House Bill 1113 extends the existing moratorium on new shellfish cultivation leases and new water column leases for aquaculture in a defined area of coastal waters associated with New Hanover County and nearby waters. Under current law, that moratorium was set to expire on July 1, 2026; this bill changes the expiration date to July 1, 2031, effectively adding five more years to the restriction. The bill applies to lease applications submitted on or after the effective date, and it also continues to treat certain older pending applications as covered by the moratorium.
The bill also appropriates $10,000 in nonrecurring General Fund money to the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries for public education and notification efforts related to the extension. In practical terms, the bill preserves the status quo for shellfish leasing in the affected coastal area and continues to limit new lease approvals there for the extended period.
Impact
The bill amends Section 7 of S.L. 2019-37, as previously amended by S.L. 2021-180, by extending the moratorium on new shellfish cultivation leases and water column leases from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2031. It affects the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Marine Fisheries, by continuing to bar consideration of new lease applications in the specified waters and by requiring public outreach about the extension. The bill does not create a new regulatory program, but it prolongs an existing restriction on aquaculture leasing in the designated coastal area and adds a small administrative appropriation.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall posture appears neutral to supportive of maintaining the moratorium. The bill is framed as a straightforward extension of an existing policy rather than a major policy change, suggesting the sponsor’s intent is to preserve current conditions while the state continues managing shellfish leasing in the area. No contrary positions are documented in the provided record.
Contention
The main point of contention, if any, would likely be between supporters of continued environmental or coastal-management protections and stakeholders who favor opening the area to additional shellfish aquaculture leasing. Potentially affected parties include existing or prospective shellfish growers, waterfront property and coastal users, and marine resource managers. Because no committee transcript or vote record was provided, there is no documented opposition in the available materials, but the extension itself could be controversial for those who view the moratorium as limiting economic opportunity or access to state waters.