet the unique needs of each region. (3) Consultations Under each program required by paragraph (1), the regional aquaculture coordinators described in section 101 may conduct consultations with the operator of each offshore aquaculture facility in the region concerned on a regular basis— (A) to assess the status of the operator’s business; and (B) if appropriate, to identify available resources to support the operator, such as regional experts, university extension agents, and grant opportunities. (g) Capital markets (1) Provision of information In order to enhance access to capital markets, the Administrator shall provide financial institutions and investment firms with objective, science-based information on offshore aquaculture and the Federal regulatory regime for offshore aquaculture. (2) Economic analysis The Administrator shall provide economic analysis to answer queries regarding the value of offshore aquaculture assets to secure financing, such as equipment, governmental permits, inventory, and intellectual property. (3) Collaboration In order to achieve the goals of this subsection, the Administrator is encouraged to collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the regional networks established under subsection (d).