New England Aquafarmer

The Dream Job

2012-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

As I'm always reminded during these tough economic times in America, I am blessed to be working in the job I went to college for and now, thanks to my Canadian publisher, covering the aquaculture industry I left my corporate tech news desk to do. As I'm never one to sit on my butt and let life pass me by, I'm trying to envision my next career move, say in five years. Covering the aquaculture

New England Aquafarmer’s Best Aquaculture Stories and Notes of 2011

2012-01-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

As I work on the second issue of Hatchery International (HI) for 2012, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on some of the aquaculture issues I wrote about for my Canadian publisher and editor Peter Chettleburgh, who has been publishing HI and the many manifestations of Aquaculture North America (ANA), previously titled Northern Aquaculture, since the 1980s. Some of the stories I wrote

Martha's Vineyard Finfish Hatchery, First in Region

2011-12-02T12:46:00.001-08:00

I love my home island of Martha's Vineyard. It's a close community. The Red Stocking Fund cartons at the local grocery stores are always heaping this time of year. There's a great music scene happening, which I love as a singer-songwriter and band member. But as a journalist, covering international seafood farming it's also become a great place to see good aquaculture being done for the right

Investing in Aquaculture

2011-10-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Every industry, from the Internet/Tech boom in the 1990's to Aquaculture now, needs Venture Capital (VC) funding to push young start-ups to become commercial and to follow along, navigating the company through the first stages of its business. Aquacopia is the only VC firm focused entirely on Aquaculture. I had the pleasure of writing about them in the upcoming issue of Aquaculture

Autumnal Musings

2011-09-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

The leaves around here are prematurely turning brown as a result of all the salt water that was blown off the ocean onto the island from Tropical Storm Irene last week. The temps have yet to get back above 80 degrees F. where they were just days before the storm. Such fall-like elements makes one believe the seasons have changed. It also doesn't help that I'm writing stories for the October issue

Summer is here!!!

2011-07-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

In short, the long slog of winter is over here on the island of Martha's Vineyard and summer is in full swing. Along with that comes the on rush of main-land tourists, celebs, and politicos--like another planned first family visit in August. All of whom, will be treated to this season's latest aquaculture ventures on the island. Most notably, the island's first dance in the fin-fish aquaculture

Notes from NACE

2010-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

Set up my booth way ahead of schedule. Didn't have to be set up until the 7 pm reception. I was set up by 5 pm. A little eager I guess. Had a long discussion with Gary Jensen, National Leader for Aquaculture at USDA over some locally farmed Tilapia and oysters from farms up and down the Cape. Martha's Vineyard's own Rick Karney was also present.Tomorrow looks to be the biggest day of the event

Driving to NACE

2010-12-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

On the way to the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Expo in Plymouth, MA. First conference for me representing the Canadian publishers to the North and their trade publications Aquaculture North America and Hatchery International. Have the publication banner, the push pins, tape and extra pens. I have extra copies of our November/December issues of both pub's and I have a trusted assistant, my

Legislators Try to Stop All Offshore Mariculture

2010-07-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

On this Independence Day weekend, I thought I might take the time to update my blog, after a long hiatus, with a look at the latest attempts by members of the U.S. Congress to suppress the burgeoning mariculture industry in this country.In the past two months, two efforts before congress look to destroy any chances of any real offshore aquaculture over the next decade.First, in May, Senator David

Next issue of ANA

2010-04-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

On deadline for Monday, scrambling to finish stories on Red Tide warnings and its impact on shellfish aquaculturists in Maine and Massachusetts; the recently launched Aquaculture Network for the Americas; the small NOAA FY2011 budget for aquaculture; Ohio-based all-in-one fin-fish aquaculture business; and update on Kona-Blue Kampachi returning to store shelves in June.Feel free to leave comments

International Boston Seafood Show

2010-03-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

IBSS coverage today. Interviews and press conferences from 11:45 am to 3:30 PM. Hope to squeeze in some schmooze and eating time in between official stuff. Must do's include meeting and doing some face time with sources I usually just know through phone and email interviews.Also looking into companies that are working to develop sustainable Aquaculture certification standards for upcoming issue

Deadline Met

2010-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Just finished last brief for next issue of Aquaculture North America on domestic farmed catfish prices showing slight signs of recovery.The short snippet acts as a good side-bar for my larger story on the toughest winter in a longtime for southern catfish farmers, who face frozen ponds and fluctuating extreme temperatures and how that can lead to "winter kill."This issue hits subscriber mailboxes

PDF version of debut issue of ANA

2010-02-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Check out the premier issue of Aquaculture North America. Martha's Vineyard pilot blue mussel farm on the front page.

New Publication Covering North American Aquaculture

2010-01-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

Aquaculture North America has launched. I've got five stories in this issue, covering everything from the current debate over how to manage and regulate offshore aquaculture in U.S. national waters, to a blue mussel pilot program in Massachusetts, to the decision by the U.S. FDA not to ban raw oysters farmed in the Gulf of Mexico.The new Bi-monthly trade publication is devoted to the growth of a

A New Magazine for a New Time

2009-11-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

As the North American aquaculture industry grows into its second generation of productivity and development a new magazine American Aquaculture, launching in January, looks to cover the ins and outs of the sector from hatchery to farm to wholesaler. As a writer for the new publication, I am responsible for covering most of the US market. The magazine is the latest aquaculture related publication

ATV Use by Aquaculture professionals

2009-06-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Just starting my reporting on first assignment for Hatchery International. ATV use on aquaculture sites. If any of you have any anecdotes and use ATVs at your location please feel free to comment. I may use it in the story or not. But I would love to get a feel for what is going on out there.

Cape Cod Shellfishermen find success and hurtles

2009-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

No one claims aquaculture is the silver bullet to save struggling fishermen under the pressure of a heavy regulated fishing industry, but farming the sea does offer an alternative way to make a living on the water. But as shown in this Provincetown Banner article, the growing shellfish aquaculture industry is not without it's own set of challenges. Aquaculture, though full of promise, has its own

Obama Administration Shifts Aquaculture Strategy

2009-04-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

As first blogged by our friends at acuaculturetoday, Commerce secretary Gary Locke last week said the administration will develop federal aquaculture regulations, including a system that could permit offshore fish farming in the ocean waters for the first time.As part of the secretary's briefing before a senate committee hearing in Washington D.C., Locke further detailed a decision to change a

MA-based Australis Aquaculture Making Waves

2009-04-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Berkshires have a little bit of the outback going on. For several years a favorite south east Asian fish has been farmed and raised in a closed hatchery system at Australis Aquaculture, a subsidiary of WM Capital of Huston, TX. WM Capital bought the hatchery and farming operations in Massachusetts and Vietnam last month from Australis Aquaculture in Australia. Josh Goldman, managing

Aquaculture as an education tool for success

2009-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past several weeks I've come across a few high school programs in the area that incorporate aquaculture into their curriculum, combining biology, science and sustainable oceans policy studies. In a recent op-ed in the Gloucester Times in Massachusetts, the editors praised Gloucester High School students and faculty working on a joint project with the Salem State College science

MBL Conference Call

2009-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, took a conference call with aquaculture go-to guys Scott Lindell and Bill Mebane at Marine Biology Laboratories. I was interested in doing a piece for Hatchery International on their Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative that brings methods and technologies for fish farming developed in the Woods Hole labs to fish farmers down in Haiti. Found out most of the work now is being done

Connecting Aquaculture and Wind Farms?

2009-03-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

In a recent email discussion with Cliff Goudey, Director Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), I was surprised to find out that he leads an effort to develop aquaculture technology that would allow for open ocean farming in conjunction with ongoing renewable energy initiatives."I am also leading an effort aimed at developing fish and

Salmon Aquaculture Discussion in Boston

2009-03-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

In brief, the WWF's self described "Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue" closed session in Boston over the weekend. The participants, made up of producers, nongovernmental organizations and other stakeholders, were asked to assess the environmental impact of diseases and parasites and pull together current knowledge on preventing and mitigating these effects on farms and on the environment. To learn

Maine town opens aquaculture fish plant

2009-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

A new lease on life for working waterfront towns?Downeast Maine community Machiasport recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Cooke Aquaculture salmon fish processing plant, according to a company press release posted on the online seafood industry site FIS.com.The plant originally closed its doors in 2004 when the local decline in farmed salmon caused a drop in production. In

New England-FMC Supports Flounder Aquaculture

2009-03-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

The New England Fisheries Management Council recently unofficially backed a plan in New York for farm-raising and releasing flounder into the wild. The proposal is the brainchild of Capt. Norman Edwards Jr., a commercial fisherman and East Hampton, NY, town trustee. According to recent press reports, Edwards’ plan got its biggest boost when it got overwhelming official approval from NY’s

Going to Woods Hole to reseacrh MBL

2009-03-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

On a quick day trip to Falmouth for some shopping needs, I decided to include a stop off to check out the Marine Biological Labs in Woods Hole. My first story for Hatchery International is going to be on the ongoing Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative (SAI) run out of the institution. SAI looks to bring affordable, low-scale aquaculture technology and practices to 3rd world nations where people

The Beginning is Now

2009-03-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

Just launched and linked this blog to a sister page on Facebook. New England Aquafarmer now has a Facebook presence and is gathering steam as aquaculture professionals from as far away as Singapore have befriended the page. This is the first step in building what has been a long held dream of mine to build an online resource for the growing aquaculture industry in New England and beyond. What I

First pitches approved

2009-03-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

My dream of being an esteemed media expert on the New England Aquaculture industry just got that much closer as many of my first pitches have been approved by Peter Chettleburgh, editor and publisher of Hatchery International and Northern Aquaculture magazines. The Victoria, Canada-based media company --Capamara Communications--that publishes the magazines has tasked me with covering the New

I'm back...

2009-02-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have been off and away for a while, writing for other publications that have nothing to do with the aquaculture industry. That said, I'm now getting ready to pitch some new story ideas to a new gig at Hatchery International and Northern Aquaculture magazines.After emailing with editor Peter Chettleburgh a couple of weeks ago he tasked me with research the New England aquaculture industry to

Maine lobstermen and aquaculture farm clash

2005-10-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

A Casco Bay mussel farmer wants to expand to a new location near Hope Island, raising concerns by Chebeague Island fishermen that they'll be forced out of prime lobster grounds.this marks the latest local skirmish in the ongoing battle between existing fishermen and the growing aquaculture industry. The battle has been waging throughout New England, which has long had a historical fishing

Bush Administration pushes offshore aquaculture

2005-06-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

This week, the Bush administration sent its national offshore aquaculture legislation to Capitol Hill for Congressional action. The President pledged to propose this bill as part of his U.S. Ocean Action Plan, which outlines near-term and longer-term actions to protect the oceans and marine resources. The bill grants the Secretary of Commerce authority to issue permits for marine aquaculture

Red Tide plagues New England waters

2005-05-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

Stormy weather causes red tide outbreak in New England PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Scientists are blaming the recent stormy weather for a massive bloom of toxic red tide that has forced shellfish beds to close along much of the New England coast from Cape Cod to Penobscot Bay. Toxic microscopic phytoplankton that normally remain far offshore cause red tide. But scientists say three blustery storms

Would this work on off shore Windmills?

2005-04-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Mon Apr 4,11:39 AM ET Science - AP By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS - Thousands of oil and natural gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico could be converted into deep-sea fish farms raising red snapper, mahi mahi, yellow fin tuna and flounder, under a plan backed by the Bush administration.After reading this off the wire, I started wondering if

Latest tsunami toll on aquaculture and fisheries

2005-02-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI, FEB. 19. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has put the tsunami losses in fisheries and aquaculture at $ 520 million. The updated damage assessment from southern Asia is throwing a new light on material losses suffered by fisher-folk in the December 26, 2004 tsunami strike as well as financial costs involved in rehabilitating the fisheries and

Wellfleet shellfish have a bug

2005-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

A parasite has struck the shellfish farms of this Cape Cod town, according to the Cape Cod Times. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of clams will have to be destroyed as part of an effort to save Wellfleet's multimillion dollar quahog aquaculture industry from the tiny parasite known as QPX, or quahog parasite unknown. The parasite destroys the meat of the clams, but is not harmful to

Holiday slowdown

2004-12-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

I know... I know... It has been a few weeks since my last post, but the Holiday season is on us big time. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the rush of the season. Anyway, while perusing the Web for aquaculture headlines worth sharing with you all I cam across yet another article highlighting the concerns of environmentalists about aquaculture. The short piece from a Scotland-based mag. quotes

Farming "Lobies" in Australia

2004-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

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

Will US based aquaculture companies go elsewhere to do business?

2004-11-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

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 new challenge

2004-11-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

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