Regulatory compliance on Pacific Coast shellfish farms has been shown to increase costs of production, have a disproportionate negative effect on small-scale farms, and to constrain growth. A survey was conducted of the shellfish aquaculture industry in twelve Atlantic Coast states (Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida) to assess the on-farm economic effects of regulations on the U.S. Atlantic Coast .
The survey covered several topics related to shellfish farming, including the costs of permits and licenses, costs of manpower for compliance, lost sales and opportunities for expansion, production costs, marketing costs, and other on-farm activities. The survey instrument transitioned from more generic and broad questions, used to introduce a topic, into more detailed questions about specific regulatory challenges and/or costs related to that topic.
Despite disruptions to data collection efforts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, seventy-nine farms completed the survey between May 1st , 2019 and August 31st, 2021. Contact lists of known shellfish producers were obtained through the assistance of state Cooperative Extension Specialists, industry associations, list of permit holders, and independent online searches. Regulatory compliance costs were calculated per farm and per state as well as on a percentage of total sales. Lost business opportunities resulting from regulations were identified and quantified where possible. Results were compared with those of the Pacific Coast shellfish producers.