Florida Largemouth Bass Aquaculture

Largemouth Bass

At their March 2022 meeting, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Commissioners approved rules to allow for the production and sale of Florida largemouth bass as a food product.

Statutory changes made during the 2021 legislative session sanctioned the sale of Florida largemouth bass produced in aquaculture facilities for food.

FWC staff worked with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to ensure continued genetic conservation of Florida’s iconic freshwater game fish.

Key points from the approved rule language include:

Allow for the culture and sale of Florida largemouth bass as a food fish.

• Incorporate FWC’s Genetic Authentication Standards for Florida largemouth bass into rule by reference.

• Require any shipment of live bass in Florida to be accompanied with documentation required by FDACS and FWC.

• Prohibit the importation into or transportation within the state of any live bass species, except permitted Florida largemouth bass that meet FWC’s largemouth bass Genetic Authentication Standards.

Prior to presentation of the draft rules at the December Commission meeting, staff held four public meetings and solicited online comments from stakeholders.

Both angling and industry stakeholders attended meetings and their combined input was taken into consideration and utilized during the rule drafting process.

More information about the rule can be found by visiting MyFWC.com.

Largemouth Bass Facts:

The largemouth bass is the best known and most popular game fish in North America.

The Florida largemouth bass is the state freshwater fish of Florida.

The Florida state record for largemouth bass is 17.27 pounds.

Two subspecies of Largemouth Bass are recognized; Florida Bass (Micropterus s. floridanus) and Northern Largemouth Bass (Micropterus s. salmoides).

Florida bass tend to grow much larger than the northern largemouth bass. 

Most U.S. states prohibit the sale of wild-caught largemouth bass for food.

Atlantic Salmon Tank Aquaculture Research

Atlantic Salmon

Maryland Sea Grant and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, are lead partners in a multi-state consortium to receive a $1.2 million grant to study how to optimally grow Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in land-based aquaculture systems.

The competitive grant comes from the National Sea Grant Office, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is part of a major agency effort to increase domestic aquaculture production and reduce the trade deficit associated with salmon imports.

According to the agency, about 90 percent of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported. Only about half of that comes from aquaculture, which puts pressure on wild stocks. Those imports add to a growing seafood trade deficit, already at $16 billion in 2017.

The funding will establish a coordinated network of recirculating aquaculture systems raising Atlantic salmon in land-based systems that re-use the water to grow fish.

Closed-system aquaculture allows for fish production in more affordable areas closer to population centers, which will lower the cost of production as well as the carbon footprint for transport. These systems recycle water and treat the waste with beneficial microbes, increasing sustainability.

Americans consume 500,000 tons of Atlantic salmon annually, 95 percent of which is imported, and valued at $3.4 billion, according to Yonathan Zohar, the chair of the UMBC Department of Marine Biotechnology and the grant’s lead principal investigator.

Zohar, based at Baltimore’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, oversees one of the nation’s most sophisticated aquaculture research operations. The new grant, he said, “offers an opportunity for domestic production of Atlantic salmon to replace all of these imports. The only way to really scale that up is with land-based systems that are environmentally sustainable. This allows us to identify the bottlenecks, address the issues and develop a strategic plan to make sure this emerging Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry can be successful.”

Maryland Sea Grant Director Fredrika Moser said she saw tremendous value in a multi-disciplinary approach to growing domestic aquaculture through this grant. “Sea Grant is excited to work with our partners in research and industry to develop a roadmap that will help policymakers and federal agencies promote an economically feasible and environmentally sustainable land-based domestic aquaculture industry,” she said.

This effort to build these systems’ capacity and research their economic feasibility includes Sea Grant partners in Maine and Wisconsin as well as the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland Extension, Morgan State University, the USDA National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, and the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute in West Virginia.

Industry partners and collaborators include Superior Fresh in Wisconsin, Whole Oceans, LLC and Nordic Aquafarms in Maine, and American Salmon in Maryland, among others.

source: Maryland Sea Grant

Global Aquaculture Alliance Website Re-Design

The Global Aquaculture Alliance has strengthened its online presence by re-launching its websites (www.gaalliance.org and bap.gaalliance.org) designed to better communicate its mission of advocating, educating and demonstrating responsible aquaculture practices to feed and employ future generations.

The new websites feature search and map functionalities for the list of more than 700 Best Aquaculture Practices-certified facilities, a marketing toolkit and a consumer-facing webpage. The new GAA and BAP websites made their official debut at Seafood Expo North America.

source: Global Aquaculture Alliance

NOAA Aquaculture Initiative

NOAA recently announced its new aquaculture initiative. According to the agency, the plan is intended to help meet our country’s growing demand for seafood, while creating jobs and restoring healthy ecosystems.

The agency’s Aquaculture Technology Transfer Initiative will foster public-private partnerships on regional projects that showcase innovative sustainable practices, jump start private sector investments, and create employment opportunities in coastal communities.

In June, the Department of Commerce and NOAA released national policies that support sustainable marine aquaculture in the United States. Americans import about 84 percent of their seafood, half of which is from aquaculture. The U.S. trade deficit in seafood currently exceeds $10 billion and continues to grow.

As part of this initiative, NOAA will work with partners in the private sector, academia, government and communities to advance technology, monitor performance indicators, and showcase best practices and market-based standards. The initiative will be implemented with the active involvement of NOAA’s regional offices and science centers, Sea Grant Extension, and other federal, state, local and non-governmental partners.

The domestic aquaculture industry, both freshwater and marine, currently supplies about five percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. The cultivation of shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, comprises about two-thirds of U.S. marine aquaculture.

Salmon and shrimp aquaculture contribute about 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Current production takes place mainly on land, in ponds, and in coastal state waters.

source: NOAA

GAA Completes Salmon Aquaculture Best Aquaculture Practices Certification Standards

The Global Aquaculture Alliance recently announced the completion of BAP standards for salmon farms. The new salmon aquaculture standards component becomes an important addition to the Alliance's Best Aquaculture Practices certification program.

The BAP standards for salmon farms apply to the cage and net pen production of salmon and rainbow trout. They join BAP's standards for shrimp, tilapia, Pangasius and channel catfish.

The BAP program also includes standards for feed mills, hatcheries and processing plants. Over 1.5 billion pounds (700,000 metric tons) of seafood are processed under the BAP program annually.

The BAP standards are based on current best practices, but continuously evolve with advancing technology. BAP strives to set standards at an achievable level to encourage a broad cross section of producers to participate and effect positive changes within the industry.

The standards can be viewed at www.gaalliance.org/cmsAdmin/uploads/BAP-SalmonF-611.pdf

Public comments and responses are also available at www.gaalliance.org/bap/comments.php

For more information on BAP, visit www.gaalliance.org/bap/

source: GAA

Canadian Seafood Consumption

A new survey reveals 88 percent of Canadians have eaten seafood over the past three months. However, only 15 percent of fish consumers and 5 percent of shellfish consumers are meeting Canada Food Guide recommendations of two seafood servings per week (see note 1) .

Commissioned by the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), the Canadian Seafood Survey found that more men than women like the taste of fish (73 vs. 66 percent, respectively), and that men have a more positive impression of farmed seafood than women. Nearly three-quarters of Canadians eat salmon (74 percent), followed by trout (45 percent) and shellfish (43 percent).

“The good news is that Canadians are eating seafood,” said Ruth Salmon, CAIA’s Executive Director. “Unfortunately, our seafood consumption frequency is far below national dietary guidelines of eight servings per month. Seafood is one of nature’s best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and Alzheimer’s Disease, guard against Rheumatoid Arthritis, and reduce depression.”

Canadians eat finfish an average of 3.7 times per month, and our average shellfish consumption frequency is 1.9 times per month. The survey found salmon to be the most popular fish among Canadian consumers.

The complete survey, which also includes Canadians’ opinions towards creating a national Aquaculture Act, is available online: http://www.aquaculture.ca/files/CAIA-PUBLIC-REPORT-May-2011.pdf

Note 1: Canada Food Guide: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/view_eatwell_vue_bienmang-eng.pdf

source: Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

Scottish Salmon Industry Celebrates 40 Years of Production

Scotland's salmon sector is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first commercial farms in Scotland.

"The first commercial harvest of Scottish salmon was 14 tonnes back in 1971. Now, farmers grow 144,000 tonnes and it has become Scotland’s single largest food export." according to Professor Phil Thomas, Chairman of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO).

Scotland Salmon Farming Information:

The first commercial Scottish farmed salmon were harvested in Loch Ailort, near Fort William in 1971.

Fresh Scottish salmon exports reached record levels in 2010

The Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation represents 95% of salmon production.

Scotland’s salmon farmers injected in excess of £500 million into the economy in 2009.

SSPO members have invested over £113.5 million in capital projects over the last four years.

The Highlands and Islands continue to be the most significant beneficiaries.

1 million fresh salmon meals are eaten in the UK every day.

Salmon is the largest food export from Scotland.

For further information, visit www.scottishsalmon.co.uk

International Salmon Farmers Association Launches Salmon Farming Website

The International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA) has unvealed its new website, www.salmonfarming.org, in a co-operative launch by its members around the world. Representatives from countries such as Norway, Scotland, Chile, United States and Canada have all contributed to the project.

According to ISFA, the site will help to educate the public about the benefits of salmon farming and bring together salmon farmers from around the world.

The website includes information about ISFA, salmon producing countries, the life cycle of farmed salmon and the shared vision for sustainable growth.

source: International Salmon Farmers Association

Ireland Seeks To Expand Aquaculture Production

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD and Minister of State, Sean Connick TD, met recently with the CEO of Marine Harvest, one of the world's biggest seafood companies to discuss the potential for significant expansion of the industry in Ireland.

The company's Irish fish farms, in Donegal, Mayo, Cork and Kerry, have been expanding production and hope to produce between 10 and 12,000 tonnes of salmon for export from Ireland this year.

The company has been increasingly moving to the production of premium organic salmon and this year expect that 70% of their Irish production will be sold in prime European markets as organically produced fish.

The company, which currently employs 250 people in Ireland and 5,000 worldwide sees significant potential to double production and employment in Ireland over the next ten years.

source: Ireland Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

UC Davis Study Finds Salmon Farms Not Harmful to Wild Salmon

A new UC Davis study contradicts earlier reports that salmon farms were responsible for the 2002 population crash of wild pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago of western Canada.

The Broughton crash has become a rallying event for people concerned about the potential environmental effects of open-net salmon farming, which has become a $10 billion industry worldwide, producing nearly 1.5 million tons of fish annually.

The new study, to be published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, does not determine what caused the crash, but it acquits the prime suspect: small skin parasites called sea lice.

The study's lead author is Gary Marty, a veterinary pathologist and research associate at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. An expert in fish diseases, Marty has been studying the health of pink salmon since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

"No significant effect on wild salmon"

"For anybody concerned about the effect of farm salmon on wild salmon, this is good news," Marty said. "Sea lice from fish farms have no significant effect on wild salmon population productivity."

source: University of California, Davis, News Service

Groups Oppose Genetically Engineered Salmon

According to a coalition of Canadian groups, Environment Canada refuses to confirm or deny if the department has already started a secret 120-day risk assessment to approve genetically engineered (GE) salmon egg production on Prince Edward Island. The groups also released a joint statement of “categorical objection” to the raising of GE fish and fish eggs (1).

Documents released in September by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that the US company AquaBounty is seeking approval to sell its GE salmon into the US food market based on a plan to produce all its GE salmon eggs on Prince Edward Island (PEI) and then ship the eggs to Panama for grow out and processing.

Following this revelation, groups made inquiries to Environment Canada but were told that any information about a possible risk assessment is confidential. The groups are calling for full disclosure and demanding that Environment Canada cease any approval process that may already be underway.

“We call on Environment Canada to reject any request for permission to commercially produce genetically engineered fish or fish eggs,” said Matthew Abbott, Fundy Baykeeper Coordinator, “Environment Canada needs to immediately inform Canadians if they have started an environmental assessment for GE salmon egg production. This secrecy is totally unacceptable.”

The joint statement of opposition to GE fish, “No GE Fish Research, Production, Consumption in, and Export from, Canada,” was signed by a wide range of groups from across Canada including the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Ecology Action Centre Nova Scotia, the PEI Coalition for a GMO-Free Province, Fundy Baykeeper, Living Oceans Society, Pure Salmon Campaign, Fraser Riverkeeper, First Nations Environmental Network, Greenpeace, and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.

“Farmed fish can and do escape. Genetically engineered salmon is an unacceptable and unnecessary threat to endangered wild Atlantic salmon,” said Shauna MacKinnon of Living Oceans Society in BC. “When GE fish escape into wild populations, studies indicate that wild fish are at risk of decline.”

“We don’t want Prince Edward Island to be the global origin of dangerous GE salmon,” said Leo Broderick of the Council of Canadians on PEI. A coalition of PEI groups is asking Premier Robert Ghiz to intervene and insist on disclosure from Environment Canada (2). “It’s highly disturbing that we only found out about the company’s plans for Prince Edward Island from US consultations,” said Broderick who attended US FDA hearings in September.

The company AquaBounty has engineered a faster growing Atlantic salmon by inserting a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon and genetic material from ocean pout (an eel-like creature).

“Documents released by the US government reveal that the company is assuming it will get permission to produce all of its GE salmon eggs in Canada,” said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. “Minister of Environment John Baird must take immediate action to stop genetically engineered salmon eggs from being produced in Canada. We have a global responsibility to protect Atlantic salmon from this dangerous technology.”

(1) The full statement opposing GE fish and list of signatory groups can be viewed at http://www.cban.ca/statementopposingGEfish

(2) The letter to the Premier of PEI can be viewed at http://www.cban.ca/PEIletter

source: cban.ca

EU MEP Rails Against Imported Pangasius

According to a recent press release from conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, Pangasius or panga fish is being sold at rock-bottom prices under names including basa, grey sole and Vietnamese river cobbler by UK supermarkets, fishmongers and fish-and-chip shops.

In the past year alone, UK sales of frozen pangasius have rocketed by 50% to nearly 1,500 tonnes, while sales of traditional species like cod, salmon and trout have dropped.

In a keynote speech to a conference on aquaculture in the European Parliament, Mr. Stevenson reported that imports of the cheap fish are undercutting European fish farmers and allowing multinational firms to exploit virtual “slave labour” in Vietnam.

Imports now account for 60% of fish consumed within the EU, worth £25billion last year. Imported fish included 224,100 tonnes of pangasius from Vietnam.

Mr Stevenson was critical of pangasuis production in the region, stating that: "The Mekong River is one of the most heavily polluted rivers on Earth. Factories along its banks daily pump thousands of tonnes of contaminants into its slow-flowing waters.

"As a result, the water in which pangasius is being farmed is teeming with bacteria and poisoned with industrial effluents including arsenic, mercury and DDT."

American Catfish Farms

channel catfish

In the USA, the channel catfish is the primary species of farm-raised fish. American catfish farming began in the southern part of the country in the 1960's.

Most American catfish farms are located in the Mississippi Delta, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana, with their combined acreage accounting for more than 90 percent of American catfish production.

In 2009, Americans consumed nearly .85 pounds of catfish per person. U.S. catfish growers produced over $370 million in sales for the year.

Shetland Farm Raised Salmon Production Up 15 Percent

The ex-farm value of the Shetland salmon sector is to top £145million in 2010, an increase of 15% from the previous year (£126m in 2009), according to Shetland Aquaculture. 

The salmon industry generates over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in Shetland. With a working population of 10,000 people, this accounts for over 10% of the workforce, making it the largest private sector employer on the islands.

Shetland is the largest salmon producing region in the UK, producing over 30% of the nation's farmed salmon. The Shetland Islands (part of Scotland) is known for its Atlantic salmon aquaculture. Salmon farms of the region supply conventionally farmed and organic fish. Shetland farmed salmon are typically available as fresh or smoked products.

New BC Salmon Aquaculture Website Launched

A grassroots group has launched a new website that calls into question the agenda and credibility of some salmon farming critics in British Columbia, Canada. The website has been developed by Positive Aquaculture Awareness (PAA), a grassroots group of aquaculture workers and suppliers, and provides key facts about salmon aquaculture that are often ignored by well funded environmental groups.

“We are in the business of providing a healthy food for a growing population,” says PAA President, Cory Percevault. “Communication is becoming increasingly important as anti-salmon farming groups have had the ear of the public for far too long now.”

PAA was formed in 1998 to raise awareness of BC’s aquaculture industry and to challenge the myths about salmon farming. The new website provides key facts about aquaculture and questions the information provided by environmental groups, their funding sources and attached agenda. Areas of interest such as sea lice, closed containment and the health of farmed salmon are a key focus of the website.

“Salmon farming employs 6000 British Columbians and it’s important that their voices are heard,” adds Percevault. “The amount of misinformation on our business is shocking and we believe this new website is a good source of credible information on BC aquaculture and encourage those who may have an interest in BC aquaculture to visit this new website.”

The new website can be found at www.FarmFreshSalmon.org

Public Sessions to Guide Drafting of New Aquaculture Policy

NOAA will hold six listening sessions in April and May to hear recommendations from the public that will help the agency develop a new national policy for sustainable marine aquaculture.


Dates for the listening sessions with NOAA officials are as follows:


April 14 in Narragansett, R.I.

April 19 in New Orleans, La.

April 22 in Seattle

April 27 in Honolulu

April 29 in Menlo Park, Calif.

May 6 a national call-in hosted by NOAA on a toll-free line



Details on the specific locations and times for the regional listening sessions and instructions for submitting comments electronically will be posted on the NOAA Aquaculture Program Web site http://aquaculture.noaa.gov. The agency also will accept public comment through the Web.

After the listening sessions, NOAA will analyze the public input and develop a draft national policy for review and public comment. Once that process is complete, the agency will issue the new NOAA aquaculture policy. NOAA’s goal is to issue a new national policy that will enable sustainable marine aquaculture within the context of the agency’s multiple ocean stewardship missions and broader social and economic goals.

source: NOAA press release

Catfish Farmers of America Annual Convention Held in Charleston, S.C.

The 2010 Catfish Farmers of America Annual Convention was held February 28-March 2, 2010 at the Mills House Hotel in downtown Charleston. More than 100 catfish farmers from across the Southeast met to discuss the current state of the industry and create solutions for various challenges.

“A great highlight of the CFA Annual Awards luncheon is recognizing distinguished farmers who have made valuable contributions to the catfish industry,” said Roger Barlow, executive vice president of Catfish Farmers of America and president of The Catfish Institute (TCI). “Each year, a deserving producer is named as Catfish Farmer of the Year from the three state associations. This honor gives outstanding catfish farmers national recognition for their contributions to our industry.”

Will Pearce was named Alabama Catfish Farmer of the Year. Joey Lowery was named Arkansas Catfish Farmer of the Year and Ed Pentecost was named Mississippi Catfish Farmer of the Year.

The Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) Organization represents the farmers, processors, feed mills, researchers and suppliers of the U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish industry.

Friend of the Sea Certifiies Norwegian Farmed Cod Producer

As the Friend of the Sea project meets an increasing enthusiasm among the Norwegian seafood producers, Domstein,  a major company has obtained sustainability certification for its farmed cod production.

Environmental impact assessments have been run successfully before sites development and water parameters are being checked on a daily basis. Cages technical specification prevent escapes while action plans are in place in case any escape would occur. No GM feed is fed, following strict feed management procedure. Feed use optimization and more than 65 meters depth under the cages ensure limited a sustainable impact of the production on the environment.

“Domstein is not new to environmental certification, having achevied also ISO 14001 and KRAV certification” comments Tone Karstensen of Domstein Fish AS “Friend of the Sea is an international seafood certification and will surely represent an added value for some European markets”