WATERLINES NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN REGIONAL CENTER Alaska • Arizona • California • Colorado • Idaho • Montana • Nevada • New Mexico • Oregon • Utah • Washington • Wyoming

Serge Doroshov & Sturgeon Aquaculture Ken Chew, WRAC Director, School of Aquatic & Sciences, University of Washington

Serge I. Doroshov is a distinguished as an aquaculture expert on marine fish scientist in the field of aquatic animal breeding. His wife and their two children reproduction and fish culture, and a (daughter Tanya and son Paul) were Contents pioneer in sturgeon aquaculture in the allowed to accompany him. On their United States. In recognition of his ongo- way back, they made the decision not to Serge Doroshov & Sturgeon 1 ing research efforts, Dr. Doroshov was return to the USSR. With the help of awarded the Honorary Lifetime Member- friends such as the late Dr. Donald Bevan High Performance Feeds 3 ship Award by the World Aquaculture and his wife Tanya, he came to Seattle, NRAC Executive Director 5 Society in 2000. Washington. Shortly thereafter, in 1978, Aquaculture Report 6 Dr. Doroshov accepted a faculty position Consumption Climbs 7 Training begins in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California-Davis. Food Technology Fellows 8 Dr. Doroshov was born in western Siberia, Triploid Rainbow Trout 9 Russia in 1937. His family moved to Mos- cow in 1943 where he lived until 1975. UC-Davis tenure Aquaculture for the Birds 10 He married Julie in 1958 while they were Initially, Dr. Doroshov studied larval PAC Meetings 11 both studying at the University of Mos- swim bladders of tilapia and striped bass, and the reproductive biology of cultured Alaska’s Aquaculture 12 cow, and in 1959, they graduated with BS and MS degrees in zoology-ichthyology. catfish and trout. Around 1985, the focus WRAC Nominations 14 His early research focused on the continued on page 2 East Coast Assoc? 15 feeding ecology of Chinese white bream. NAA News 16 In 1967, Doroshov earned a PhD in biol- Healthy Eating 18 ogy, and in 1968, he became director of the ZNIRO (now the Russian Research Trout Farmers-USDA Report 20 Institute of Marine and Ocean- Insurance 21 ography) Laboratory of Marine Aquacul- AFS Aquaculture Policy 21 ture. While there, he worked with striped Mediterranean Mussels 22 bass (which had been introduced from South Carolina), the local black sea Director-Marine Biology 23 urchin, white sea cod, and polar floun- Easy Sesame Halibut 23 der, and he supervised research pro- Publications 24 grams on hybrid sturgeon development Calendar 26 and salmonid and oyster culture. Even though he was not a member of Extension Contacts 27 the Communist Party, Dr. Doroshov was allowed to travel to many countries, such as Japan, France, Britain, and Canada. In Ken Chew 1976–77, he worked for the FAO in Cuba Serge Doroshov

Funding provided by the US Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service Vol. 11, No. 2 Winter 2002 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Serge Doroshov & Sturgeon Aquaculture continued from page 1 of his research shifted almost entirely to the reproduc- such a product will compete favorably in supermarkets. tive physiology and development of white I know three farms in California and two in Idaho sturgeon. producing food fish for the restaurant and ethnic mar- He has collaborated with commercial aquaculturists kets. The production of is limited to two farms and scientists in California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, in California. The total number of sturgeon farms in and Montana. He has also maintained an active teach- the US is probably around ten. Regulations related to ing schedule and has mentored many graduate students. endangered species greatly affect the growth of Dr. Doroshov currently teaches two animal science sturgeon farms. courses—Fish Production in Aquaculture and Reproduction and Development of Aquatic Animals, and he participates Do you expect caviar prices will remain high with in teaching graduate courses in Physiological Ecology increasing production? and Comparative Physiology. It will depend on product quality, further improvement He has written numerous publications on the repro- of sturgeon stocks, and competition among farms. Cur- ductive development of sturgeon. His research contin- rent production of "farmed" caviar is a rather costly and ues on the reproductive biology of white and green complex process. For targeting specialized markets, sturgeon and on the development of breeding and farmers will be required to supply a product similar in culture of the endangered species, Delta smelt. taste and appearance to traditional caviar from the Dr. Doroshov is a person of commitment. I recently Caspian Sea. With this high-priced product, caviar pro- had the opportunity to hear his presentation, “Captive duction from farmed sturgeon is economically feasible Breeding and Domestication of Sturgeon,” and to speak and is likely to stay within the historic level of produc- to him about the future of aquaculture as he sees it. tion from capture fisheries. The potential improvement of cultured sturgeon stocks (e.g., maturation at younger What was the most challenging part of getting sturgeon age, higher yield of eggs) by optimizing nutrition, hus- culture started? bandry, breeding, and health management, as well as It was the uncertainty of sturgeon maturation in captiv- the development of new caviar processing technology ity. Wild female white sturgeon mature at a median age may change this picture, increase production and com- of 24 years—entirely unrealistic for breeding or petition, and lead to decline in price. However, I don't production in any culture. We hoped that maturation see this happening in the near future. would change with accelerated growth in captivity; Total caviar production from world sturgeon farms however, it took at least five to seven years to under- (primarily the US and France) is about 10 metric tons stand this. Today, we know that artificial feeding and (mt), versus an estimated 20–50 mt from the Caspian rearing temperature affect development and growth Sea fisheries. (Statistics there are very unreliable.) of sturgeon. Female and male sturgeon, cultured in Medium- to large-size sturgeon farms, which had initi- California, mature at age 8 and 4 years, respectively. ated domestic breeding at least ten years ago and keep It is still a long time for breeding, but it made meat and the continual year-class inventory of female sturgeon, caviar production realistic. have a capacity to double current production within a few years... if they maintain high product quality. What is your prediction for growing sturgeon for food? Currently, sturgeon farms in the Western Region pro- In conclusion, if Dr. Doroshov had not come along duce approximately 2–3 million pounds of food fish, to continue his physiological and culture research work including 15–20 pound fish for the restaurant market on sturgeon at UC Davis, the aquaculture industry and younger, 6–10 pound fish for live fish markets (pri- would not have experienced the level of development it marily ethnic market in California). Young, 2-year-old, has in the Western Region. In addition, some of his 6–10 pound white sturgeon yield excellent quality and former students are involved with current research large-size boneless fillets. Economic analysis indicates while others have gone on to commercial ventures in feasibility of this culture. However, it will require devel- sturgeon culture. As a researcher and educator, he has opment of product processing and packaging. The well served the needs of finfish aquaculture in general quality of meat in young sturgeon is very good, and and the budding sturgeon industry in particular. ≈

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Is Your Fish Like a Volkswagen or a Porsche? Adapted from an article by Ron Hardy and Gary Fornshell, Fish Farming News, November/December 2001

Would you rather drive a Volkswagen or a high- performance Porsche? Most people who could afford it would choose a Porsche because they know it is a better machine that delivers value for its lofty price. What about high performance in aquaculture? Would you know if your fish perform like Porsches or Volkswagens? Answering this question was one of the goals of a four-year feed comparison study recently com- pleted by the Western Regional Aquaculture Center. Courtesy of G. Fornshell Ken Chew We all want high-performance fish—fish that grow left: Gary Fornshell; right: Ron Hardy faster, eat less, convert feed more efficiently, and pos- sess superior product quality. But, are we willing to provide the necessary input to allow our fish to reach I Continue to develop and validate the in vitro digest- their potential and become high-performance fish? ibility assay, which is intended to predict nutritional Who would fill-up a Porsche with low-octane gaso- value of a feed ingredient or diet. line? Low-octane fuel may cost less per tankful, but I Determine the optimum feed ingredient particle size your Porsche will travel fewer miles per tank. The for trout feed with respect to apparent digestibility apparent saving is really an increased cost in terms and proportion of settable solids and soluble mate- of fewer miles per gallon and lower performance. rial in fecal wastes. Similarly, low-performance feeds cost less per ton The goals of the multi-year project were twofold: than high-performance feeds, but they also produce I To use information generated in studies during the less weight gain. The true economic cost of feeds—cost first years to develop multiple strategies related to per unit gain—is typically higher for a low-performance feed formulation and manufacture, feeding practices, feed than a high-performance one. and the development of practical in vitro digestibility The typical fish grower pays 50–60 cents for feed tests to reduce pollution in hatchery effluents, espe- on every dollar spent on fish production. The type cially during the growout period. and quality of feed and the quality of the grower’s feed I To provide information to properly formulate high- management significantly impact fish performance and performance feeds. cost of production. These goals were tested in the third and fourth years Objectives & goals of research. This article’s focus is on the first objective The WRAC-funded feed and nutrition project was multi- —evaluating the effects of high-energy diets on fish faceted and addressed many topics including the regu- performance and product quality. lar vs. premium question for rainbow trout. The objec- tives for the high-performance feeds study were to: How fat is fat? I Evaluate the effects of feeding high-energy diets In the United States, the lipid content of trout feeds (25–30% lipid content) during the grower and fin- has increased considerably over the past decade, from ishing phase of production on fish growth perfor- 15–17% to 20–24%. With this increase, concerns have mance, feed efficiency ratios, nutrient retention, and surfaced about the effects of high-lipid feeds on product product quality. quality and shelf life. There are also reported benefits I Evaluate the potential of modified fish meals, other of high-energy feeds, including faster growth, increased alternate protein, and alternate dietary oil as protein feed conversion efficiencies, and reduced pollutant and energy sources in salmonid diets during the loading. grower and finishing phase of production. In the WRAC-supported study, five diets I Compare the effects of feed-manufacturing technol- formulated to contain 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% ogy on nutrient-dense diets and in standard produc- lipid content were fed to rainbow trout with a starting tion diets, on fish growth performance, feed effi- weight of 100 grams for 24 weeks. Four replicate tanks ciency ratios, nutrient retention, and product quality. were fed each of the five diets until the fish reached a continued on next page

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final weight of about 500 grams. The feed trial was run fish fed the 30% diet contained significantly higher lipid at the Ennis National in Montana. concentrations than fish fed the 10% diet. The proximate composition of the fillets showed Results a similar pattern. Fillets from fish fed the 30% lipid diet At the end of the trial, rainbow trout fed the 30% lipid had significantly higher lipid concentrations than fillets diet had significantly higher average body weight, weight from fish fed the 10 or 15% diets. The percent lipid gain, feed intake, and specific growth rate—all signs of content of the viscera also progressively increased with high performance. They had significantly lower feed increasing dietary lipid concentration. conversion ratios (FCR), meaning that it took less feed per unit gain. A trend of lower FCR as lipid content in- Taste differences creased was also observed. Taste panel results revealed some differences among diet Other studies have shown that increasing dietary groups. Fillets from fish fed the 30% lipid diet were sig- lipids tends to result in more fat in the gut (and less nificantly “more fishy” than fillets from fish fed the 15% yield). But there was no apparent trend in viscera diet, as judged by paired comparison tests. somatic index (VSI) with dietary lipid content. VSI was The storage life of frozen fillets, determined by measured by weighing the whole fish, then eviscerating measuring levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive sub- the fish and weighing the viscera. Viscera included all stances (TBARS) in fillets over time, was not affected the internal organs, including gonads, but not the gills. by increasing lipid concentration. However, there were Surprisingly, there were no significant differences measurable differences in TBARS content: fillets from in protein efficiency ratios (PER) among the dietary fish fed the 30% lipid diet were the highest. Although treatments. There was a trend for higher PER and these differences were not statistically significant, they percent apparent net protein utilization values with may have affected overall aroma and flavor intensity. increased dietary lipid content, suggesting that protein Consumers are very aware of “fishy” aroma and utilization was more efficient with increased levels of flavor, and high levels are undesirable. Thus, products dietary lipid. This protein-sparing effect results from must be stored and handled to minimize these proper- the fish using dietary lipid to supply metabolic energy ties, and fillets from fish fed high-lipid diets may re- needs, leaving more protein for growth. quire special consideration. There were also no significant differences in whole Other studies on the effects of high-energy feeds on body concentrations of moisture, protein, and ash, but product quality with Atlantic rainbow trout have yielded mixed results. Some have reported higher fillet lipid levels when high-energy feeds are fed, whereas PROJECT PARTICIPANTS others report a minor effect. Study duration, water tem- perature, diet formulation, and fish size are likely re- sponsible for different results in different studies. Dr. Frederic Barrows US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bozeman, MT High lipid = high octane Dr. Shulin Chen As evidenced by weight gain, specific growth rate, and Washington State University feed conversion ratios, fish grew faster and more effi- Dr. Faye Dong ciently with increasing dietary lipid levels. Feed intake University of Washington increased with increasing dietary lipid levels as FCR de- Dr. Norman Haard creased, indicating, as other studies have shown, that University of California Davis high-energy diets reduce the nutrient load in effluents Dr. Ron Hardy through greater use and retention of nutrients by fish. University of Idaho The more efficient a feed, the less waste is produced. David Brock Although an economic analysis comparing the cost per Rangen, Inc., Buhl, ID, ex-officio member gain for the five diets was not done in this study, the re- sults demonstrate that fish fed high-energy feeds out- Chris Nelson perform fish fed low-energy feeds. Nelson & Sons, Inc., Murray, UT, Technical Advisor Individual operators are ultimately responsible for Gary Fornshell deciding which type of feed to use, and this, of course, University of Idaho, Extension representative includes an awareness of acceptable feed costs per unit gain in a given market environment. ≈

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Jamir Hired as Executive Director of NRAC Lorelei Stevens and Susan Jones, Fish Farming News, September/October 2001

long as a year for their money. Other RACs use a “working group” approach to develop their annual project work list. These proposals tend to be larger and require a greater share of a center’s budget, so fewer are submitted for CSREES Dr. Tomas “Tom” vetting. That can mean a faster turnaround time. Jamir wants to officially recognize the three industry Vergel C. Jamir, segments and streamline the RFP process. He said that executive director working groups, one for each segment, would look at of the Northwest “What’s been done, what needs to be done, and what NRAC can do.” And, once the task is done, the working Regional groups would be disbanded to avoid a perception of the Aquaculture center as being dominated by “an old-boy network.” Center (NRAC) Applied research Matching project to the regional industry’s needs is important in the Northeast because USDA grants are

Courtesy of T. Jamir the leading source of funding for applied research. “We need to focus more on what is needed by industry,” Jamir said. “My perspective is that there are two basic The Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC), criteria for proposal review: its financial contribution which is housed at the University of Massachusetts and its probability of success.” Dartmouth, has a new executive director. Dr. Tomas Vergel C. Jamir hopes to bring a distinctively pro- Outlook industry, problem-solving philosophy to the position. Jamir is enthusiastic about the prospects for aquacul- Jamir identified the three industry segments as: ture in the Northeast. The challenge, he said, is tech- nology transfer. “I think the main problem is not tech- I “Mom & Pop” operations—the majority of growers nology. It’s a matter of distinguishing what technology I “Intermediate” growers is needed by industry and getting it to the farm,” he said. I “Big commercial” companies—there are only a few. Unabashedly acknowledging his “industry bias,” Jamir Jamir brings much-needed administrative leader- continued, “Aquaculture is an industry, not a technical ship to NRAC, according to Mike Hastings, who serves research project for universities.” on the NRAC board of directors and is executive direc- Before taking the NRAC job, Jamir was the program tor of the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center. director of the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foun- Since former director Dr. Kim Harrison left the post dation, a private nonprofit corporation serving the over a year ago, members of the board have worked research, education, and conservation needs of the with the two-member NRAC staff to help keep the cen- southeastern US commercial . He has ter operating on track. “Without an executive director, also held positions as: center director, School of Field board members and staff had to do extra duty. But it is Studies and the Boston University-affiliated Center for hard to operate without the top leader.” said Hastings. Marine Resource Studies; instructor, Oregon State University and the University of the Philippines; fisher- Project proposals ies biology aide, Oregon’s Department of Fish & Wild- NRAC uses a competitive request-for-proposals (RFP) life; marine extension agent, Fishery Resource Manage- process to determine the projects it wants to sponsor. ment Program, Development Academy of the While the RFP process is seen as most equitable given Philippines; and operations and marketing manager, the diversity of the region’s aquaculture industry, it can AQUATECH Fishery Consultants and Contractors. result in the approval of many projects. Because they all Jamir can be reached at (508) 999-8157 or by email need CSREES review, project applicants may wait for as at [email protected]. ≈

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Report: US Aquaculture Yields Promise, Raises Concerns Gary Jensen, CSREES News Release, August 1, 2001

As the American consumer’s demand for seafood con- protection of those natural species and habitats that are tinues to rise, so too does the likelihood that the fish, essential to the future of our oceans.” , or shellfish purchased at the market or restau- The report’s authors are Dr. Rebecca Goldburg and rant has been farm raised. Aquaculture—the farming of Matthew Elliott of Environmental Defense and finfish, shellfish, or aquatic plants—continues to grow R. Rosamond Naylor of Stanford University. They find rapidly worldwide, with production doubling by weight that farmed fish and shellfish supply one-third of the and value from 1989 to 1998. In the United States, world’s seafood, and that in the United States, aquacul- aquaculture facilities now exist in every state and cer- ture (including imports) provides almost all of the cat- tain regions are seeing rapid growth. fish and trout and nearly half of the shrimp and salmon A new report presented to the Pew Oceans Commis- currently consumed. sion examines the role of the emerging US aquaculture Although American aquaculture represents just over industry in meeting the nation’s demand for seafood 1% of the world’s production, about 4,000 aquaculture and its current and potential impacts on the marine facilities exist in the United States, ranging from en- environment. The report recommends steps to ensure closed tanks on land to netpens and shellfish beds in that domestic aquaculture grows in a sustainable fash- bays and estuaries. Collectively, they raise over 100 dif- ion, and calls upon the US to take a global leadership ferent species of aquatic animals and plants, and pro- role in adopting best practices. vide new sources of seafood for consumers. “The reality today is that aquaculture is supplying a “With supplies of wild seafood limited and demand significant source of protein to consumers as wild ocean rising, aquaculture will likely continue to expand in the fisheries are depleted or reach their limit,” said Leon E. United States,” says Dr. Goldburg, “Aquaculture is here Panetta, chair of the independent Pew Oceans Commis- to stay. The challenge is to ensure that this young sion, which is conducting the first review of national industry grows in a sustainable manner and does not ocean policies in over 30 years. “There are a number cause serious ecological damage.” of issues related to this growing industry that can affect The authors find that the present harmful effects of the quality of our oceans. This report looks at those US aquaculture on the marine environment are minor concerns and presents recommendations for balancing compared to overfishing, coastal development, or glo- the expected growth in aquaculture production with bal warming. They also point out that the aquaculture industry is diverse in its methods and practices and that some segments of the industry, such as shellfish grow- ing, can have ecological benefits. Nevertheless, they recommend immediate motion concerning several problem areas:

Eliminate or drastically reduce the accidental release of farmed fish into the wild The accidental release of farmed fish may harm wild fish populations through interbreeding and competi- tion for habitat and food. In addition, escaped fish may spread diseases and parasites throughout an ecosystem. Supporting federal activities under the Endangered Species Act to protect wild salmon populations is a key element of protecting native fish.

Reduce the use of wild fish for fish feed Some types of aquaculture, particularly salmon aqua- culture, use large quantities of wild-caught fish as feed Ken Chew ingredients. Increased catches of small fish for use in Red Tilapia being raised at Fish Breeders of Idaho feed would reduce the amount of food available for wild

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Meal hosted by predators such as large fish, marine mammals, and Alaska seabirds. The authors call for greater federal shellfish research to identify alternatives to the use of wild fish for fish feeds, and the cultivation and promo- growers tion of noncarnivorous aquaculture species. for WRAC In addition to these recommendations, the board of authors also propose several additional steps to limit the current impacts of aquaculture: Ken Chew directors

Develop strong effluent guidelines for aquaculture under the Clean Water Act, particularly for larger-scale aqua- culture pens that discharge wastes directly into coastal US Seafood Consumption waters. Climbs WorldCatch News Network, 2001 Put in place an environmental protective federal permit- ting program for before this develop- Seafood consumption in the United States increased ing segment of the industry becomes established. 2.3%, with Americans consuming 4.3 billion pounds of domestic and imported seafood in 2000—or 15.6 Champion research and development investments and cost- pounds per person. share incentives for sustainable aquaculture practices, such The National Marine Fisheries Service said the per as recirculating on-land systems. person consumption represents an increase of 0.2 pounds from the revised 1999 level. Of the 15.6 Seek greater environmental sustainability through the World pounds, 10.5 were fresh or frozen fish or shellfish, 4.8 Trade Organization, with the goal of allowing environmen- were canned seafood, and 0.3 were cured. That repre- tal considerations in the production of traded-food commodi- sents a 0.1 pound increase in both fresh/frozen and ties to play a far larger role in trade decisions. canned products compared to 1999 figures. Shrimp consumption (all preparations) achieved a record 3.2 The Pew Oceans Commission is an independent pounds per person consumed in 2000. group led by former White House chief of staff Total US supply of edible fishery products on a Leon Panetta, which is conducting a national review “round weight” basis was down 1.9 % in 2000. While of the policies needed to restore and protect the US landings for human consumption increased by oceans’ living resources. The commission includes 1.2%, imported fish and shellfish increased 2.6% in leaders from ocean research, fishing, conservation, 2000, comprising 68% of the seafood consumed in the industry, and government. United States. US exports increased by 11.4%. Inven- The marine aquaculture report is the second in tories of frozen seafood in cold storage dropped a series of scientific reports that will assist the inde- slightly, declining less than 1% from the 1999 level. pendent commission with its review. In addition to The calculation of per capita consumption is based aquaculture, the commission is reviewing coastal de- on a “disappearance” model. The total US supply of velopment, marine pollution, fishing, invasive spe- imports and landings is converted to edible weight cies, ocean governance, and marine protected areas. and decreases in supply such as exports and inven- The commission will issue its formal recommenda- tories are subtracted out. The remaining total is di- tions to the President and the Congress in 2002. vided by a population value to estimate per capita Copies of the report, Marine Aquaculture in the consumption. United States: Environmental Impacts and Policy Data for the model are derived primarily from sec- Options, are available online at www.pewoceans.org ondary sources and are subject to incomplete report- or by calling 703-516-0624. To receive a pdf ing; changes in source data or invalid model assump- version via email, contact Justin Kenney at tions may each have a significant effect on the [email protected]. ≈ resulting calculation. ≈

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2001 Fellows of the Institute of Food Technologists Adapted from an article by Sara Langen, Assistant Editor, Food Technology, August 2001

Faye M. Dong Norman F. Haard Professor Professor Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Institute of Marine Resources University of Washington Dept. of Food Science & Technology PhD in Nutrition, University University of California, Davis of California, Davis PhD, University of Massachusetts

Courtesy of N. Haard

UW Health Sciences Photography

Faye M. Dong was recognized for her meritorious and out- Norman F. Haard was recognized for his leader- standing contributions and her leadership in advancing the ship in advancing research in fisheries and fruits quality of food science education at universities, community and vegetables, as well as food science education colleges, and elementary and secondary schools. Her efforts in the United States and throughout the world. have helped make teaching and learning food science more He has been involved in WRAC studies in high public, more scrutinized by critical review and evaluation, performance fish feeds (see article, page 3). and more accessible to others in the Institute of Food Tech- Norm received his education in food science nologists (IFT). from Rutgers University (BS 1963) and University In a WRAC-funded study (see page 3), Professor Dong of Massachusetts (PhD 1966). After a National and her colleagues are developing environmentally compat- Institute of Health post-doctoral position at the ible feeds for hatchery-raised rainbow trout and salmon that Enzyme Institute, University of Wisconsin, he was minimize phosphorus and nitrogen in the effluent. In an- a faculty member in the Food Science Department other study, she is working to define effective treatments for at Rutgers University from 1968 to 1976. He then killing Anisakis simplex nematodes in arrowtooth flounder joined the Department of Biochemistry at the by microwave processing, freeze treatment, and high-hydro- Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he static-pressure processing. helped introduce undergraduate and graduate She teaches courses in human nutrition, seafood science, programs of study in Food Science and Nutrition. and fish nutrition, and is involved in K–12 outreach activi- In 1986, he came to his present position at the ties, including teaching a food chemistry course to fourth- Institute of Marine Resources at UC, Davis. grade teachers. Faye has also mentored many graduate and Professor Haard has been very active inter- undergraduate students. nationally in developing food science and technol- Faye has served as chair of the IFT Steering Committee ogy programs in academic institutions in China, to start the Education Division, as well as division interim Mexico, Pakistan, and Thailand. chair (1995–96) and chair (1996–97). During the creation of He has served on numerous editorial boards this division, she was the leader in organizing, encouraging, and is currently editor of the Journal of Food and supporting the presentation of symposia, forums, and Biochemistry. technical sessions on teaching and learning. Her tireless Norm’s research has focused on the post- efforts helped create a place where food scientists in harvest biochemistry of edible plants and aquatic academia, industry, and regulatory agencies are able to organisms, and he has been recognized with IFT’s interact with experts in the field of education. Samuel Cate Prescott Award (1973), Atlantic Prov- As a member of the Career Guidance Committee, she inces Intercollegiate Committee’s Fraser Award was instrumental in starting a Mini-Grant Program for uni- (1980), and Atlantic Fisheries Technologists’ E. P. versity food science programs to host workshops for high McFee Award (1997). school teachers. She has served on IFT program, annual An active member of IFT, he has served on a planning, nominations and elections, awards, and sections number of committees and award juries, includ- and division committees. She also served as chair of the Task ing the Annual Meeting Program Committee and Force on Excellence in Food Science Education. ≈ the Prescott Award Jury. ≈

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Utah Begins Triploid Rainbow Trout Production The Ichthyogram, May 2001, Reported in Idaho Aquaculture Association Newsletter, July 2001

Research biologists at the Fisheries Experi- euthanasia of the fish. Plans are being for- ment Station in Utah have announced the mulated to retry the procedure with differ- apparent success of the first production- ent suture material. scale, heat-shocking process for production The triploidy process involved heat of all-female, triploid rainbow trout. shocking of eggs at 26–27°C for 20 minutes Triploids possess three sets of chromo- at 20 minutes after fertilization. Based on somes instead of the normal two, rendering previous testing, this regime worked well for them sterile. Because of the possible impact achieving high percentages of triploids with- of sterile rainbow trout males on native cut- out the major egg losses observed at higher throat trout, production of all female trip- temperatures. The heat shocks were con- loids is of interest. Triploid males still pro- ducted in a hatchery trough at the Egan duce sperm, but the sperm duct is blocked, Hatchery using recirculating heater pumps preventing fertilization. However, these fish to maintain the temperature. still behave as fertile males, possibly displac- A total of 1.6 million eggs of both the ing fertile males during courtship. For rea- Sand Creek and Ten Sleepstrains were sons unknown, female triploids do not pro- treated. Egg survival was relatively high, duce gametes. Therefore, it is desirable to so there were many excess eggs that were rear all female rainbow trout for areas in discarded. which they may compete with spawning Some combining of lots was done for cutthroat trout. shipping, resulting in five lots that were This may be achieved by altering the reared at the state hatcheries in Springville hormonal balance in hatchery feed during —Loa, Kamas, and the Fisheries Experi- the first 60 days. Half of these fish develop as ment Station. All but the Kamas lot were true males, but the other half are sex-reversed progeny from the XX males and should and become phenotypic males, but genotypic all be female. The five lots were sampled females (i.e., they look and produce sperm recently by diluting blood from 60 fish per like males, but genetically are female). These lot in Alsere’s anticoagulant solution. are the fish used for spawning to produce all These were kept cold and shipped to female progeny. They are selected from the Washington State University where Paul triploid rainbow trout rainbow triploid true-male group by attempting to strip milt Wheeler analyzed the samples using flow when they reach 2 years of age. If milt is cytometry. Overall the average triploidy expressed, it is considered a normal male rate was 99.7%. Sterility is and discarded. If milt is not expressed, it The results indicate that the first year beneficial in is considered a sex-reversed fish and the of production was a great success. Sterility gonads are surgically removed for use. is beneficial in preventing hybridization with preventing Sex-reversed broodstock have been pro- native cutthroat trout. It can also produce hybridization with duced at the Fisheries Experiment Station bigger fish, because the energy normally and 2-year classes have been transferred to put into gonads is put into growth. These native cutthroat the J. Perry Egan State Fish Hatchery. Work differences become more noticeable as the trout in Fall 2000 was the first attempt at using fish mature in the age 3 year class and older, this triploid production. Generally, these so put-and-take programs would not see fish are sacrificed for the gonads, creating a much growth benefit. Most of this year’s yearly need for males. An attempt was made production will be stocked into Strawberry to surgically harvest only one gonad and Reservoir. Further production is planned. recover the fish for reuse the following year. DWR Sport Fish Managers are considering Although the surgical process was successful the sterilization of the majority of rainbow and the fish recovered, later complications trout production in the state for future from suture dehiscence necessitated the stocking. ≈

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The Aquaculture Business is for the Birds Bob Robinson, Communications Committee Chair, National Aquaculture Association, AFS Newsletter, October 2001

Many species of birds are drawn to the pen water and large concentrations of fish and shellfish on aquaculture facilities. The result is significant predation on aquacultured products. Birds are highly mobile, adaptable, and able to rapidly exploit food abundance. The severity of the predation problem varies by species of bird, number of birds present, size of available fish, and whether the birds reside seasonally or throughout the year. In recent years, populations of normally migratory birds have remained near fish production facilities year-round. Think about it from a “bird’s-eye view:” If you were headed down the Mississippi flyway and came across ponds stocked at up to 6,000 pounds per acre with catfish, what would you do? With more than 100,000 acres in catfish production in Mississippi state alone, it is easy to see the potential for some serious problems. Colin French The birds most often responsible for damage Brandts cormorants nesting at Yaquina Head, are herons, cormorants, and pelicans. Besides Oregon In recent eating fish, these birds can injure and stress fish, years, disrupt feeding activity, eat the fish’s food, dis- turb breeding behavior, and contribute to poor dissuasion devices (e.g., air cannons and other populations fish health. scare tactics) are of limited success. Devices such of normally Currently, the catfish industry is dealing as cages or netting to cover the rearing area are with a parasite problem that moves into ponds expensive and interfere with daily chores. migratory via pelican droppings, with a snail as an inter- Simple control methods rarely solve the problem. birds have mediate host and the catfish as the final host. In The US Department of Agriculture has larger fish, the result is reduced feeding, which issued a Cormorant Depredation Order, which remained stunts growth. In smaller fish, the organism can is in effect in 13 states. This order allows for near fish be lethal. Infected fish cannot be sold. controlled harvesting of cormorants that pose production Large numbers of birds often roost on shell- an immediate threat to fish farmers’ livelihoods. fish culture structures. Because of the birds’ It is hoped that this order will be expanded to facilities fecal droppings, some sites repeatedly fail to include all 50 states in the near future. year-round meet standards set up by health service agen- Management of birds must be considered cies. The aquacultured product can’t be sold at the flyway level to yield meaningful results. until water quality is improved. Localized efforts can produce some results but Some farms have reported annual losses in will not modify population nor significantly excess of $200,000. In the lower Mississippi change levels of predation. Valley, estimates are as high as $18 million. There must be international cooperation as These fish-eating bird populations all seem well as dialogue among all interested parties, to have experienced rapid growth in the last 30 including bird lovers and those who feel that all years. This can be attributed to the ban of DDT, fish-eating birds are a danger to their livelihood. reduction in wetlands, and protection under the Somewhere in the middle, a decision must be Migratory Bird Treaty Act. reached setting upper and lower population Control can be difficult and costly. Bird- numbers that are acceptable to all. ≈

10 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Pacific Aquaculture Caucus—Conference & Workshops Colin Nash, Pacific Aquaculture Caucus, 2002

Conference Upcoming Workshops In October, the Pacific Aquaculture Caucus Spring (PAC) held a one-day conference before its As we go to press, PAC is organizing a two-day annual general meeting in Seattle. PAC Chair, workshop to be held in Sequim, Washington on Dan Swecker, welcomed invited speakers and March 26 and 27, 2002. The first day is on about 50 members and their guests. Aquaculture Regulations and the second day is Bill Dewey, representing the National on Research Goals—both from the West Coast Aquaculture Association, gave the keynote perspective. address, “Aquaculture: A national perspective for PAC is inviting agency policy makers; indus- a new century.” try leaders; Native American tribal leaders; aca- A lively panel discussion followed on “Public demic aquaculture researchers; and leaders in policy issues: A Pacific perspective—What aquacul- local, state, and federal government to come ture issues face the region, and what role can PAC together to help: play?” Ken Chew (WRAC) was the panel facilita- I Develop a regional legal framework, with tor, and panel members included John Forster coordinated regulatory policy, to enable eco- (Forster Consulting), Dan Cheney (Pacific Shell- nomically viable and environmentally sus- fish Institute), Marc Hershman (UW, School of tainable aquaculture development while still Marine Affairs), and Conrad Mahnken (NMFS). preserving cultural and social values. The morning session concluded with a series I Create a regional administrative framework of industry and regional presentations, about to enable aquaculture development to meet “Opportunities for expansion, public policy issues, the challenge of the nation’s aquaculture and research needs.” Individual contributors in- production goals. cluded Bill Dewey (Pacific Shellfish Growers As- I Identify and prioritize areas of research to sociation, Dan Swecker (Washington Fish Grow- achieve production objectives, such as: ers Association), Ray RaLonde (Sea Grant Increase production in existing facilities in Marine Advisory Program, Alaska), and Jim environmentally compatible ways. Johnson (Department of Agriculture, Oregon). Lunchtime speaker, Dan Herman, of the Demonstrate the benefits of aquaculture to National Fisheries Institute, spoke on “NAC- the environment. NFI Updates and Projects.” After lunch, there Develop environmental mitigation programs were status reports on the “Development of Indus- using “restoration aquaculture.” trial Codes of Practice” by Pete Granger, on the work of the Washington Fish Growers Associa- I Create a system for monitoring and evaluat- tion, and Robin Downey spoke about the work ing regional aquaculture development. of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Associa- tion. A lengthy General Working Session on Summer Codes followed, which became an open forum. On June 25 and 26, 2002, PAC is assisting NMFS, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and Annual General Meeting the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wild- At the ensuing annual meeting, it was an- life to carry out a workshop on Captive brood- nounced that the 12 Board of Directors were stocks for recovery of imperiled salmon populations in returned to office following postal elections. Gig Harbor, Washington. The organizers are Subsequently, the Board members elected Dan calling for posters, and arranging for plenary Cheney as Chair, and Dan Swecker as Vice- discussion papers. Chair. The Board made no change to member- ship dues. Information on the Spring and Summer At the dinner reception after the meeting, Workshops can be found on the PAC home

past , present, & upcoming meetings & upcoming , present, past Ken Chew spoke about the work of WRAC. page: http://www.pacaqua.org ≈

11 Winter 2002 Waterlines

The State of Alaska Aquaculture: A Changing Perspective American Fisheries Society Newsletter, July 2001

On these facing pages, we present two articles reflecting Farmed fishing’s impact the changing times, efforts, concerns, and interests The original reason for opposition to aquaculture was surrounding aquaculture in Alaska. The first was fear of mixing farmed and wild Pacific salmon stocks, published in the American Fisheries Society newsletter leading to the genetic weakening of wild salmon. in July 2001; the second was written in February 2002 Today, a more important reason is concern for markets. by Ray RaLonde, an aquaculture specialist at the Alaska used to be the primary source for salmon in the University of Alaska. world. Over the years, they have watched each of their —Ken Chew salmon markets become more and more dominated by farmed fish. The US retail market for salmon is overwhelmingly served by farms in Chile, Canada, Maine, and Norway. JulyAlaska fishermen 2001 and legislators have taken an unyield- Alaskan salmon has become a niche player in this mar- ing approach to aquaculture for many years in an effort ket. Some fishermen in Alaska are now asking the US to protect . The state prohibits all forms of government to restrict Chilean imports—although they finfish aquaculture. have not filed any type of formal trade complaint. For shellfish, the state recently proposed to prohibit The US food service market has more room for a or oyster farm if it might disrupt shorebirds, Alaskan salmon because it is promoted effectively as a milling salmon, or threatened wildlife within a critical seasonal item. The Copper River fishery, for example, habitat area, or if the farm is some place that might be is promoted as the first wild salmon of the season. used for cultural or ceremonial purposes or for com- The primary Alaskan salmon market in Japan mercial fishing. Shellfish farmers say these restrictions for Bristol Bay sockeye has been impacted by Chilean could pretty well rule out any beach or cove in Alaska. coho salmon to the point where Bristol Bay prices are The proposal sets quarantine rules for transferring now set by the overall price of farmed coho salmon species such as and mussels from one location in Japan. to another. Farmers say this rule would effectively make Now, the state’s halibut fisherman are wondering if and mussel farming illegal. Although the regula- they are next. Recently, in Anchorage, the Alaska Sea- tions are being modified in the face of these objections, food Marketing Institute heard a presentation suggest- they represent the view that aquaculture is a threat to ing that farmed halibut was on the verge of becoming a the state’s economy, rather than a potential benefit. widely produced, affordable consumer product. For holders of halibut licenses who recently won the right to individual fishing quotas, that represents a threat. Some Alaska legislators are working on a proposal to impose a marketing tax of 1% on halibut permit holders, similar to the marketing tax on salmon permit holders, to provide funds to market Alaskan wild fish. But, as the state is gearing up to fight farmed halibut, it has to be asked if the industry would be better off with a complete change of direction? Norway has seen its farmed salmon industry become one of the leading industries in the country, while its existing whitefish processors have struggled to retain fish and make profits. Most analysts see the major areas of growth in the seafood industry coming from increased efficiencies in

Ken Chew fish farming, and the expansion of economical farming techniques to more species, including cod, halibut, flat- An upwell flupsy barge nursery system for Pacific fish, and eventually crustaceans. Alaska has tremendous oysters at Halibut Cove, in Alaska natural resources, in terms of growing areas and pro- continued on page 14

12 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Raymond RaLonde, Aquaculture Specialist, University of Alaska, School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences, February 2002

faced between the industry and the Alaska Department FebruaryAlaska is often considered 2002 to be a hotbed of opposition of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Habitat Division over the to aquaculture since the legislature banned finfish farm- possible environmental impacts of on-bottom clam ing in 1990. Such a notion is ill conceived. Aquaculture farming. As often occurs during times of conflict, con- operators in other parts of the United States have a siderable misinformation fuels the fire. general misunderstanding of the role of aquaculture in In response, a conference sponsored by ADF&G, the Alaska. Even in Alaskan fisheries circles where opposi- Pacific Aquaculture Caucus, Alaska Export Council, and tion to aquaculture is still enormous, discussions on fish Alaska Sea Grant was held in Anchorage last fall to farming are no longer behind the scenes. “Explore On-bottom Shellfish Aquaculture” and to provide Alaska is very active in the aquaculture industry. information on environmental impacts. The Alaskan In fact, the salmon ranching industry is the best ocean Shellfish Growers Association, with a grant from the ranching program in the United States in terms of its Alaska Conservation Alliance, is nearing completion of production and economic impact, and shellfish farming a draft environmental code of practice for the industry, is on the verge of major development. another step to address environmental concerns. Salmon ranching from 31 private nonprofit hatcher- Alaskan shellfish aquaculture, because of the exotic ies releasing smolt into the North Pacific ultimately con- species import ban, could only raise Pacific oysters until tributed over $56 million into the pockets of Alaskan 1997 when the state built its first shellfish hatchery. fishermen in 2000. The cost-recovery income resulting This state-of-the-art facility (the Qutekcak Shellfish from terminal harvests near hatcheries contributed $26 Hatchery), coupled with the talents of Jon Agosti, million to aide in operational costs for the hatcheries. hatchery manager, has been able to produce seed for Cost-recovery income is officially defined as agriculture four indigenous species: Littleneck clam Protothaca production, making aquaculture Alaska’s number one staminea, purple hinge rock scallop Crassadoma gigantea, agriculture commodity. basket cockle Clinocardium nuttalli, and geoduck clam Some critics of Alaska’s hatchery system condemn Panopea abrupta. Growout studies are underway, and a the salmon ranching program because a number of pri- number of farmers are participating. vate nonprofit salmon hatcheries are behind in their The Aquatic Farm Act of 1990 specifically states, “It construction loan repayments to the state. But, for dol- is the policy of the state to encourage the establishment lars input and income generated, the salmon hatcheries and responsible growth of an aquatic farming industry.” have been one of the state’s best investments. Two important events have eased regulatory constraints Alaska salmon hatchery operators are some of the since 1998: development of a 10-year tidelands leasing most skillful fish culturists in the nation. They operate program within the Alaska Department of Natural their production facilities with extraordinary attention Resources and hiring a proactive Coordi- to fish health, labor under enormous regulatory safe- nator within ADF&G. Despite recurring problems guards, and provide real income to the commercial within current aquaculture regulations, University of fishermen that support them through their harvest Alaska and the shellfish aquaculture industry initiatives assessment program. are moving ahead at breakneck speed. Equipped with As America’s last frontier, Alaska is in the unenviable over $425,000 of grant funding, hatchery research, position of being under the environmental protectionist growout projects, product quality studies, marketing, microscope. Politically, congressmen from states far and aquaculture zoning projects are now underway. removed from Alaska have a profound affect on the The Western Regional Aquaculture Center plays an development of the state’s marine resources. As a new important role in Alaskan aquaculture. Alaska has rep- enterprise for Alaska, shellfish aquaculture must con- resentatives on all of WRAC’s committees and the Board form to a stringent set of environmental rules. As an of Directors. Salmon ranchers have received benefits example, Alaska regulations ban the importation of from WRAC’s IHN research and feed development, exotic species for the purpose of aquaculture, with the and effluent water quality research will provide infor- exception of Pacific oysters that do not reproduce in mation necessary to meet future water quality discharge Alaska waters. requirements. Current WRAC research in the develop- In addition, considerable conflict has recently sur- ment of oyster broodstock and studies on the impact of continued on next page

13 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Alaska Aquaculture WRAC seeks JulyAmerican 2001 Fisheries Society Newsletter Committee Nominations continued from page 12 WRAC is soliciting nominations for leaders in the aquaculture industry cessing infrastructure, which could to serve as representatives on the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) and benefit from a surge in fish farm- as members of the Technical Committee’s (TC) Research Subcommittee. ing. At what point will the fishing Nominations are invited from all sectors of the aquaculture community interests in the state determine that in the twelve states of the western region. (You may nominate more than they have more to gain from join- one individual for both IAC and TC.) ing this new wave of seafood pro- Industry Advisory Council duction instead of philosophically Members are selected from all sectors of the aquaculture industry, in- opposing it? cluding finfish and shellfish producers, suppliers of goods and ser- Producing areas live and die by vices, and marketing and distribution personnel. their markets. No producing area can afford to indefinitely ignore Technical Committee’s Research Subcommittee such major market changes as are Individuals with extensive scientific expertise in any of the taking place with seafood. ≈ following disciplines are desired: General fish culture Fish nutrition Physiology February 2002 Ray RaLonde Diseases of shellfish Engineering Product quality/preservation continued from page 13 General shellfish culture Marketing Diseases of fish Shellfish nutrition Water quality Reproduction on-bottom aquaculture will provide Broodstock management Genetics Economics significant, practical results that will benefit shellfish aquaculture. To submit a nomination, provide the information requested As an indication of the changing below, specifying whether the nomination is for the IAC or TC. Please mood about aquaculture, the Uni- include your name, phone number, and e-mail, in case further infor- versity of Alaska, Qutekcak Shell- mation is needed. Forward the information via: fish Hatchery, and representatives e-mail: [email protected] of the Alaska Shellfish Growers fax: 206-685-4674 Association were invited to give a mail: Carla Norwood, WRAC Administrative Office presentation to the legislative Fish School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Caucus. Traditionally, the Caucus University of Washington, Box 355020 focuses on commercial fisheries; for Seattle, WA 98195-5020. aquaculture to be invited is a signifi- If you have questions regarding the nomination process, contact Carla cant event. The presentation so im- Norwood: ph: 206-685-2479; email (see above) pressed legislators that support for shellfish aquaculture has been NOMINATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2002 pushing forward legislation that could open up a substantial num- Technical Committee Industry Advisory Council ber of farming locations and pro- vide funding for planning industry Name of nominee ______growth. Based upon the premise that Address ______shellfish aquaculture is an economic opportunity for coastal Alaskans in Phone ______dire need of assistance and is com- patible with , ex- Area(s) of expertise ______pect Alaska to pursue shellfish aquaculture as a positive and pro- Your name ______gressive new industry for the last frontier. ≈ Your phone ______

14 Winter 2002 Waterlines

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association: A Possibility Ken Chew, WRAC Director, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington

On February 25–27, 2002, the Milford Aquaculture I Establish an association that represents our strength Seminar held in New Haven, Connecticut, was the and diversity. scene of an important discussion concerning the pros- I Organize to respond to growers’ needs in each state pects of forming an East Coast Shellfish Growers and the region as a whole. Association (ECSGA). I Promote and protect the industry. Interest in an East Coast association has been grow- I Work effectively with other stakeholders and organi- ing for several years. The Pacific Coast Shellfish Grow- zations. ers Association’s activities, organized efforts to maintain I Involve the industry, academia, extension, govern- a viable industry, and development of a Best Manage- ment, public shellfish, and other stakeholders in the ment Practice code have demonstrated what can be ac- task of enhancing the shellfish aquaculture industry. complished by a regional organization. Karen Rivara of Aeros Cultured Oyster Company in At the seminar, participants discussed these goals New York, presented the rational for forming an asso- and other issues important to the industry. They also ciation. She noted that over the past 25 years, shellfish stressed the importance of getting as many industry aquaculture has grown on the East Coast in spite of representatives as possible to attend the National Shell- many obstacles. New owners and operators of East fisheries Association (NSA) annual meeting in April, Coast aquaculture facilities come from many sectors of 2002, where on April 15, there will be a major all-day the economy, from retired school teachers and recent session to discuss the formation of an East Coast Shell- college graduates to members of the traditional fisheries fish Association. We encourage industry members to who look to aquaculture to maintain a sustainable living attend this day-long discussion session—there will be a on the water. Established shellfish companies continue special reduced registration fee for participation in this to use and improve various culture methods to meet one-day event only. the challenges of consistent production presented by The complete NSA annual meeting will be held on losses due to disease and the loss of good cultivation April 14–18, 2002 at the Hilton Mystic Hotel in Mystic, areas. A regional organization would enable aquacul- Connecticut. (To reach the hotel directly, call 806-572- ture operators to work as a group to handle issues 0731.) For information on NSA registration, call Ms. which confront the East Coast industry, from legislative Joyce Wood-Martin at 860-405-9152. ≈ reform to litigation procedures. Other stakeholders in the marine environment have challenged the growth of shellfish aquaculture. Accord- ing to Rivara, this challenge stems predominantly from a lack of understanding regarding the impacts of the shellfish aquaculture industry. Shellfish aquaculture is sometimes viewed as an impediment to the develop- ment of other industries in the marine environment (i.e., recreation, port development). In addition, many benefits of the industry such as increasing seafood pro- duction, jobs, and economic development are over- looked. Unfortunately, many of those opposed to the indus- try have taken their grievances to legislators and the press, fostering a lack of understanding and animosity in government attitudes and public opinion. Often, aquaculturists are put in the position of having to take Ken Chew time from their business to defend their livelihood Gef Flimlin, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Karen against unreasonable public opposition. Rivara and colleagues have worked together to Rivara, Aeros Cultured Oyster Co., discussing the formation of develop goals for the proposed association: ECSGA to industry representatives

15 Winter 2002 Waterlines

National Aquaculture Association “One Industry• One Voice” Newsletter, 2001

mal health management issues. naa news While these efforts, and others, are bearing fruit and we have made positive steps, our in- volvement has still not resulted in a substan- John R. tively improved national regulatory climate for “Randy” US aquaculture. There are several reasons for this situation, but paramount has to be that the MacMillan complexity of the issues and the forces, often competing, require a long-term commitment and at times an adaptable approach. The NAA must continue to look forward,

Courtesy of R. MacMillan adapt to inevitable change, stay focused on our mission, and at times, be patient. To illustrate President’s Message the dilemma, we need only look at our efforts with EPA and FDA. The national effluent guide- There is considerable wisdom in the words of lines efforts of EPA will soon reach a climax with .. Soren Kierkegaard, the 10th century Danish the proposal of effluent guidelines in 2002. philosopher and theologian who said, “Life Considerable effort by many parties including must be lived forwards, but can only be under- the NAA has been put forth to provide EPA with stood backwards.” The mission of the NAA is “to credible information hoping to better educate the provide a unified national voice for aquaculture decision makers about US aquaculture. In spite that ensures its sustainability, protects its profit- of these efforts, there continues to be other less ability, and encourages its development in an well-informed forces apparently influencing EPA. As the NAA environmentally responsible manner.” As the The outcome of these efforts is in doubt so we has reached NAA looks back over the past year, we develop need to continue. Our effects through the Minor some sense of accomplishment but we also are Use and Minor Species (MUMS) legislation to a critical sobered by the realization that many of our tasks provide FDA with greater flexibility to ultimately mass of will require persistent, long-term effort. provide additional therapeutic agents for aqua- talent and As the NAA has reached a critical mass of tal- culturists, while proceeding, is moving very ent and support, we have become intimately in- slowly through Congress. support, volved in a wide variety of national issues. For We have been working on this legislative we have example, we have been deeply involved in try- issue for over two years. Congress has recently ing to guide the US Environmental Protection been preoccupied with terrorism, biosecurity, become Agency (EPA) to develop appropriate, scientifi- and economic issues. For us to move forward, intimately cally based and economically feasible effluent MUMS will require a concerted effort by every- guidelines. We have been, along with various one to recruit cosponsors, but we also will need involved in terrestrial animal interests, a significant force in to provide the legislation’s sponsors some flex- a wide trying to secure additional flexibility for the ibility on how to get the bill passed. Above all, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to ulti- we must maintain our commitment, be persis- variety mately improve the availability of essential tent, and look forward. of national therapeutic agents for minor animal species For the NAA to continue its efforts on your issues such as all aquatic animals. behalf, we will need your continued support. We The NAA is intimately involved in the need your financial support and your talents. We debate regarding non-indigenous, invasive need thoughtful ideas and sometimes, a commit- aquatic animals, striving to ensure that the pro- ment of your time. We are fortunate to have a grams developed nationally or regionally are very talented staff with Betsy Hart and Mary practical and of course, appropriate. We have Wiltshire but they cannot do everything. If we attempted to steer debate about national or- are to be successful, we all must participate. If we ganic standards for aquacultured animals and all participate, the burden on any individual will we have been involved in national aquatic ani- be lessened. Thank you for your support. ≈

16 Winter 2002 Waterlines

One Industry - One Voice

The National Organic Standards mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, NAA submitted comments regarding Board (NOSB) established an and Forestry concerning the Re- the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Aquatic Animal Task Force and two search, Extension, and Education Force draft strategic framework. working groups to advise the NOSB Title of the 2002 Farm Bill. The on organic certification standards committee was urged to protect and NAA participated in a workshop for operations that produce aquatic increase the federal investment in hosted by the Commission for Envi- animals. The working groups sub- agriculture research and education ronmental Conservation on Prevent- mitted minority and majority recom- programs and facilities. ing the Introduction and Spread of mendations. NAA recently wrote Aquatic Invasive Species in North Secretary of Agriculture Ann NAA joined other members of the America. Veneman and requested a delay in Food Industry Dioxin Working voting until further investigation. Group in a letter to EPA Administra- NAA submitted comments on a bro- The minority recommendation from tor Christine Todd Whitman that chure that is being developed by the the Task Force was to limit fish meal expressed continuing concern over Western Region Panel on Aquatic oil to 5%. It is hoped that the major- deficiencies in EPA’s Draft Dioxin Nuisance Species for invasive species ity recommendation will prevail, al- Reassessment. The deficiencies educational purposes. lowing for optimum natural feed re- could, if not addressed correctly, quirements for each species. cause unnecessary loss of consumer NAA participated as a steering com- confidence in foods of animal origin, mittee member reviewing the Na- NAA submitted comments to the affecting domestic markets and tional Fish Hatchery System. The Gulf of Mexico Regional Panel on international trade. Sport Fishing & Boating Partnership “An initial characterization of non- Council released a report title “Sav- indigenous aquatic species in the Gulf NAA submitted written testimony ing a System in Peril: A Special Report of Mexico region” and effected with- urging support of full funding for on the National Fish Hatchery System.” drawal of the document from public the Regional Aquacultural Centers circulation. The Panel then agreed to the House Subcommittee on NAA participated in the first com- to a review by an NAA-appointed Agriculture, Rural Development, prehensive assessment of federal committee of industry experts from FDA, and Related Agencies. policy/regulatory issues on a frame- the southeastern US whereby many work for offshore marine aquacul- errors were corrected. NAA joined other animal and agri- ture in the 3–200 mile US ocean culture groups in submitting a joint zone. The report describes the status NAA participated in evaluating pro- letter of support to the Subcommit- of marine aquaculture in the US, the posals submitted to NOAA’s National tee on Agriculture, Rural Develop- rationale for siting projects offshore, Marine Aquaculture Initiative Re- ment, FDA, and related agencies to using reviews, case studies, alterna- quest for Proposals. NOAA’s ambi- strengthen Wildlife Service’s re- tive approaches, and international tious policy calls for increasing the sources and to ensure a continued experience, and it identifies and ad- value of US aquaculture products federal partnership in the respon- vocates approaches for development annually from $1 billion to $5 billion sible management of our nation’s in the US Exclusive Economic Zone. by 2025. The US trade deficit in sea- wildlife. A follow-up study with national food products is $7 billion annually. workshops and regional meetings NOAA’s initiative stresses applied NAA met with FDA’s The Aquacul- from areas currently involved in de- research leading to commercial pro- ture Partnership (TAP) to discuss di- veloping offshore aquaculture (New duction and awards points for pri- oxin, import tolerances, extra-label England, Gulf of Mexico, and Ha- vate sector participation and com- use of medicated feeds for minor waii) will be held to discuss and later mercial applications of results by species, Vietnamese catfish mis- revise the policy framework. The fi- private users. branding import alerts, biotechnol- nal intent is to present Congress, ogy in seafood, and possible devel- federal agencies, and other inter- NAA joined other animal Agricul- opment of good aquaculture practices ested groups with a policy frame- ture Coalition members in submit- for human pathogen reduction in work for future offshore marine ting written testimony to the Com- the international shrimp industry. aquaculture development. ≈

17 Winter 2002 Waterlines Healthy Eating Healing Mouth Sores People who suffer from mouth sores can find a lasting cure in a new medicine made of shrimp and shells, Chinese scientists say. The medicine, made of substances extracted from shells of shrimp and was developed by scientists with the Water NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SHELLFISH Treatment Center under the State Oceanic Administration in Hangzhou, capital of China’s Zhejiang Province. A Washington Sea Grant Publication Although ulceration of the oral cavity, or mouth sores, are not Faye M. Dong, Professor considered serious, they usually take a long time to cure and cause School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences discomfort for patients when they are speaking or eating. University of Washington The medicine must be applied twice a day to the affected area, said Sun Ziuzhen, a researcher with the center, who has studied Maintaining good health and a the shells of shrimp and crabs for nearly ten years. sense of well-being are top priori- —American Fisheries Society Newsletter ties for many people today. Both health and well-being are strongly related to diet. The relationship of diet to overall health and the effect Helping Autistic Kids of diet on the incidence of certain Two-thirds of children with autism are likely to have a fatty acid chronic illnesses, such as heart dis- deficiency that may be responsible for some of the behaviors and ease and cancer, continue to be ac- symptoms of autism. Dr. Gordon Bell of Stirling University in tive areas of nutrition research. Scotland, compared 55 autistic and non-autistic children looking Compared to the past, people today for signs of a fatty acid deficiency. He found that 65% of autistic are generally more careful in man- children with 12% of non-autistic children showed symptoms of aging their diets to reduce the the nutritional imbalance. He recommended fish-oil supplements. chances of getting life-threatening He said: “when we treat some of these kids by replacing depleted diseases. People are also paying fatty acids we see improvement in some of the behaviors and char- more attention to better managing acteristics of autism, their concentration improves and their sleep any diseases they may already have, patterns stabilize. and to changing their lifestyles to —Netdoctor.co.uk sustain longer and healthier lives. Based on current dietary recom- mendations, this paper examines Cutting the Risk of Ovarian Cancer whether shellfish should be in- cluded in a healthful diet. Eating fish and vegetables may reduce women’s risk of developing ovarian cancer, while frequent consumption of red meat may in- For a copy, contact: crease the risk, a new study showed. Washington Sea Grant Program The results showed that frequent consumption of red meat was Communications associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Women who 3716 Brooklyn Avenue NE, had high intakes of bread, soup, sugar, pasta, and rice also had a Seattle, WA 98105-6716 slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer. phone: 206-543-6600 Women who consumed high quantities of fish, cheese, veg- fax: 206-685-0380, etables and edible seeds such as peas and beans had lower inci- email: [email protected] dences of ovarian cancer. The study appears in the Sept. 15 issue of the International Journal of Cancer. —FaxWatch Inc., September 24, 2001

18 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

There is a growing weight of evi- ischemic (clotting, rather than hem- Omega-3 Connection,” Stoll argues dence that the health benefits of fish orrhagic) stroke than the control that, while research on psychiatric oils are so manifest, and so varied, group. The report examined 80,000 applications was still in its infancy, that they may soon be considered a women enrolled in the Nurses Omega-3s are a critical component legitimate and widely used health Health Study, one of the nation’s of brain health and may help miti- aid rather than a simple, healthy oldest, largest, and most respected gate a wide range of psychiatric dis- food product. research efforts, and was adjusted orders. In the April 24, 2001 issue of for age, smoking, and other risk Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychia- the New York Times, several current factors. trist with the National Institutes and recent health studies were of Health, has found a critical link examined, covering fish’s various Arthritis between Omega-3 fatty acids and effects on a broad array of illnesses, The anti-inflammatory properties depression, asserting that decreased conditions, and diseases. While the of fish oils have been put to the test levels of an Omega-3 component, consensus among health profession- in more than a dozen studies, and DHA, were directly linked to als is that more extensive research is the medical consensus is that people depression. A large study is under needed, every study cited fatty fish, with rheumatoid arthritis can miti- way at the National Institute of including sardines, tuna, and gate their symptoms with regular Mental Health to verify these links salmon, to be a legitimate health aid consumption of fish. Fish oils were between Omega-3s and mood and in some cases, a critical dietary found to be particularly effective disorders. component. in lessening levels of joint stiffness —WorldCatch News, 2001 Among the recent findings: and fatigue.

Heart disease Crohn’s disease Last year, the American Medical A recent study in the New England SOURCES OF OMEGA-3* Association (AMA) recommended Journal of Medicine of patients with that people eat two servings of fatty Crohn’s disease and chronic irri- fish per week. The AMA concluded table bowel syndrome indicated Sardines 1.5 grams that there is a beneficial effect on that more than half of the people nerve conduction in the heart, studied remained symptom-free if Atlantic mackerel 2.5 grams which can help forestall potentially they took Omega-3 along with their 1.7 grams dangerous cardiac arrhythmia. medication. Other recent heart-related research Lake trout 1.6 grams indicates that fatty acids may pre- Mental health Salmon 1.2 grams vent heart attacks due to clotting, Among the most intriguing and help reduce atherosclerosis, and important developments in Striped bass 0.8 grams reduce blood triglyceride levels. research has been the potential it has to address mental disorders Tuna 0.5 grams Stroke and psychiatric health. Pacific halibut 0.4 grams A study published in the Journal of Dr. Andrew L. Stoll, director of the American Medical Association the Psychopharmacology Research Channel catfish 0.3 grams found that women who ate fish once Laboratory at McLean Hospital Shrimp 0.3 grams per week suffered strokes at a rate found that in a small study, the pa- 22% less than women who ate fish tients he was treating for bipolar just once a month. Significantly, disorders did so much better with * per 100 grams of raw fish the health benefits increased with fish oil supplements, he began ad- Source: American Dietetic Association greater levels of fish consumption. ministering the treatment to his Women who ate fish five times per control groups halfway through the week were 50% less likely to have study. In his recent book, “The

19 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Trout Farmers Not Deterred by USDA Report Adapted from an article by Cindy Snyder, The Times-News, April 11, 2001

Idaho producers remain optimistic about sales

Trout producers in the Magic Valley in Idaho other trout companies may not be doing as aren’t putting much stock in a US Department well—depending on where they market the of Agriculture (USDA) report that shows the trout and how the trout is sold. value of trout sales fell last year. Early concerns that seafood sales would For one thing, the reported total sales of fall off as the US economy slowed have not yet Early $76 million from 20 trout-producing states rep- shown up in the numbers. MacMillan said an resents a decrease of just 1% from 1999 sales. abundance of cheap aquaculture-produced concerns that And while the USDA estimate is the best num- salmon on the market continues to lure con- seafood sales ber available, there is some question about how sumers to the seafood counter. “That’s a good accurate the number is. thing; it increases consumer interest in sea- would fall off The USDA sends out forms for trout pro- food,” he said. as the US ducers to report sales for the past calendar According to the USDA’s March 2001 economy year, but most companies operate on a fiscal Aquaculture Outlook, most of the decrease in year that is different from the calendar year. sales in 2000 came from lower sales of food- slowed have Just the process of converting numbers from sized fish—trout that are 12 inches or more not yet shown one system to another can introduce errors. in length. Nearly 59 million food-sized fish Randy MacMillan, who has the advantage of were sold in 2000, down 4% from 1999. The up in the heading up research for Clear Spring Foods in value of those sales was $63.7 million, down 2% numbers Buhl and serving as president of the National from the previous year. Most of that decrease Aquaculture Association, said it’s difficult to was seen in Idaho, which accounts for 53% of generalize what happened last year. While sales the total value of trout sold in the nation. In- continue to be strong for Clear Springs Foods, creased food-size fish sales from California, Pennsylvania, and Washington partially offset the loss of Idaho. Sales of stockers (fish 6 to 12 inches) totaled 7.6 million fish in 2000 with a value of $6.7 million—both figures are up from a year ago. Nearly half the stockers were sold to private organizations to stock rivers and fish; the rest were sold to other producers or processors. Both the sales volume and value of finger- ling sales (fish under 6 inches) were about the same as 1999. Trout egg sales in 2000 were valued at $4 million, down 19% from 1999. According to the report, 44.5 million pounds of trout were sold in 2000, down from 46 million pounds in 1999. Sales totaled $36.9 million in 2000, down from $37.2 million in 1999. Looking at the report, MacMillan sees rea- son for optimism for the aquaculture industry. Consumers continue to gobble up imported tilapia, Atlantic salmon, and shrimp. There’s a large domestic market for aquaculture prod- Ken Chew ucts. US producers just have to find a way to Trout farm located along the Snake River in Idaho take advantage of it. ≈

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Fish Farming Insurance AFS Aquaculture Policy American Fisheries Society Newsletter, October 2001 Fish Farming News, September/October, 2001

Insurance targets fish farming business The American Fisheries Society (AFS) has published a policy statement on commercial aquaculture. The fol- Fish farmers need no longer flounder in their search lowing are some excerpts: for appropriate insurance protection. The Hartford Financial Services Group, a major insurer of live- Commercial production is essential in meeting stock, has created a new insurance program to target increasing demands for food fish and for sport fishing, the provision of aquarium fishes and bait fish, and the the fast-growing fish farming business. Whether a local production of fish to replace imports. fish farm is an indoor or outdoor operation, the Hartford can protect this livestock through its Such rapid expansion of the industry, however, has Fishstock Mortality Program. raised many AFS concerns. Disease problems, genetic The program provides fish farmers broad cover- pollution, escape of exotic and introduced species, and age to ensure their operations are protected if eutrophication are areas of greatest concern. fishstock die from weather conditions, disease, or mechanical and electrical breakdowns. There is the possibility of amplifying pathogenic The Hartford has introduced a customized insur- organisms in an intensive culture system, which might ance policy that partners fish farmers with their local be released with or without fish into wild populations. insurance agents to review specific needs. All states and provinces should have fish health pro- The basic Fishstock Mortality Program covers grams, but because of the diverse nature of these pro- fishstock that die as a result of specific causes of loss. grams, only the federal government may be able to Optional coverage can protect a fish farmer when a consistently apply equal standards throughout the heating system breaks down, causing water temperature country. to fall, or when foreign or toxic substances infect the In supporting the orderly development of aquaculture, fishstock, all resulting in death of the fishstock. Spe- and to protect the integrity of native aquatic commu- cial coverage includes transportation, fatal fish dis- nities, the AFS advocates the following principles: ease, and deoxygenation of the water from the breakdown of an aeration system. Federal, state and provincial agencies should cooperate to “Our goal was to develop a policy that makes fish ensure the health of aquatic organisms, control the transfer farmers comfortable,” said Dave Berry, vice president and introduction of aquatic organisms, and inspect process- of Livestock at The Hartford. “With so many things ing plants and fish and fish productions to safeguard human to think about in running a business, fish farmers health. need the security of knowing that their stock is well protected by an experienced, first-class insurance When commercially cultured fish are considered for stocking, carrier. every consideration should be given to protecting the genetic The Hartford has worked with the livestock integrity of native fishes. industry and the independent agents that serve this Aquaculture facilities should meet prevailing environmental industry for 85 years. Most recently, the company has standards. Aquaculture is a form of agriculture. The prin- built on that experience and its relationships with ciple responsibility for development of aquaculture is in the independent agents to develop the industry-leading private sector. Government should support these initiatives coverage and top-quality service that the fish farming directly through research and development, fish inspection, industry demands. Fish such as tilapia, salmon, and and fish health certification, and indirectly by reducing striped bass are popular among fish farmers, but re- unnecessary regulatory constraints, mediating in resource quire knowledge and care to raise successfully. user conflicts, and coordinating the involvement of a “The Hartford and its agents have the training diversity of government departments. and knowledge to assist farmers in this growing in- dustry,” said Berry. The Hartford Financial Services AFS has also developed a seven-part “policy regarding Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest insurance commercial aquaculture advocates.” For information and financial services companies, with 2000 revenues on this policy, call AFS at 301-897-8616 or visit the of $14.7 billion. ≈ society’s website at www.fisheries.org. ≈

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Mediterranean Mussels: Pearls of Puget Sound Christine Cyr, FIS North America, American Fisheries Society Newsletter, October 2001

An emerging summer treat for mussel The meds, like other mussels and oys- connoisseurs throughout the United ters cultivated in the Puget Sound, are States and Canada is Puget Sound grown using rope culture. This method, farmed Mediterranean mussels, or which originated in Spain, uses nylon Mytilus edulis galloprovincialis. The “meds” tubes connected with mussel spat, or baby Mediterranean as they are called, originate from the mussels. These tubes are suspended from mussels Mediterranean and were discovered lines hanging off floats or floating rafts. in winter growing in Puget Sound, Washington, Once mussels are mature, the ropes can in 1989. Since then, the mussels have easily be removed from the water and and peak in become popular for summer, as tradi- stripped. between tional mussel varieties are weak from Rope culture is in opposition to bot- spawning. tom culture, a type of aquaculture where September and Spawning can cause mussels to lose mussel seed is spread over a section of May, filling a up to a third of their body weight, leaving the ocean bottom and harvested with a the meat soft or bitter. The native mussel mesh dredge. According to Gordon King, niche when to the Puget Sounds is the Mytilus edulis manager at Taylor Shellfish Farms in Penn Cove trossulus, also known as the Penn Cove Shelton, Washington, rope culture allows mussel. Penn Cove mussels spawn in the mussels to mature younger and with a mussels are summer and peak in July and August. higher ratio of meat. not at the Mediterranean mussels spawn in the win- “Sales of Mediterranean mussels were best quality ter and peak between September and high this year,” said King. “Meds come in May, filling a niche when Penn Cove a separate niche of the suspension culture mussels are not at the best quality. market.” Taylor Shellfish Farms, along with Kamilche Sea Farm and Penn Cove Shellfish, are the largest cultivators of Mediterranean mussels in Puget Sound. According to King, Taylor Shellfish Farms, the largest cultivator of the three, sold around a million pounds of Mediter- ranean mussels this year in the United States and Canada. Penn Cove Shellfish and Taylor Shell- fish Farms also produce triploid mussels that are treated to create three sets of chromosomes. The third chromosome prevents triploids from spawning so that they can be harvested at a better quality all year long. (See related triploid article on rainbow trout on page 9.) According to King, an advantage to cultivating Mediterranean mussels over Penn Cove mussels is that they are more disease resistant. Penn Cove mussels are Ken Chew susceptible to a disease call Hemic neo- Mussel farmer Ian Jefferds (right) showing a student a mussel plasia. The disease does not affect hu- mans but can be fatal to mussels, and lim- operation. Jefferds is holding up a string of seed mussels from one its the period of time in which they are of his rafts harvested. ≈

22 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Professor Comes Home to Hawaii Recipe Helen Altonn, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 17, 2001 Charlie Swanton

Jo-Ann C. Leong, professor and former Easy Sesame Halibut chair of Oregon State University’s De- partment of Microbiology (and current WRAC board member), is closer to her Ingredients hundreds of island relatives as director 2 lb halibut fillets or steaks of the University of Hawaii’s Institute 1/4 C orange juice for Marine Biology (HIMB). 1 Tbsp soy sauce Her appointment began in Septem- ber, 2001. “She’s a real winner,” said 3/4 tsp sesame oil C. Barry Raleigh, dean of the School of 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Ken Chew Ocean & Earth Science and Technology. 2 Tbsp ketchup E. Gordon Grau, former HIMB interim Jo-Ann Leong, director of 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice director who now directs the Sea Grant UH Institute of Marine 1/4 tsp pepper College Program, said Leong is ”top notch” in her field and an outstanding Biology 1 Tbsp brown sugar administrator and scholar. “She does interesting and important research. We had to work very hard to Marinate the fillets for 2 hours in recruit her,” he said. orange juice, ketchup, soy sauce, Leong said HIMB “is doing sensory biology in the broadest sense lemon juice, pepper, oil, and brown of the word, not only looking at marine mammal echolocation, but at sugar. how other fish sense their environment and respond to lunar cycles as well as climate and ultraviolet radiation, etc.” Turn once during cooking. Cutting-edge work is being done on coral reef biology, stirring a lot of interest because of problems with coral reefs around the world, Heat the remaining marinate and Leong said. “Hawaii, fortunately because of its isolation, has an op- pour over the fish. portunity to begin to look at coral reefs before they decline.” The laboratory also has a group looking at the response of reef organisms Top with toasted seeds. to pollution and other intrusions in the environment, she said. With a large laboratory building funded by the Pauley Foundation and new faculty who will be recruited, Leong said: “We have an op- portunity to make something pretty spectacular. I’m excited about it.” Leong earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of California-Berkeley and a doctorate degree in microbiology from the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center. She has been on the Oregon State University faculty since 1995, and in 1998 was named the second recipient of the Emile F. Pernot Distinguished Professorship in Microbiology, which was established to enhance the study of microbiology. She is a nationally recognized specialist on viral diseases in salmon, trout, and aquatic animals, and was a key figure in the creation of a Center for Salmon Disease Research at Oregon State. She was appointed chair of the OSU Microbiology Department in 1996 and has received awards for her teaching, research, and service. A research virologist, she teaches virology, molecular biology of HIV, disease of Pacific salmon, and immuno-pathogenesis of HIV. Leong does research on human retroviruses, such as HIV, and on viral diseases that devastate fish stocks. She also holds patents on vaccines to control viral infection of fish. ≈

23 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Publications

Books 1897 Manual of Fish Culture Heaven on the Halfshell The Fish Culture Section (FCS), American Fish- There’s a certain romance to the oyster industry of the Pacific eries Society has reprinted the 1897 manual, an Northwest. To most, it conjures images of men in oilskins, excellent historical reference of the techniques working from low boats and braving the elements to bring in used during the early era of fish culture in the the harvest: fresh, succulent oysters from the pristine bays USA. The first in a three-volume series planned and inlets of northern California, Oregon, Washington, Brit- by FCS. To order this publication, contact: ish Columbia, and Alaska. Nick C. Parker, USGS, Biological Resources Div. Yesteryear’s wood tongs and hand-powered dredges have Texas Coop. Fish & Wildlife Research Unit been replaced by state-of-the-art shellfish hatcheries and bio- Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX 79409-2120 engineered broodstock. Still our love affair with the oyster, [email protected] Ph: 806-742-2851 and our fascination for the men and women who devotedly Fax: 806-742-2946 tend its beds, remain strong. Savory Pleasant Cove, Hamma Hamma, Dabob Bay, and Malaspina oysters from the North- or west are known as some of the finest shellfish in the world. American Fisheries Society, Entertaining text and engrossing historic and contempo- Attn: Orders Department rary photos present the efforts of pioneering aquaculturists, 1650 Bluegrass Lakes Pkwy scientists, field technicians, oyster connoisseurs, and others Alpharetta, GA 30004 who have shaped this unique industry. Phone: 687-366-1411 Fax: 770-442-9742 Eighteen oyster recipes round out this lively portrait of the bivalve we love best. Fish Hatchery Management, Second Edition Authors: David G. Gordon, Nancy E. Expands and updates the original Fish Hatchery Blanton, and Terry Y. Nosho Management, the preeminent fish culture manual in North American since 1982. Rewritten to in- To order: Washington Sea Grant Program clude advances in hatchery operations, practical 3716 Brooklyn Avenue NE, knowledge about raising high-quality fish, and Seattle, WA 98105-6716 optimal use of culture fishes in management pro- phone: 206-543-6600 grams. Covers advances in production; water is- fax: 206-685-0380, sues; transportation; stocking; open, controlled, email: [email protected] and semi-controlled systems; broodstock and spawning; nutrition; fish health. Order from AFS (see above).

Harmful Algal Blooms on the North American West Coast Proceeds from a conference to organize a West Coast effort for research and monitoring harmful algal blooms (HAB) held in 1999 in Anchorage. HABs are a pervasive health and economic prob- lem on the North American West Coast. Paralytic shellfish poisoning and domoic acid are the most prominent. Edited by: Raymond RaLonde Price: $10 To order: 888-789-0090 fax: 907-474-6285 online: www.uaf.edu/seagrant/bookstore

24 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Online Transgenic Seafood: Q&A Marine Aquaculture: Opportunities for Growth Biotechnology is having a great impact National Academy Press (1992) on medicine and the world’s food sup- Coastal farming and ocean ranching of marine fish, shellfish, crusta- ply. For example, some companies are ceans, and seaweed are a major and growing industry worldwide. In developing transgenic technology that the US, freshwater aquaculture is becoming a significant commercial will allow them to speed up the growth activity; however, marine aquaculture has lagged behind. This book of salmon or make other seafood spe- examines the obstacles to developing marine aquaculture in the US cies resistant to certain illnesses. and offers recommendations for technology and policy strategies to WorldCatch assembled the following encourage this industry. The book provides comparisons between US links to provide detailed information. and foreign approaches to policy and technology and information on the diverse species under culture. It describes problems of coordina- I Q & A about transgenic fish tion of regulatory policy among federal, state, and local agencies and US Food & Drug Administration escalating competition for the use of coastal waters. It addresses envi- http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/ ronmental concerns and suggests engineering and research strategies consumer/transgen.htm for alleviating negative impacts from marine aquaculture operations. I Are transgenic fish and shellfish in our Available for download at http//:www.nap.edu/books/0309046750/html future? US Food and Drug Administration Bivalve bibliography http://www.fda.gov/cvm/biotechnology/ The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History announces an online shellfish/index.htm bivalve bibliography containing over 4,800 references, primarily from I Under the microscope: We can build its book, Bivalve Seashells of Western North America(http:www.sbnature.org/ super fish, but should we? atlas/bivbook.htm). Access the bibliography at http://205.180.85.170/RIS/ SeaFood Business RISWEB.ISA. Select the database “bivalve.pdt” Bibliography may be http://www.seafoodbusiness.com/99may/ queried by author, title, date, or keywords. Any questions or prob- issue.html lems with the database? Contact: Paul Valentich Scott, Senior Associ- ate Curator, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology, Santa Barbara Museum of I Designer fish flounder over legal Natural History, 2559 Pueta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. hurdles Ph: 805-682-4711, ext. 319; fax: 805-569-3170; email: The Christian Science Monitor [email protected] http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/ 1999/03/04/fp19s1-csm.shtml Aquaculture training database I Transgenic fish could threaten wild http://www.was.org populations A World Aquaculture Society (WAS) initiative—to maintain a database Purdue University of universities, colleges, and institutions that offer training and http://www.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/ degree programs in aquaculture. Because WAS does not place infor- 0002.Muir.trojan.html mation on the site without consent, they urge any interested univer- sity and college to use the “submit training” section of the site. Simply I Something fishy—environmental defense go to the WAS site; click on the “Training” link; click on the “Submit http://www.edf.org/pubs/Reports/ training” link; fill out the form; click the “Submit” button. Your insti- Aquaculture/transgenic.html tution then becomes part of the global aquaculture information I Aqua Bounty Farms—The company’s network. If you have any questions, contact Carl Webster, at goal is to develop fish for aquaculture [email protected] with improved growth rates and other economically desirable traits through the Sea urchins use of transgenics http://zoology.unh.edu/faculty/walker/urchin/gametogenesis.html http://www.fda.aquabounty.com/ Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute courses — WorldCatch News Network, 5/15/01 http://www.aquaculture-online.org

25 Winter 2002 Waterlines 2002 Calendar

March 2002 17–20 Aquaculture Canada '02 Charlottetown, Canada 28–29 Burrowing Shrimp Workshop 19th annual meeting Contact: Dr. Brett Dumbauld Aquaculture Association of Canada ph: 360-665-4166 Contact: Cyr Couturier email: [email protected] ph: 709-778-0609 fax: 709-778-0535 email: [email protected] web: www.mi.mun.ca/mi/aac April 2002 14–18 National Shellfisheries Association November 2002 94th Annual Meeting Mystic, Connecticut 15–16 Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Expo Contact: Carolyn Friedman Warwick, Rhode Island School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Contact: Ann Marie Rathbun Box 355020, University of Washington ph: 401-461-8848, ext. 391 or 800-292-8787 Seattle, WA 98195-5020 email: [email protected] ph: 206-543-9519 email: [email protected] 20–24 6th Int’l. Conference on Shellfish Restoration Charleston, South Carolina 23–27 World Aquaculture 2002 Contact: Elaine Knight Beijing, China ph: 843-727-6406 fax: 843-727-2080 Annual mtg. of World Aquaculture Society email: [email protected] Contact: John Cooksey web: www.scseagrant.org ph: 760-432-4270 fax: 760-432-4275 Info on submitting an abstract, contact: Rick Devoe email: [email protected] web: www.was.org ph: 843-727-2078 fax: 843-727-2080 email: [email protected] June 2002 4–8 4th Int’l. Conf. on Molluscan Shellfish Safety Galicia, Spain NSA 2002 AUCTION Contact: Conference Secretariat, ICMMS Centro de Investigacions, Marinas˜ Aptdo. 13, 36620 For the benefit of the student endowment fund Vilanova de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain. ph: +34 986500155 fax: +34 986506788 It is never too early to start collecting any new email: [email protected] or used shellfish-related items for the annual web: www.atlanticocongresos.com/moluscos/index.html auction in benefit of the Student Endowment Funds. Items can include, but are not limited to: August 2002 books and other publications (historically im- portant reprints), home brews and vintages, 3–7 American Malacological Soc. 68th Annual Mtg. Charleston, South Carolina jewelry, artwork, and of course, t-shirts and Contact: Rob Dillon ph: 843-953-8087 other articles of clothing. email: [email protected] web: www.cofc.edu/~dillonr/AMS2002.htm Please bring items with you to the NSA '02 meeting in Mystic, Connecticut or send them to: September 2002 2–6 4th Int’l. Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health Sandy Shumway New Orleans, Louisiana Southampton College, LIU, Contact: ISAAH2002, Southampton, NY 11968 Dept. of Pathobiological Sciences School of Veterinary Medicine ph: 631-287-8407 Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 fax: 631-287-8419 fax: 225-578-9701 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] web: www.vetmed.lsu.edu/isaah2002.htm

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Aquaculture Extension Contacts

Alaska Idaho Oregon Donald E. Kramer Ernest Brannon John Faudskar University of Alaska Fairbanks Aquaculture Institute Sea Grant Program 2221 E. Northern Lights Blvd, #110 University of Idaho Oregon State University Anchorage, AK 99508-4140 Moscow, ID 83843 2204 Fourth Street phone: 907-274-9691 phone: 208-885-5830 Tillamook, OR 97141 fax: 907-277-5242 fax: 208-885-5968 phone: 503-842-3433 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] fax: 503-842-7741 email: [email protected] Raymond RaLonde Gary Fornshell Marine Advisory Program Twin Falls County Extension University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Idaho 2221 E. Northern Lights Blvd, #110 246 3rd Avenue East Utah Anchorage, AK 99508-4140 Twin Falls, ID 83301 Terry Messmer phone: 907-274-9691 phone: 208-734-9590 College of Natural Resources fax: 907-277-5242 fax: 208-733-9645 Dept. of Fish & Wildlife email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Utah State University Logan, UT 84332-5210 phone: 435-797-3975 Arizona Montana fax: 435-797-1871 email: [email protected] Kevin Fitzsimmons Martin Frick Environmental Research Lab Agricultural Education University of Arizona 116 Cheever Hall 2601 East Airport Drive Montana State University Washington Tucson, AZ 85706-6985 Bozeman, MT 59717-0374 Steve Harbell phone: 520-741-1990 ph: 406-994-3201 Cooperative Extension fax: 520-573-0852 fax: 406-994-6696 Washington State University email: [email protected] email: [email protected] P.O. Box 88 1216 Robert Bush Drive South Bend, WA 98586 California Nevada phone: 360-875-9331 x633 fax: 360-875-9304 Fred S. Conte Michael Collopy email: [email protected] Department of Animal Science University of Nevada-Reno University of California-Davis Dept. of Env. & Resource Science Sandra Ristow Davis, CA 95616 Reno, NV 89512 Washington State University phone: 530-752-7689 phone: 775-784-4773 Animal Sciences fax: 530-752-0175 fax: 775-784-4583 411 Hulbert Hall email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Pullman, WA 99164-6332 phone: 509-335-0165 fax: 509-335-1074 Colorado New Mexico email: [email protected] W. Dennis Lamm Jon Boren Cooperative Extension Extension Wildlife Colorado State University New Mexico State University Wyoming 1 Administration Building Box 30003, Dept. 3AE Jim Bennage Ft. Collins, CO 80523 Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003 Sheridan College phone: 970-491-6208 phone: 505-646-1164 3059 Coffeen Avenue fax: 970-491-5541 fax: 505-646-5441 Sheridan, WY 82801 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] phone: 307-674-6446 x6164 fax: 307-674-4874 Byron Wright email: [email protected] Christopher Myrick New Mexico State University Fishery & Wildlife Biology P.O. Box 30003, Dept. 4901 Colorado State University Las Cruces, NM 88003 239 Wagar Building phone: 505-646-7931 Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1474 fax: 505-646-5975 phone: 970-491-5657 email: [email protected] fax: 970-491-5091 email: [email protected]

27 Winter 2002 Waterlines

Backwash Waterlines is a semiannual publication intended to inform the general public and WRAC wants to hear from you. Tell us who you are and various aquaculture groups regarding WRAC what you would like to see in Waterlines. If you are a new activities and regional news. These include reader and want to be added to our mailing list, complete highlights of USDA/CSREES-funded research the form below and mail to: and extension projects; a calendar of scheduled Waterlines meetings and events; and articles regarding Western Regional Aquaculture Center aquaculture and related topics appropriate to University of Washington the Western region. Readers are encouraged School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences to submit material for inclusion in the news- Box 355020 letter. Publication of material in Waterlines Seattle, WA 98195-5020 does not imply endorsement by WRAC. Or forward via email: [email protected] or fax: 206-685-4674. Submit material to: If you are receiving duplicate copies, please let us know. Editor, WRAC Waterlines Name School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences University of Washington Address Box 355020 City State Zip Seattle, WA 98195–5020 phone: 206-685-2479 Country fax: 206-685-4674 Comments email: [email protected] web: www.fish.washington.edu/wrac

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