Inland Bays shellfish aquaculture SADA application

DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

Shellfish Aquaculture Development Area (SADA) Shellfish Aquaculture Application
SADA=Shellfish Aquaculture Development Area

Please contact the Fisheries Office at 302.735.2960 with any questions. Acceptance or approval of lease application implies no guarantee of business success.
Please note that you will be asked to upload supplemental information for this application. There are prompts to upload: a copy of bylaws or operating agreement if any applicants are companies/corporations; a demonstration of financial resources for the Business Plan; and schematics required for the Operations Plan.

Please have these files ready for upload when completing the application.
Instructions and frequently asked questions for this shellfish aquaculture lease application are available at this link. It is suggested that applicants review this page before completing the application.

The application fee can be paid by check or credit card. Please email ibshellfish@delaware.gov or call the Fisheries Office at the number listed above to arrange payment.

Thank you.

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Application

Primary Applicant information
Primary Applicant (please list the name of the lessee--this name will be listed on the lease contract and associated documents).

First NameLast Name
Please note: If an applicant (either primary or co-applicant) is a company, then a copy of the bylaws or operating agreement of the business must be submitted. If the bylaws or operating agreement is not included with this applicaiton, processing beyond initial acceptance will cease until bylaws or operating agreement is provided.
If a company is the primary or co-applicant, please upload a copy of the bylaws or operating agreement for the business.

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Primary Applicant Address

Mailing Address

Mailing Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Primary Applicant Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Primary Applicant Email
example@example.com
Date of birth. If applying in the name of a company, then use the date of incorporation or founding date.

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SADA Shellfish Lease Application

Primary Applicant Information
Delaware Inland Bays lessees may lease a maximum of 5 acres in Rehoboth and Indian River Bays, combined. Applicants are permitted to lease a maximum of 5 acres in Little Assawoman Bay.
Yes, the primary applicant is currently a lessee.Yes, the primary applicant is involved with another entity currently leasing.No, the primary applicant does not currently have a lease and is not involved with any other entity currently leasing.
Please list partnerships, corporations, or other entities with shellfish aquaculture leases in Delaware's Inland Bays with involvement or interest from the primary applicant.
Please identify currently leased acres in Delaware's Inland Bays held by any partnerships, corporations, or entities with involvement by the primary applicant. Please use this map for Area and Acre ID (e.g. RB-A_A1, RB-B_R7).
If you have or are legally required to have a registered agent in the State of Delaware, please list your registered agent below:

Delaware Registered Agent FAQs
Registered Agent Name

First NameLast Name
Registered Agent Address

Mailing Address

Mailing Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Registered Agent Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Registered Agent Email
example@example.com

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Co-Applicant information
CO-APPLICANT(S)

Co-applicants will be listed by name on the official lease agreement, but the primary lease applicant will be the recipient of all subsequent lease-related notices and correspondence from DNREC. It is the responsibility of each co-lessee to ensure that he/she remains informed of all such follow-up communications, assists the primary lessee in fulfilling the terms of the lease agreement and furnishes DNREC with any updates to the contact information provided below.
Yes, there are co-applicant(s).No, there is no co-applicant.
Co-Applicant Name

First NameLast Name
Co-Applicant Address

Mailing Address

Mailing Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Co-Applicant Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Co-Applicant Email
example@example.com
Co-Applicant Address

Mailing Address

Mailing Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Co-Applicant Name

First NameLast Name
Co-Applicant Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Co-Applicant Email
example@example.com
Yes, the co-applicant(s) is currently a lessee.Yes, the co-applicant(s) is involved with another entity currently leasing.No, the co-applicant(s) does not currently have a lease and is not involved with any other entity currently leasing.No, there is no co-applicant(s).
Please list partnerships, corporations, or other entities with shellfish aquaculture leases in Delaware's Inland Bays with involvement or interest from the co-applicant(s).
Please identify currently leased acres in Delaware's Inland Bays held by any partnerships, corporations, or entities with involvement by the co-applicant(s). Please use this map for Area and Acre ID (e.g. RB-A_A1, RB-B_R7).

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease

Acre(s) Requested/Use of Lease
Please include the Area and Acre ID to specify the acre(s) requested for lease. Please use the shellfish aquaculture map to identify available acres and for the Area and Acre alpha-numeric coding.
Commercial aquacultureScientific aquacultureOther (please explain)
Explanation of Other Use, if applicable:

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease

Acknowledgements and signature
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I SOLEMNLY AFFIRM UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJERY THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
Signature Primary Applicant
Primary Applicant Name
Signature Co-Applicant
Co-Applicant Name
Signature Co-Applicant
Co-Applicant Name
Note: A complete and accurate shellfish aquaculture Business Plan and a complete and accurate Operations Plan is required with shellfish aquaculture subaqueous land lease applications. The Business Plan and Operations Plan formats are provided. If the Business Plan and Operations Plan are not submitted with this application form, processing will cease until the complete plans are provided. Please ensure both forms are submitted.

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Application

Business Plan
If lessee includes a company or corporation, please include names of all owners, partners, members, and board.
Please include a timeline with the first few years' projection for the business. Include plans for planting (approximately when?) and harvest (approximately when?). Include estimates of labor (weekly? monthly?) and harvesting methods (how and when are you going to harvest?).
Describe the projected yield of harvestable product/plans to meet the minimum planting and harvest requirement for the lease. Commercial-level cultivation is required on all commercial leases. Minimum commercial level cultivation is the planting of 50,000 shellfish per acre per year beginning the calendar year that the lease reaches 36 months and minimum harvest begins the next year. Provide a development plan with the amount of shellfish you plan to plant and harvest throughout the first three years of the lease.

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Business Plan
Please include the anticipated cost of shellfish stock, by species.
Provide a full description of equipment and off-lease facilities to be used. Do you have a boat? Tumbler? Refrigeration? Storage or sorting/cleaning location?
Include a resume or other documentation detailing technical expertise and capability to accomplish the proposed aquaculture lease project. Describe your capability to conduct the proposed aquaculture activities--include relevant training, experience and education that you have obtained or are scheduled to obtain.
Please attach a demonstration of sufficient resources. The proof of financial resources should be issued in the name of the applicant (if the intended lesse is a corporation or company, the submission should be in the name of the corporation or company rather than an individual).

This demonstration of financial resources may include: a letter from a financial institution or funding agency showing intent or willingness to commit funds to support aquaculture activities; or most recent financial report and supporiting documents indicating sufficient funds for proposed aquaculture activities; or copies of bank statements or other evidence of available unencumbered funds for aquaculture activities; or proof the equipment or shellfish stock are available to support the proposed aquaculture activities.
Please upload demonstration of sufficient resources.

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SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Operations Plan
Name and mailing address(es) of intended lessee(s). This should match the primary applicant (and co-applicants, if applicable) on the application form.
The acres selected for lease (by acre ID, e.g. RB-A_H18).
Please list the species of shellfish to be cultivated.
Provide an address or description for locations of the site(s) where you plan to land or offload your harvest.
The Department requires that all equipment and gear placed on the lease must be permanently and individually marked with the lease number. There are also USACE gear marking requirements. Describe the methods and equipment used to mark the gear and the lease boundaries.

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Operations Plan
Please describe the type of gear to be used on the lease (e.g. floating bags, bottom cages). It is understandable that amount of gear may vary seasonally. Please include the maximum amount of gear for each type proposed.
Please specify dimension LxWxH for each type of gear.
Describe the makeup of the physical structures to be used (material type, wire gauge, brand, etc.). If cages are stacked, indicate how many per stack and the total height of the stack unit will be used.
Describe any safety and security equipment used on the lease (securing equipment, etc.).

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Operations Plan
Please include the gear's approximate orientation and location on site. If the plan involves lines, please describe how lines will be arranged and maximum number of lines per acre. Please describe any structures and anchoring that will be used. If you plan to incorporate resubmergence prior to harvest, please include what gear/arrangement will facilitate that.
Describe how the lease will be built out, accessed, and maintained. Describe the activity--seasonally/weekly/daily, as applicable. Please include methods of cultivation. (example: Lease will be surveyed and then boundary markers placed in April. Seed will be purchased at approximately 6 mm size, put in envelope bags held in bottom cages. Anticipating 3 seed purchases in late spring, mid-summer, and early fall. Each seed 'batch' cleaned and sorted monthly (weekly visits to the lease) until late fall. When oysters reach approximately 25 mm, they will be tumbled and moved to submerged suspended lines on lease. Oysters reaching 70 mm will be harvested. Oysters and gear checked at least every 2-3 weeks through winter, including after each storm. Starting in spring, oysters and gear cleaned and sorted and weekly visits restarted.
Describe the practices and procedures used during harvest, storage, transportation, and sale of the cultured shellfish.
Describe any predator control used, if applicable, and bird deterrence measures. Bird deterrence should be a consideration of every lease. Floating or suspended equipment will require bird deterrence.

SADA Shellfish Lease Application

Operations Plan
Please initial to acknowledge:
initial here If bird deterrence measures are deemed ineffective by DNREC, Division of Watershed Stewardship, the bird deterrence measures will be replaced with more effective bird deterrence strategies and the Operations Plan will be updated accordingly.
initial here As the intended lessee, I am responsible for retrieving no longer used/unmoored/broken equipment from both on and off the lease.
initial here Any shellfish in gear lost from the lease (e.g. unmoored during a storm) and then recovered will be held on the lease for at least 120 days prior to harvest, which will be documented on a record log.
initial here Resubmergence means that shellfish will be held at greater than 18" below MLW for at least 14 days before harvest. As a lessee, I will complete this resubmergence if required.
Resubmergence is required prior to harvest for shellfish grown in gear that is held <18" below MLW, or otherwise exposed to potential contamination via bird waste.
initial here If any seed is sourced from water classified as Prohibited, the seed will be grown out on the lease for at least 120 days prior to harvest, and this will be documented on a record log.
initial here No poisonous or deleterious substances will be introduced to the water from the shellfish aquaculture activities.
Please make sure to check the next page for examples of schematics and a place to upload the schematics.
I AFFIRM THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS OPERATIONS PLAN IS TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
Primary Applicant Signature
Primary Applicant Name
Co-Applicant Signature
Co-Applicant Name
Co-Applicant Signature

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

Operations Plan
Make sure to attach the required schematics. These should include a top view schematic and a cross-section schematic to depict structures as they appear in the water column. If the profile of the intended lease area differs greatly from one section to another, or multiple gears/species will be used or grown, then please attach more than one diagram to accurately depict the operation. Each schematic should be on its own 8.5"x11" page. On the schematics, mark MHW and MLW--use actual depth from the lease location. Include the distance of gear(s) from bottom and from surface. Any "semi-permanent" support structures (7 DE Admin. C. 3801-2.0) should be identified as such in the schematic.
Top view schematicCross-section schematicWater depth at Mean High Water and Mean Low WaterLocation, arrangement of proposed gear, any support/structural equipment, floats, and anchoring.
Upload Schematics

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DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Application

SADA Shellfish Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Lease Application

SADA Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Application