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Newsletter of the
Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center Suite 203, 141 N. Main St., Brewer, ME 04412 From the Executive Director's Desk 1994 has been a year of growth for the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center (MAIC) which seeks to further Maine's economic development by establishing industry-research partnerships which can overcome obstacles to profitability and growth. In 1994, the public's awareness of the economic development potential of aquaculture increased substantially. In part, this awareness has resulted from concern about the decline in wild harvest ocean fisheries which have supported coastal communities in Maine for over 300 years. However, it has also resulted from MAIC's efforts to educate Maine's leaders, entrepreneurs and youth concerning what aquaculture is today, and more importantly what it could become in the future. Today Maine's aquafarms grow top quality Atlantic salmon, Steelhead trout, American oysters, and nori, the leafy seaweed used to wrap sushi. Tomorrow's farms likely will produce codfish, haddock, and various types of flounder, the species which have been favored in America since colonial times. Tomorrow's farms also will become the sources of marine compounds used by the pharmaceutical industry to fight disease and generally improve our quality of life. In 1994, MAIC, working hand in hand with Maine's aquafarms and members of the university-based research community, managed a grant and technical assistance program the purpose of which was to transform Maine aquaculture from the industry of today to that of tomorrow. Noteworthy center activities included the following:-- * the coordination of an action group which is identifying selected communities interested in reviving Maine's soft-shell clam industry. * the securing of $70,000 in Federal government support for the expansion of seaweed culture, an undertaking which was begun two years ago in Washington County with support from MAIC and MSTF. * the facilitation of research on finfish and shellfish diseases which must be managed effectively to insure minimal animal mortalities and maximum animal growth. * the expansion of a major initiative designed to increase the level of research being conducted on halibut and cod culture. In 1994, MAIC secured $30,000 in US Department of Agriculture support for this project. * the provision of extension services to salmon and trout growers in Down East Maine. Working cooperatively with the National Sea Grant College Program and the Washington County Technical College, MAIC maintained an extension office in Eastport manned by a full-time finfish aquaculture specialist. Angus King, Maine's Governor-Elect, has emphasized repeatedly
that aquaculture has a special role to play in coastal economic development. With the
substantial resources which are becoming Michael M. Hastings, MAIC Executive Director $350,000 Marine Research Program Focuses on
Washington County's Cobscook Bay "This represents one of the broadest ecosystem approaches in Maine," says Dr. Robert Vadas, professor of Botany, Oceanography, and Pathology at the University of Maine. Vadas serves as one of the research team leaders. "We will learn how Cobscook Bay is like other systems where research has been ongoing and, of even greater significance, how it is different." According to Vadas and other researchers, Cobscook Bay has been known for its great variety of marine species since the early 19th Century and has been an important fishery since the 1600s. Relatively undeveloped and relatively pristine by most accounts, it has also been far less studied than bays suffering greater pressures from development. Researchers will combine satellite imagery, aerial photography, chemical analysis, water column and ocean bottom sampling and a variety of other methods to create a computer model that will help fishermen, municipal officials, resource managers and others understand how different activities impact the bay's health and productivity. Imbedded in the research program is the belief that its outcomes need to be shared as widely as possible. Eastport native Dr. David Brooks, now professor of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, has adapted a hydrodynamic model of ocean circulation to Cobscook Bay. The findings of the research team will be layered on that model to create a graphic and conceptual picture of the ways in which the bay works. Brooks says he was attracted to the current research program by the opportunity to work with the team of scientists and the prospect of sharing the results with people Downeast. Another team member, Dr. Peter Larsen, a senior scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Studies in West Boothbay, agrees. "One of the most exciting parts of this undertaking is the range of research expertise that it brings to bear on an ecosystem of truly international significance and a resource of tremendous importance to the people of Washington County," says Larsen. In addition to published reports, a two day workshop is planned to bring together researchers, resource users and managers following the first phase of research to discuss its implications and to identify needs for further investigation. Barbara St. John Vickery, director of conservation planning for the Nature Conservancy in Maine, says work has already begun to secure funding for a second stage of research to build upon the current program. The current grant requires a 1:1 match which will be provided by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the University of Maine, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service GIS laboratories, Suffolk University's Friedman Field Station, and the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Principal Investigators include: Dr. Robert Vadas, University of Maine; Dr. Charles Yentsch, Bigelow Laboratory; Dr. Peter Larsen, Bigelow Laboratory; Dr. Christopher Garside, Bigelow Laboratory; Dr. David Brooks, Texas A & M University; and Dr. Daniel Campbell, University of Rhode Island. By The Nature Conservancy, Maine Chapter SEA GRANT SEEKS AQUACULTURE PROPOSALS On October 24, the UNH/UMe Sea Grant Offices announced that the FY'95 Sea Grant Budget is $10 million greater than the FY'94 budget. This increase will be distributed among all sea grant programs on the basis of a single competition. UNH/UMe Sea Grant is encouraging the development of proposals relating to the development of commercially viable aquaculture industries based on: * finfish: A coordinated approach (involving: fisheries biologists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and policy specialists, among others) to developing an aquaculture industry in a selected species, such as cod, haddock, and/or flounder. Explicit ties to industry and emphasis on practicality are essential. (Contact Ann Bucklin at 603-862-0122.) * seaweeds: development of nori and other species in the northeast as commercial industries, involving research in stock improvement and selection, growing conditions, marketing, and product development, as well as outreach (including demonstration projects), education, and communication efforts. (Contact Brian Doyle 603-749-1565.) * shellfish: rejuvenation of the commercial value of the soft-shell clam in the northeast through aquaculture, new management approaches, habitat improvement, and economic analysis. (Contact David Dow at 207-581-1422.) Persons considering responding to the Sea Grant solicitation should contact the persons listed above before writing or submitting their proposals. SEA RUN SALMON COMMISSION CALLS FOR MEETING WITH
AQUAFARMERS At an October 6 meeting of the Atlantic Sea Run Salmon Commission (ASRSC), public member Peter Wass suggested that a meeting between the Commission and salmon growers should occur to discuss issues related to the genetic makeup of aquaculture "escapees." A petition to list the Atlantic salmon as an endangered species threatens to limit the potential growth of Maine's nascent salmon industry. Concerns about the genetic integrity of any native fish that may remain in Maine's rivers pose a serious problem for Maine's finfish growers who argue that no conclusive evidence exists to support these concerns or to indicate that the genetic makeup of farm-raised and "wild" salmon is significantly different. Mr. Wass's motion was unanimously supported by public member Paul Fernald, DMR Commissioner Bill Brennan, and IF&W Commissioner and ASRSC Chairman Ray "Bucky" Owen. Representatives of the aquaculture industry attended the meeting to hear the Commission discuss a recent letter from US Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Ronald Lambertson, asking the ASRSC to examine "...significant numbers of aquaculture escapees [which] are showing up in the Maine rivers. The letter also stated that "...given the scant wild returns, these fish could seriously impact the run in the Dennys. I assume they will not be allowed to migrate upstream past the weir, but what happens once the weir is removed?" The Commission's decision to meet with salmon farmers demonstrates an understanding that, while genetic concerns about farm-raised fish are not clearly substantiated, the questions surrounding the issue are viewed as a real threat to the viability of Maine's aquaculture industry. The date of proposed meeting has not yet been scheduled. By Jeff Kaelin COMMERCE DEPARTMENT SEEKS AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
PROPOSALS The US Department of Commerce on October 18 solicited research grant proposals designed to strengthen and develop the U.S. fishing industry. Funding for the research will be drawn from a fund established under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act. The Secretary of Commerce makes such funds available each year for grants to assist persons in carrying out projects that address aspects of US commercial and recreational fisheries, including but not limited to harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated infrastructures. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) indicates that consideration will be given to applications that fall into four "priority" categories: (1) Optimum Utilization of Harvestable Marine Resources; (2) Sustainable Resource Recovery; (3) Aquaculture; and (4) Product Quality and Safety. NMFS is seeking aquaculture research proposals which will lead to the development or demonstration of "cost effective approaches for advancing environmentally sound private aquaculture development, including those associated with culturing systems, disease control and regulatory requirements." Aquafarms and aquaculture researchers interested in submitting proposals should request application packages from the NMFS Regional Director, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, Telephone 508-281-9267. A copy of the October 18, 1994 Solicitation Notice can be obtained from the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, Suite 203, 141 N. Main Street, Brewer, ME 04412, Telephone 207-989-5310. INNOVATION CENTER BOOKSHELF *"A Survey of the Abundance of Sea Lice and a Stock Assessment of Selected Salmonid Farms in Maine," by Ross Shaw, University of Maine, 1994, 44 pages. Final Report on MAIC Project # 93-16. ($5.00). *"An Evaluation of Strategies to Restore Mya Arenaria Production in Maine," by Richard Clime, Dodge Cove Marine Farm and Ralph Townsend, Ph.D., University of Maine, 1994, 90 pages. Final Report on MAIC Project # 94-00. ($8.00). *"Identification and Development of a Method to Disinfect 'Bloodwater' Produced During Preliminary Stages of Salmon Processing," by James McClare, P.Eng., Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Research and Productivity Center, Fredricton, N.B., October 1993, 75 pages. Final Report on a project jointly supported by MAIC (Project # 93-26) and the New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association. ($7.00). *"The Maine Clean Water Program," by Esperanza Stancioff, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service, January 20, 1994, 3 pages. Final Report on MAIC Project # 93-12. ($1.00). |