Michigan Aquaculture Association President, Dan Vogler, has been appointed to the newly created Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Advisory Council as a representative of a state-wide association of aquaculture businesses. Vogler was appointed on February 8, 2012 by Speaker of the House, Jase Bolger.
The Council will advise the Department of Environmental Quality on issues related to Aquatic Invasive Species through 2015.
How can aquaculturists and capture-based aquaculturists reduce the incidence and severity of injuries and deformities in their fish? A team of international scientists have recently published a review paper that aims to synthesise practical, state of the art knowledge on this matter. Read more …
As a futurist, I worry about how the world and our country will feed ourselves, and our kids, as global population rapidly increases.
One possible solution is to expand fish farming in the United States. Of all fish consumed In the United States, roughly 40 percent is farm raised, almost all of it abroad. Annually, global aquaculture production is valued at almost $100 billion, but total U.S. aquaculture production is just under $1 billion, leaving us with much room to grow this industry locally. Total N.C. fish farming production is only about $25 million. Read more …
Salmon fish farming holds great potential for helping meet the world’s ever-growing need for food. The main argument I have heard against salmon farming is that the farm-raised salmon can mix with the wild salmon and do serious harm to the naturally spawning fish, since most salmon farms are in areas where wild salmon also live.
We should study whether we can start salmon fish farming in Lake Michigan where no harm can come to existing wild stocks because there are none, and where for 40 years salmon have been raised in state-owned hatcheries for sport fishing in the lake. It seems logical to consider salmon farming for food as an extension of our existing salmon sport-fishing programs.
Click here and scroll to the bottom where it says “Potential” to read the rest of the comment by Jack McGann.
Univeristy of Michigan professor argues for strong growth of an aquaculture industry in Michigan and other US states, especially those with ample water resources. Dr. James S. Diana is Director of the Michigan Sea Grant College Program and Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at University of Michigan. He and his students, including Keith Hayse-Gregson, are studying ecology of fishes as well as aquaculture. They have developed interests in aquaculture’s potential contribution to the global food supply through the understanding of ecologically sensitive aquaculture practices, particularly in developing countries.
Dr. Diana and his graduate student, Mr. Hayse-Gregson, have written a very interesting article for “EarthSky”, an online blog site. They compare the start of an aquaculture industry in Thailand in the early 1990s with the aquaculture industry in the US and Michigan today. Their conclusion is that aquaculture in Michigan should have an important role in the future. Whether or not it does, depends to a large degree on how we understand and develop this system as a major commercial enterprise, rather than a small-scale, mom-and-pop operation.
To read the article, click here!
The West Virginia Aquaculture Forum will be held on March 3, 2012, in tandem with the Small Farm Conference. Information about the event is at: http://aquaculture.ext.wvu.edu/events/
The WMAO Divisions of Ohio Dam Safety Organization and Ohio Lake Management Society presents their March 16, 2012 Conference – Successful Management Techniques for Lake Water Quality and Dam Safety.
March 16, 2012 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Kings Island Resort and Conference Center, 5691 Kings Island Drive, Mason, Ohio.
Click here for more information.
As most of you are aware, there are some big issues surrounding the development of an aquaculture industry in the US. Dave Conley, Founding Partner of The Aquaculture Communications Group, LLC of Novi, Michigan, does a great job of outlining the issues in the articles listed below. It’s going to take a targeted and united approach to continue to expand aquaculture in the US, so be prepared to educate yourselves so that we can educate others as to the importance of the industry.
Dave is also the Executive Director for Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF).
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have used Google Earth’s satellite images to estimate the amount of fish being farmed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Published in the online journal PLoS ONE, this study is the first to approximate seafood production using satellite imagery. It focused on information from 2006.
“Our colleagues have repeatedly shown that accurate reporting of wild-caught fish has been a problem, and we wondered whether there might be similar issues for fish farming”, said lead author Pablo Trujillo, an Oceans Science Advisor forGreenpeace International, who conducted the study while a research assistant at the UBC Fisheries Centre. Read more …
For those interested in what fish farmers “north of the borders” are doing, following this link will take you to a short video and accompanying article by Northern Ontario Business (NOB) about the Ontario cage culture industry. Last summer the Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association (NOAA) welcomed the NOB reporter and videographer to North Wind Fisheries Ltd. and Meeker’s Aquaculture.
If you like more information about NOAA, please contact:
Karen Tracey
Executive Director
Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association (NOAA)
P.O. Box 124
9050 Hwy 6
Little Current, ON P0P 1K0
Canada
Phone: +1 705 368 1345
Cell: +1 705 968 1345
E-mail: noaa@manitoulin.net
Web: www.ontarioaquaculture.com
