On the wires late yesterday, news of one of the first hatchery bred lobster to come out of Australia.
It appears, farmers at Tasmania's Aquaculture Institute are celebrating the production of the country's first hatchery-bred rock lobster. Researchers have successfully reared a larval lobster from eggs spawned in captivity at the Marine Research Laboratories near Hobart, according to the Australian Broadcast Channel.
While thousands of larvae have been bred, one which transformed into a tiny rock lobster at 1:00am yesterday is the first to survive, according to the story.
This got me to thinking about the struggling wild lobster fishery here in New England, and wondering if there are any private farmers here in the region trying to farm our tasty version of the lobster family. Growing up on Martha's Vineyard, I know that the state has funded, on and off, the Lobster Hatchery here. But I am sure that is a government funded program. Those lobsters, once grown, were returned to the sea to restore the wild stock. I was looking for private sector programs that farmed and then sold directly to the market. I am contacting some experts in the field and hope to get back with more. If you know of any New England aquafarmer's doing lobsters let us know. Thanks,
E.L.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Monday, November 15, 2004
Will US based aquaculture companies go elsewhere to do business?
After reading a recent press release from Boca Raton, Fla. based aquaculture tech firm Neptune Industries, saying the company had inked a memorandum deal with the Cook Islands in the Pacific which "paves the way for international application of Neptune's revolutionary new eco-friendly, aquaculture technology," I got to thinking about the international playing field for US aquaculture companies on the whole. Would the growing pressure from critics of the aquaculture industry here in the US, force US based companies to take their business out of the country in order to get out from under any new regulations that may come down from the government controlling the way aquaculture industry does business? I have posed this question to a number of industry analysts and I am awaiting their reply. Until then, please feel free to add your two cents.
E.L.
E.L.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
The new challenge
Although there has been a boon in the aquaculture industry here in the US over the past decade or so, there is a recent wave of critics coming from the private sector, some in government, conservation groups, and individuals who do not have enough facts to make any real informed decision on the matter. Although a recent science report from the Pew Oceans Commission found that there are many benefits to come out of aquaculture, the industry has to stay in check.
Aquaculture has a number of economic and other benefits. But if it is done without adequate environmental safeguards it can cause environmental degradation. The main environmental effects of marine aquaculture can be divided into the following five categories: 1) Biological Pollution: Fish that escape from aquaculture facilities may harm wild fish populations through competition and interbreeding, or by spreading diseases and parasites. Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are a particular problem, and may threaten endangered wild Atlantic salmon in Maine. In the future, farming transgenic, or genetically modified, fish may exacerbate concerns about biological pollution. 2) Fish for Fish Feeds: Some types of aquaculture use large quantities of wild-caught fish as feed ingredients, and thus indirectly affect marine ecosystems thousands of miles from fish farms. 3) Organic Pollution and Eutrophication: Some aquaculture systems contribute to nutrient loading through discharges of fish wastes and uneaten feed. Compared to the largest U.S. sources of nutrient pollution, aquaculture’s contribution is small, but it can be locally significant. 4) Chemical Pollution: A variety of approved chemicals are used in aquaculture, including antibiotics and pesticides. Chemical use in U.S. aquaculture is low compared to use in terrestrial agriculture, but antibiotic resistance and harm to nontarget species are concerns. 5) Habitat Modification: Marine aquaculture spreads over 26,000 marine hectares, or roughly 100 square miles. Some facilities attract marine predators, and can harm them through accidental entanglement or intentional harassment techniques.
To read more of the report go to: http://www.pewoceans.org/oceanfacts/2002/01/11/fact_22988.asp
This is the new challenge facing the industry globally and in our region here in New England. From salmon farms in Portland, Maine to shellfish beds in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, aquafarmers have had to change the way they do their work or stop work all together in order to find this balance between protecting the environment and finding a viable business model to make a living. One of the missions of this blog is to find information and ideas from companies, individuals and government agencies that will help the industry in New England meet this challenge.
E.L.
Aquaculture has a number of economic and other benefits. But if it is done without adequate environmental safeguards it can cause environmental degradation. The main environmental effects of marine aquaculture can be divided into the following five categories: 1) Biological Pollution: Fish that escape from aquaculture facilities may harm wild fish populations through competition and interbreeding, or by spreading diseases and parasites. Escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are a particular problem, and may threaten endangered wild Atlantic salmon in Maine. In the future, farming transgenic, or genetically modified, fish may exacerbate concerns about biological pollution. 2) Fish for Fish Feeds: Some types of aquaculture use large quantities of wild-caught fish as feed ingredients, and thus indirectly affect marine ecosystems thousands of miles from fish farms. 3) Organic Pollution and Eutrophication: Some aquaculture systems contribute to nutrient loading through discharges of fish wastes and uneaten feed. Compared to the largest U.S. sources of nutrient pollution, aquaculture’s contribution is small, but it can be locally significant. 4) Chemical Pollution: A variety of approved chemicals are used in aquaculture, including antibiotics and pesticides. Chemical use in U.S. aquaculture is low compared to use in terrestrial agriculture, but antibiotic resistance and harm to nontarget species are concerns. 5) Habitat Modification: Marine aquaculture spreads over 26,000 marine hectares, or roughly 100 square miles. Some facilities attract marine predators, and can harm them through accidental entanglement or intentional harassment techniques.
To read more of the report go to: http://www.pewoceans.org/oceanfacts/2002/01/11/fact_22988.asp
This is the new challenge facing the industry globally and in our region here in New England. From salmon farms in Portland, Maine to shellfish beds in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, aquafarmers have had to change the way they do their work or stop work all together in order to find this balance between protecting the environment and finding a viable business model to make a living. One of the missions of this blog is to find information and ideas from companies, individuals and government agencies that will help the industry in New England meet this challenge.
E.L.
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