News

Does Current Shellfish Culture Gear Curb ‘Crunching’ Rays?

March 8, 2023

According to NOAA Fisheries, more than 80 percent of marine aquaculture production in the United States consists of bivalve mollusks such as oysters, clams and mussels. However, it’s not just humans who enjoy eating these shellfish, so do marine rays. They like to “crunch” on clams, which can sometimes take a big bite out of clammers’ profits. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory, assessed the ability of the whitespotted eagle ray to interact with clams housed within a variety anti-predator materials. “Based on our findings, many of the current anti-predator grow-out

ELAP Updates for Growers Impacted by H. Ian

February 16, 2023

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has authorized policy exceptions for disaster assistance programs to aid Florida agricultural and aquacultural operations that were significantly impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides assistance to growers of farm-raised shellfish for death losses due to an eligible natural disaster event. For ELAP, FSA will still accept late-file acreage certifications for 2022 with no fee and no field inspection required. Growers will need to provide the local FSA county committee with evidence that the shellfish existed prior to the qualifying natural disaster event, including proof of

USDA Rolls Out Revenue-Based Disaster and Pandemic Assistance Programs

January 23, 2023

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today agricultural producers can begin to apply for two new important programs for revenue losses, from 2020 and 2021 natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic. Both programs equitably fill gaps in earlier assistance. First, you may be eligible for assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two if you experienced revenue losses from eligible natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. ERP Phase Two is for producers who didn’t receive assistance from ERP Phase One. You may be eligible for the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP) if you experienced revenue losses in the

6th Annual Oyster South Symposium

January 23, 2023

The 6th Annual Oyster South Symposium is being held on March 9-11, 2023, in Savannah, Georgia. Sponsored by Oyster South, Inc. (a non-profit dedicated to advancing oyster aquaculture in the southern US), this event brings together producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, food writers, vendors, researchers, students, and managers from the southeast region to discuss pressing issues and relevant, practical research on oyster aquaculture. Registration is now open. Meeting fees are based on current membership and industry role. Current Oyster South paid members will receive heavily discounted registration! Don’t wait to buy tickets, as early bird prices will last until February

USDA Meeting to Assist Growers with ELAP Applications

November 28, 2022

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host a group meeting to assist growers with the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). FSA staff will be on site to assist with filling out ELAP applications and to answer any questions. Date & Time: December 1st, 12:00pm – 3:00pm EST Location: Estero Community Park, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero, FL 33928 Contact: USDA Farm Service Agency, Florida State Office, Savanna.Turner@usda.gov

Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program Webinar

November 7, 2022

To both improve biosecurity of shellfish seed transfers and reduce unnecessary hurdles to the shellfish aquaculture industry, the Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program (RSSBP, https://rssbp.org/) was created as a collaboration among members of the shellfish aquaculture industry, shellfish scientists and pathologists, state regulators, and extension professionals. What: Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program Webinar When: Friday, November 11, 2022, 1PM CDT (Noon ET) Shellfish growers and hatchery managers know the challenges of getting seed, and how complicated and costly this can get with state regulations, which usually require individual batch testing to provide assurance of biosecurity, freedom from pathogens or diseases,

Growers impacted by H. Ian may apply for NRCS EQIP-Deadline November 15

November 4, 2022

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers voluntary Farm Bill programs that benefit both agricultural producers and the environment. In recent years, shellfish growers in other states have benefited by participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides technical and financial assistance to producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits, see fact sheet. Discussion is ongoing with NRCS staff on how this program could assist shellfish growers in designated counties impacted by Hurricane Ian remove debris and damaged farm gear from their submerged land leases and restore to pre-hurricane conditions. Shellfish growers are encouraged

Online Workshop: Co-culture of Shellfish and Seaweed in Florida

November 2, 2022

This workshop, hosted by Two Docks Shellfish and the Marine Biological Laboratory, will provide an overview of a recently funded Saltonstall-Kennedy award that is exploring methods for sustainable commercial co-cultivation of shellfish and seaweed in Florida. In addition to invited talks from experts in the field, the project team will update audience on current project objectives and engage participants in discussions about industry potential, regulatory hurdles and market challenges. See agenda. When: Thursday, November 17, 2022, 1:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time Where: This online workshop will be held on Zoom. Please register here for details. Or copy and paste

NRCS Hosting Aquaculture Focused Webinar

November 2, 2022

The US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), offers a variety of cost-share programs to improve on-farm conservation practices. To answer questions as to how these programs can benefit the aquaculture farming community, NRCS staff is hosting an informational webinar on November 16th (Wednesday) from 3:00pm – 4:00pm eastern time. NRCS staff will also address the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which has benefited shellfish growers in other states. Join the webinar here: Teams virtual meeting, no registration is needed. If the webinar link above doesn’t work, copy and paste into a browser this link on November 16th

Hurricane Ian Updates from USDA Farm Service Agency

October 27, 2022

Loss Adjustments Waived The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that loss adjustments for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) have been waived for growers impacted by Hurricane Ian. The waiver is not county specific, but grower specific. It is for growers in counties that have Presidential or Secretarial designations with crops where the entire unit acreage is destroyed or damaged to the extent the acreage will never be harvested. The counties where shellfish aquaculture occurs that have disaster designations are Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, St. Johns, and Volusia. Growers must notify USDA of their