Tag: Sea Grant

California Sea Grant Research Informs New Law to Permit Fishermen’s Markets

This article was written by Deborah Seiler of the California Sea Grant illustrates how California  has improved their fish markets.  California just adopted a bill dubbed the “Pacific to Plate” that would allow “fishermen’s markets to operate as food facilities, vendors to clean their fish for direct sale, and multiple fishermen to organize a market under a single permit.”  A survey in 2013 demonstrated that there is a widespread demand for local seafood. In August when the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market opened its doors it drew more than 1300 customers in five hours.

To read more about the “Pacific to Plate” bill click here.

2015 Coastal Perspective Lecture Series

Shared on behalf of The Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, the Department of Marine Sciences, UCONN and the Maritime Studies Program, UCONN

2015 Coastal Perspective Lecture Series
Where: University of Connecticut, Avery Point
When: Tuesday, February 10th, 7:30 p.m.

“Fishers Island Oyster Farm: Microbrewed Bivalves – From Hatchery to Table”
By Steve Malinowski, Ph.D.
Fishers Island Oyster Farm, Inc., Founder/Co-Owner

During the last 10 years there has been an explosion of new oyster farms along the entire east coast that now bring to market hundreds of different varieties of oysters.   Started 35 years ago, Fishers Island Oyster Farm was one of a handful of pioneering firms that demonstrated that intensive, high density, containerized shellfish culture was not only economically viable but also among the most sustainable and environmentally friendly industries on the earth.  Driven by a model based on lifestyle, where home and family and business are one entity, Fishers Island Oyster Farm produces one of the premium oysters available on the market today and provides millions of seed oysters to dozens of other growers in the northeast.

Steve Malinowski completed his undergraduate work at Wesleyan and earned a Ph.D. from UCONN in 1985 working under Bob Whitlatch. His research was on the population ecology of Mercenaria (quahogs). While he was a student at UCONN, he and his wife Sarah began raising their six children and together started Fishers Island Oyster Farm – a classic family farm with Sarah’s specialty the children and Steve’s the bivalves.

For more information on Steve Malinowski and the Fishers Island Oyster Farm, visit: Fisher Island Oyster Farm.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lecture series is FREE and open to the public.  Lectures begin at 7:30 p.m., with light refreshments at 7:10.

Lectures are held in the Auditorium/Theater on the 2nd floor of the Academic Building (disabled accessible), UConn Avery Point Campus.  Enter through the Academic Building or through the Student Center.  There is a limited-capacity elevator on the first floor of the Academic Building.  Please call us with your questions, or concerns, on the limited-mobility access points to the auditorium/theater at 860-405-9025, or email Noreen.blaschik@uconn.edu.

This series is sponsored by The Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, the Department of Marine Sciences, UCONN and the Maritime Studies Program, UCONN.  For more information or a campus map, visit our website here or email CoastalPerspectives@uconn.edu.

 *** Weather related changes will be posted to the above website ***

New Research on Oyster Aquaculture

Shared on behalf of the East Coast Shellfish Grower’s Association

New research on oyster aquaculture through WHOI Sea Grant, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and the SE Massachusetts Aquaculture Center.

1) A Comparison of Bottom and Floating Gear for Growing American Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Southeastern Massachusetts. Extension studies reveal that oysters grown in floating gear had better growth, survival and condition index compared with bottom cages.

2) Vp in oysters

Diane Murphy did a study where she compared Vibrio levels in oysters that were immediately iced upon harvest vs. those that exposed to ambient temps for 5 hours. Predictably iced oysters had lower counts, but the real take home message for me here was that Vibrio numbers reverted to baseline after 18 hours of resubmergence. So oysters that were exposed for 5 hours and returned to the waters overnight were back to normal by the following morning. This is another study that should help put to rest some of the concerns raised by regulators about shoreside culling and resubmergence.

Click here for more information.

Marine Extension Bulletin Available – Shellfish, Nitrogen and the Health of Our Coastal Waters

This marine extension bulletin serves to summarize the often confusing potential for shellfish to be used as part of a plan to mitigate the effects of excess nutrients in coastal waters. The Cape Cod area in particular is grappling with the potentially enormous costs of reducing the nutrient load to coastal waters and all options are up for discussion. Shellfish are natural inhabitants of coastal waters and through their normal feeding activity are involved in cycling and incorporating nutrients through their food. This bulletin discusses the potential, and also the challenges to using shellfish production as part of a nutrient reduction plan.

Click here for more information.

Do you want to build your own Facebook/Twitter to sell Shellfish?

Shared on behalf of Connecticut Sea Grant

Have you ever wanted to develop your own website but just didn’t know where to start? Have you ever wished that you could notify potential customers about your product availability with a touch of a button. If so, then this event is for you! Sea Grant has invited experts from the National Aquaculture Association to offer a half-day hands-on workshop on internet marketing. This workshop will introduce participants to internet and social media marketing and help them build their own website. See attached flyer for details.

DATE/TIME: October 14, 2014, 9am – 1pm
LOCATION: University of Connecticut – Avery Point campus, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT
COST: $20 includes lunch
ELIGIBILITY: Aquaculture producers, employees and family members are welcome to register.
REGISTER: Complete registration and internet worksheet form below and mail along with payment to address on form.
DEADLINE: September 30
QUESTIONS: tessa.getchis@uconn.edu

Registration
Internet Worksheet

 

Aquaculture Sales Workshop

Workshop on Using the Internet To Grow Aquaculture Sales

October 14, 2014, 9:00am – 1:00pm
UConn Avery Point – Marine Sciences Room 104
1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340

The Internet is becoming increasingly important as an inexpensive marketing tool, but many U.S. fish farmers are hesitant to use electronic media. The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) and Connecticut Sea Grant are offering an intensive four-hour workshop, “Using the Internet to Grow Aquaculture Sales”. The workshop will provide aquaculture producers with the knowledge and skills to use electronic media to showcase their products more successfully, grow their businesses, and help shape the public perception of aquaculture. An Internet presence is important for all sectors of the aquaculture industry including food fish and shellfish, baitfish, feed producers, sportfish, aquatic plants, and equipment suppliers.

The major portion of the workshop will be devoted to the development of individual websites. A website is one way to reach new buyers at either minimal or no cost. Producers will be asked to preregister for the program, will need to complete a pre-workshop form that will provide the information for inclusion on their websites. The NAA will provide some boilerplate information that can be added such as recipes, safe handling, etc. Experts will be on hand to help growers in easy to understand click-by-click construction.

Other social media tools such as Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook will be explored. Times are changing and there are new strategies. Facebook makes it easy to post new information photos and events. Twitter is a way to remind your customers and future customers about your products. Linkedin helps you grow your identity. These strategies are out there and they are free!

Space is limited, so register soon! The cost of the workshop is $20.

For information, contact: Connecticut Sea Grant
(860) 405-9127
seagrantworkshops@uconn.edu

1 2