As shellfish aquaculture becomes a key component of climate-resilient, low-impact food systems, the allocation of public trust waters for private use through state-granted leases raises questions about equity. While shellfish farming promises environmental and economic benefits, little is known about who gains access to these resources and how. This project addresses this by asking three critical questions:
To address these questions, we examined shellfish lease application materials, and conducted interviews with state officials. Our results reveal that data collection varies widely across the states. North Carolina, for example, is the only coastal state to collect data on race and gender in its shellfish leasing applications while Maryland, in contrast, conducted its first demographic survey in 2024 as part of a needs assessment, targeting current and potential leaseholders. All other coastal states do not have systematic demographic data efforts..
Initial findings highlight significant gaps in data availability, which will impede efforts to assess the fairness of leasing processes or distributional outcomes. Our ongoing work is investigating the reasons for variation in state practices and evaluate the equity of current leasing procedures. This research will inform recommendations for more inclusive policies, ultimately aiming to ensure that the benefits of shellfish aquaculture are equitably distributed across all communities.This includes the need for standardized demographic data collection and equitable resource allocation policies in the shellfish aquaculture industry to promote fairness in the management of public waters and support the broader goals of sustainable and just food systems.