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Goal 3. Aquaculture: Develop the Food and Hobby Segments of the Marine Aquaculture Industry
Commercial culture of aquatic products for food, industrial and hobby purposes represents a growing natural resource based industry in Florida. Commercial aquaculture in Florida generates approximately $100 million in farm-gate value each year. The primary components are tropical fish ($47.2 million), aquatic plants ($20.4 million), mollusks ($13.0 million), shrimp ($5.1 million), alligators ($2.5 million), catfish ($1.5 million), tilapia ($1.5 million), other finfish ($2.8 million), live rock ($0.7 million) and other assorted aquatic species ($0.9 million). There are 544 aquaculture operations using 6,450 acres, with about 1,700 individuals employed. The facilities are located throughout the state, with regional concentrations of specific culture types. For example, most of the tropical fish culture occurs in Polk and Hillsborough counties, catfish in Escambia County and mollusks in Levy and Dixie counties. Florida is the largest producer of freshwater ornamentals and cultured hard clams in the U.S. The marine ornamental industry is growing, but represents a much smaller component of the tropical fish culture industry in Florida.
The market for cultured food fish and shellfish is becoming more competitive. Cultured finfish and shellfish imported from foreign sources represent a growing share of the domestic supply. This is particularly true for species such as shrimp, tilapia and catfish. In addition, growers in other regions of the U.S. are accounting for a larger share of the market. Thus, food fish and shellfish growers are facing a much more competitive market characterized by continual downward pressure on prices. These growers must become more efficient in their production process so as to minimize costs. Suppliers of ornamental fish, particularly marine ornamentals, are becoming pressured by buyers to obtain wild caught supplies in an environmentally sustainable manner. Ornamental growers must also become more efficient in the culturing process. New culture techniques are needed for marine ornamentals to provide for a growing domestic hobbyist market for alternative species, while addressing the environmental concerns of buyers.
The primary goal for the Florida Sea Grant investment in aquaculture is to increase the volume and value of food fish and shellfish species cultured in Florida, increase the number and value of marine ornamental species cultured in the state, and to achieve an environmentally and economically sustainable collection rate of marine ornamentals from wild stocks. The goal of the program is not to promote aquaculture in a marketing sense, but to encourage consideration of investment in species that are technically and economically feasible, or have the greatest potential to become feasible.
The audience for marine aquaculture education, research and extension includes research scientists, private food and ornamental culturists, resource managers, hobbyists, the import/export wholesale sector and the interested general public.
The primary products include journal articles, scientific and technical reports, workshops on marine aquaculture concepts, technical presentations at professional meetings, advisory roles with state aquaculture management agencies (e.g., Aquaculture Interagency Coordinating Committee) and direct involvement with growers and other user groups. These products and activities will allow for the dissemination of research findings and application of educational materials developed for aquaculture producers and other related user groups. In addition, demonstration-type activities may be conducted to help potential growers better understand the technical and economic characteristics of the culture process. Products and activities will be delivered by Florida Sea Grant-funded research faculty, statewide extension specialists, county marine extension faculty and the Sea Grant communicators. Research faculty will disseminate immediate research results, whereas the educational and extension materials developed will be extended to various user groups by extension faculty and communications staff.
Primary performance indicators are an increase in the total number of economically viable aquaculture operations, an increase in the number of species cultured and an increase in the total farm gate sales of aquaculture products in Florida. In addition, a less easily measured performance indicator will be those individuals who avoided making an unwise investment decision in commercial aquaculture. Potential investors will be able to assess the financial opportunities via extension materials that describe the economic characteristics and market opportunities of commercial aquaculture in Florida. Some will invest; others will not. Providing the necessary information so that poor investment decisions are avoided is a valid goal for the program. Research and extension efforts will no longer be directed toward the culture of a given species when production methodologies are technically and economically efficient and environmental concerns are addressed. In addition, efforts will be minimized for those species when the current culture supply can satisfy foreseeable market demand.
A. Foster Sustainable Ornamental Aquarium Species Culture, Collection and Conservation
- Breed marine species whose economic value, hardiness in captivity and degree to which they are “highly prized” are demonstrated as viable.
- Develop feeds, including live feeds, suitable for the varying nutritional needs of aquaculture and collected ornamental species.
- Enhance post-hatching and post-harvest survivorship of traded species from point of origin—whether from production facilities or wild collections—to the end consumer through better shipping and handling protocols.
- Promote higher survival of collected ornamental organisms and minimize impacts of harvest through practices to reduce mortality; determine sustainable long-term harvest.
- Extend culture, collection and conservation techniques to the marine aquaculture industry.
B. Enhance bivalve molluscan shellfish production
- Improve production practices for bivalve molluscan shellfish of demonstrated commercial viability, from early life history stages to product quality and provide such practices to shellfish growers.
- Diversify bivalve molluscan shellfish production opportunities.
C. Promote industry development by eliminating technical and non-technical barriers using sustainable, environmentally responsible practices
- Determine the financial feasibility and market characteristics for species of greatest potential with regard to all phases of the culture process.
- Evaluate the technical, biological and economic feasibility of innovative marine aquaculture operations in the near shore/coastal region, on the seafloor and in open surface and water column applications.
- Help business and public interests understand regulatory and permitting processes, risk management, assist streamlining and development of best management practices for culture and shipping and provide guidelines for entry in commercial aquaculture.
- Resolve constraints and bottlenecks for both species and systems of demonstrated viability in commercial production, market development, or natural resource management settings.
- Refine production techniques for commercial aquaculture, especially focusing on those systems components that can provide the greatest marginal advancement toward technical feasibility.
D. Increase technical and economic knowledge
- Educate the Florida marine aquaculture industry in investment, production, diversification and expansion decisions and Florida’s citizenry about the role of aquaculture in sustainable, environmentally responsible food production, ornamental ownership and stock enhancement.
- Train aquaculturists in financial and technical aspects of production and train individuals moving out of fishing into aquaculture.
- Develop better health management protocols for ornamental and food fish production, which are linked to disease diagnosis, nutrition management and water quality maintenance.
- Provide in-service training to faculty and others to increase knowledge and skills that can be transferred to others.
Assessing the likelihood of completing the stated objectives of proposed research is an integral part of the scientific review process by which all Florida Sea Grant-funded research and extension activities are subjected. Risky efforts in aquaculture will involve those species that are not found in traditional seafood or hobby markets, those species where the key life history factors are unknown, production systems reliant upon technologies that are of long term development, non-native species and production systems that pose inherent environmental risks.
Accomplishment of aquaculture goals requires maintaining a critical mass of research/extension faculty who can effectively address the problematic topics concerning commercial aquaculture in Florida. This includes specialists in marine economics and aquaculture production. In addition, maintaining a viable off-campus faculty well-trained in commercial aquaculture issues is vital. Additional field staff is needed in some counties of the state where no funding exists for positions and in other counties where faculty members cover multiple counties. The greatest need is for a statewide extension aquaculture specialist that can address issues in food fish and marine ornamental culture and that can complement the work of the regional shellfish extension specialist.
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