OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

• Review the current Delaware Bay Shellfish Leasing Policy.
• We encourage you to call the appropriate regional office.
• Please visit the Delaware Bay Shellfisheries Office located at 1672 E. Buckshutem Rd. Millville, NJ 08332 for a consultation on bottom available for leasing.
• As per the policy , you may examine an area of interest, with the proper permission to inspect, to confirm physical factors like water depth, bottom type, ease of access, etc. are all appropriate for your intended culture activity and operation.
• Additional Resource: GIS-Based Tool for Spatial Planning of Shellfish Aquaculture in New Jersey

• Apply in person at the Delaware Bay shellfisheries office located at 1672 E. Buckshutem Rd. Millville, NJ 08332. Applications cannot be submitted online.
• Please note that only one lease application for an individual may be pending at a time, and there is a 200 acre maximum per application.

When you apply for a lease, you must already have completed the Harvester Training.

• The Delaware Bay Section of the NJ Shellfisheries Council will review the lease application over the course of two consecutive Council meetings.

Please note that the applicant must attend at least ONE of these meetings for the Council to make a final decision. If the applicant does not attend either meeting the application will be cancelled. Application fee will not be refunded.

- Although Council meetings are scheduled to occur, a meeting is not always held every month. The decision to hold a meeting or not is determined by the Council. Please check the Council meeting schedule for more information and access to a tentative agenda.

Once approved by the Council, the leaseholder will have 30-days to:

• Sign a lease agreement
• Pay annual lease fees
• Pay hydrographic survey fees

Signing of the lease agreement and payment must be completed in person at the appropriate shellfish office.

Please note the Commissioner will have to formally approve the Council’s decision and sign the lease agreement.

Once all the above steps are complete, a Commercial Shellfish Lease is issued to the applicant. The Bureau of Shellfisheries will update all appropriate records and Bureau staff members will be available to assist leaseholders if they have questions regarding lease renewals and transfers.

Please be advised that even though a shellfish lease grants the leaseholder exclusive rights to the bottom for the planting, cultivating, and harvest of shellfish, a commercial shellfish aquaculture permit is required from the Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring for the growing of shellfish in waters classified as Approved or Conditionally Approved and harvest for direct marketing.

Please visit the Permitting Guidance page for more information on the various types of permits required for shellfish aquaculture depending on activity and culture methods.