This book offers a comprehensive review of the scientific information and current research on this major fish species. While the brown trout is the most sought species by anglers, its introduction to various waters around the world is causing serious environmental problems. The authors summarize the important aspects of the brown trout’s life history and ecology and focus on the impact caused by the species. The text explores potential management strategies in order to maintain numerous damaged populations within its natural distributional range and to ameliorate its impacts in exotic environments.
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From the Editor
BY JEAN KO DIN
In the business of hope
What a pleasure it is to put together a magazine issue that is filled with hope. It tells a great story of an industry that seems persistent in trying to make the world a better place. I suppose it comes with the territory when your work involves feeding the world sutainably and responsibly.
Sometimes, when working in media, you deal with a lot of stories about what's going wrong in the world. Now, forgive me for trying to speak on behalf of an entire media industry, but I don't think we write these stories to be a Debbie Downer. I think we understand that our viewers, readers, and audience members are fatigued by all the "bad news" out there. There seems to be a lot of it going around and it is only amplified when you see the headlines everywhere you look.
But, I think many of us who work in the media industry, including my colleagues here, see this work as a duty to shed light on the problems that need to be fixed. After all, those who work against the greater good often thrive when they are able to do things without accountability or oversight.
support systems for the industry seem to be responding in kind.
New legislation is being put forward in governmental spaces that will allow more economic development for the American aquaculture industry. And I'm happy to be able to spotlight the individual advocates that are helping make these changes possible. There is a lot more work ahead but the key is momentum. We'll probably need more individuals than those we could mention in these pages for real change to be ushered into the future.
You'll see that a lot of the stories in these pages reflect the industry's desire to drive that change forward. And fortunately, the support systems for the industry seem to be responding in kind.
Once in a while, and maybe less often than we'd like, we also get to report on the good things that are going on. In fact, in my personal experience talking to many of you in the aquaculture industry, you share in my hope for progress and growth. You know that the only way forward for aquaculture is through responsible innovation, but the most common bottleneck to this aspiration is often regulation and business investment.
Going back to working on this magazine, you'll see that a lot of the stories in these pages reflect the industry's desire to drive that change forward. And fortunately, the
As I've come to really know and grow within the aquaculture industry in North America, I've learned that advocacy has to be a team sport. I probably understand as much as any of you that it is easy to complain about the arduous licensing processes, or the patchwork regulatory framework, or the limited business development resources for fish farmers. But, nothing changes if you don't talk about solutions.
I admit that it's easier said than done. As farmers, your work is always busy and it is labour intensive. There is always something to troubleshoot or fish that need to be moved or production benchmarks that are like moving targets. At the same time, you're probably also encountering all the different barriers that are stunting the progress and growth in your farm. This is why, as much as I understand how challenging it can be, it's important for farmers to look beyond the farm. Aquaculture is a tight-knit community and it's a strength that can be harnessed to make some real changes for the collective.
We hope you stay engaged and share your thoughts at jkodin@annexbusinessmedia. com. | ANA
Aquaculture North America’s Editorial Advisory Board: Ian Roberts | Sandra Shumway | Jason Mann | Jeanne Mcknight | Mykolas Kamaitis | Jamie Baker
UN-accredited program recycles or disposes of old fishing gear in B.C.
The Ocean Legacy Foundation (OLF) has launched its Marine Plastic Management Program (MPMP) to help responsibly manage fishing gear disposal in British Columbia.
The innovative initiative is designed to support the province’s fishing and aquaculture industry, said a press release on the OLF website.
“At the heart of the Marine Plastic Management Program is a commitment to innovation and environmental leadership,” said Chloé Dubois, executive director, Ocean Legacy Foundation. “This program represents a transformative step forward in addressing the mounting challenge of marine plastic pollution. Through the integration of waste recovery, tracking, sorting, and recycling technologies, the MPMP makes it possible to close the loop on marine plastics by turning waste into valuable resources.”
The new program is part of OLF’s Strategic Management of Ghost Gear in Coastal Land initiative, which is endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). OLF, a global leader in marine plastic recovery and recycling, is accredited by the UN Environment Program, the website said.
By participating in this initiative, businesses can help reduce plastic from leaking into ecosystems. At the same time, they can help improve material traceability. The program supports reporting of the plastic-carbon footprint and aligns with extended producer responsibility (EPR) principles. It can help businesses promote long-term environmental and operational resilience and prepare for regulatory changes.
“Ocean Legacy Foundation continues to be an inspiring leader in B.C.’s circular economy, working hard to create a more sustainable future through its successful
marine clean-up and recycling initiatives,” said Honourable Tamara Davidson, minister of environment and parks. “The Foundation’s new Marine Plastic Membership Program will help find innovative solutions to address the challenges of marine plastics, and I am excited to see the positive impact this work will have on communities and the environment.”
Maine passes three bills to improve aquaculture operations
Maine lawmakers have passed three bills to help improve the U.S. state’s aquaculture operations.
The bills aim to protect aquaculture operations from nuisance complaints, and revise current aquaculture lease renewals. All three bills, which were introduced by Maine representative Morgan Rielly, are now law, as reported by Seafood Source.
One of the bills will help to protect aquaculture companies and their workers from nuisance or frivolous complaints.
“I have heard time and again that coastal landowners who don’t want to hear, see, or smell aquaculture operations unfairly file nuisance complaints against our aquaculture workers, which can put a halt to the work and food production Mainers rely on,” Rielly said in a release. “They deserve the same protections as our commercial fishermen, and I am glad that they will soon have those protections.”
The other two bills plan to make aquaculture lease renewals less burdensome and commission a report on improvement of aquaculture leases, said the website.
“The current renewal process for leases is uniquely burdensome,” Rielly said. “[These two] are thoughtful, targeted bills that support both innovation and regulation. These measures help ensure that our leasing process is responsive, efficient, and fair while maintaining the high environmental and public trust standards Maine is known for.”
New test speeds up cancer detection in clams
A new test developed at Roger Williams University (RWU)’s Aquatic Diagnostic Lab may detect hemocytic neoplasia (a contagious cancer) in hardshell clams much faster than current methods.
The test, which discovers hemocytic neoplasia in the clam’s hemolymph (similar to blood), is also claimed to be more sensitive. Also, it is non-lethal to the clams, in contrast to traditional methods. This means farmers may be able to rapidly diagnose and make stock management decisions weeks before losing entire crops, the university said in a press release.
“This diagnostic method can be done in two weeks and will be a game-changer for shellfish farmers,” said Michael Torselli, an Aquatic Diagnostic Lab research technician.
With currently used testing, diagnosis can take up to six weeks and involves killing the clams, as a pathologist needs to review the tissue samples under a microscope. Now, the university claims that scientists have a faster, non-lethal method using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) test to analyze hemolymph samples. They also say the test is more sensitive and can detect lower levels of disease. It is less expensive than traditional methods.
“We’re hoping a lot of farmers take advantage of the test to be proactive about the disease and how it spreads,” said Torselli. “This can have a major positive impact on the shellfish industry.”
The researchers said that while hard clams are affected by hemocytic neoplasia, they are safe to eat and have no impact on human health. However, shellfish farmers
face a major challenge because when their clams are affected by this disease they may not be able to produce enough clams to make aquaculture profitable.
“Once the clams have this cancer, they’re not going to survive for very long,” said Abigail Scro, Aquatic Diagnostic Lab molecular research and lab manager. “This test will at least let you know that if your clams are market size, that they should be sold quickly.”
Mowi reports thousands of salmon dead in “incident mortality” at Newfoundland farm
Thousands of farmed salmon reportedly died at a Newfoundland fish farm.
Mowi Canada East confirmed with Aquaculture North America that about 10 percent of the farm’s salmon stock at Northern Harvest Sea Farms in Little Burdock Cove experienced an “incident mortality.” An estimated total of 176,000 Atlantic salmon were on the farm at the time, making the estimated mortality event affect more than 17,600 fish.
The event was isolated to a single farm, according to Gideon Pringle, Mowi Canada East’s managing director. The farm was in its final days of harvesting when the mortality event was discovered, and the farm is now empty.
Counter to a false narrative being claimed online by various activists, Pringle said this event has “no comparison in cause or scale” to the incidents that occurred many years ago which led to a “die-off” in the province.
The incident breached government thresholds for mandatory public reporting, and so, the company has taken all necessary steps to comply with Newfoundland’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture mandated protocols.
The mortality event was reportedly caused by “a period of increased water temperatures in association with decreased oxygen levels,” according to a CBC report.
Clams that show signs of neoplasia (cancer) are gaping and no longer buried.
Data suggest Maine women are underrepresented in aquaculture sector
Only 23.4 percent of aquaculture leases and licenses in the state are held by women, according to a new report published in Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability
When comparing by sector, seaweed included more women lease and license holders (37.8 percent) compared to bivalve farming (19.6 percent). Only 4.8 percent of Maine lobster fishing licenses were held by women. However, there are no sex-related data collected in the Atlantic salmon farming sector in Maine.
The opinion article was published as part of the Frontiers’ research topic on “Working in Fisheries – Fish and Aquaculture: a celebration of women’s contribution and experience.” Natalie Lord (a research student at the Uni-
versity of New Hampshire), et al. cited data gaps that illustrated how gender-responsive programming and networks could address gender equity in Maine’s aquaculture industry.
The report cites a 2022 Census of Agriculture by the National Agricultural Statistics Service which found that 94 out of 261 aquaculture farms in Maine had at least
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one female producer. According to a 2024 study, “perceived barriers to women’s participation include stereotypical gender norms, sexual harassment, gear and farm designs that do not fit their body, inheritance patterns of knowledge and assets that favor men, financial capital needed for limited-entry fishing licenses, social capital tied to previous experience in fisheries, discrimination, exclusion, and access to funding and relevant training opportunities."
In response to demand, the study cites two programs which have emerged in the state: the Women in Aquaculture Series offered in partnership with Aquaculture in Shared Waters, and a network for women hosted by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center.
“Advancing gender equity for Maine’s aquaculture industry will require a nuanced understanding and application of substantive equity in all its shapes and forms,” Lord et al. wrote. “New research could examine gendered differences in farm operations and economics, agency, well-being, and the distribution of socioeconomic risks and benefits across seafood value chains, including wild capture fisheries and finfish aquaculture.”
Global Seafood Alliance releases salmon farm 3.0 standards
The Global Seafood Alliance has released its "Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Salmon Farm Stan-
dard," Issue 3.0 and will become effective Aug. 5, 2026.
“Updates have been made to make the standard more robust, including strengthened human rights requirements, stronger requirements for protection of predator species and stricter requirements for humane slaughter methods,” said Global Seafood Alliance. “This standard will also transition all salmon farms to a mandatory twoday audit duration.”
Key changes from the previous Issue 2.4 include additional clauses to strengthen human rights requirements. There are also stricter procedures for safe diving, response to diver emergencies, and requirements for diver training and certification.
The standard has stronger requirements for the protection of endangered, threatened, and protected species; predator species; and cleaner fish. It has stricter conditions for biosecurity and fish welfare during crowding or transport, and more rigorous requirements for humane harvest/ slaughter. There is more emphasis on the use and documentation of operational welfare indicators, the website indicated.
In addition, the standard has adopted the forage fish dependency ratio as a metric, which quantifies the amount of wild-caught fish used to produce fishmeal and fish oil (aquaculture feed ingredients).
Grieg Seafood sells Canadian, northern Norway farms to Cermaq
Grieg Seafood is selling its businesses in Newfoundland, British Columbia and Finnmark, Norway to Cermaq for NOK 10.2 billion (US$989.3 million).
Going forward, Grieg Seafood explained in a press release it will base its company development in the Rogaland region in western Norway.
“This transaction will position both Grieg Seafood and the regions for the future,” said Grieg CEO Nina Willumsen Grieg. “We aim to continue to be a strong actor in the
Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center hosts a series of workshops called Aquaculture in Shared Waters geared towards training women aquaculturists.
advancement of sustainable aquaculture in Norway.”
The Finnmark branch has salmon farms in four municipalities, as well as a smolt facility in Lebesby and a harvesting plant in Alta. Newfoundland has a land-based freshwater facility in Marytown and the British Columbia branch has 11 seawater farms and a land-based freshwater facility.
Willumsen Grieg said that Cermaq is well-positioned to take the Newfoundland and British Columbia regions further.
“Both companies are committed to enhancing fish welfare and minimizing environmental impact,” said Cermaq CEO Steven Rafferty. “We eagerly anticipate strengthening our collaborative efforts towards sustainable growth with the additional expertise and resources provided by Grieg.”
New U.S. bill to advance open ocean aquaculture
U.S. Democratic senator Brian Schatz and Republican senator Roger Wicker have introduced the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act to advance the development of commercial, open-ocean aquaculture in U.S. federal waters.
The bipartisan bill would enable the U.S. to responsibly grow more sustainable seafood domestically, said a press release from the advocacy organization, Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS).
“The bipartisan consensus is clear: Congressional action is
needed to build a robust American open ocean aquaculture industry, and the MARA Act lays the groundwork towards that goal,” said Drue Banta Winters, SATS campaign manager. “We thank senators Schatz and Wicker for their leadership in introducing legislation that will allow us to demonstrate how we can grow more of our own seafood here at home — and do so responsibly and sustainably.”
Currently, the U.S. imports up to 85 percent of its seafood. While demand for fresh, sustainably raised seafood is growing, there is no clear pathway for open ocean aquaculture in U.S. waters. To date, no commercial-scale finfish farm has successfully navigated the federal permitting process, which involves duplicative, costly environmental reviews across multiple agencies.
The MARA Act plans to establish an assessment program to evaluate commercial-scale demonstration projects. This includes creating an Office of Aquaculture within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Marine Fisheries Service to coordinate federal permitting for a U.S. aquaculture program. The Act aims to set clear timelines and establish a consolidated environmental review process during the permitting approval process, said the press release.
It also plans to authorize grant funding to modernize American working waterfront communities, including infrastructure that benefits both commercial fishing and aquaculture. Also, it will invest in workforce training and curriculum development to train the next generation of aquaculture professionals, the press release explained.
“This growing bipartisan consensus in Congress to advance open ocean aquaculture in America comes with strong support from leading environmental groups, seafood industry businesses, chefs, and academics who all agree: We can responsibly grow more of our own seafood here at home,” Banta Winters said.
FULLY AUTOMATIC OYSTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
Nina Willumsen Grieg, CEO of Grieg Seafood ASA.
Generation Aqua
BY IMANI BLACK
Imani Black is an aquaculture professional, advocate, and industry trailblazer with a decade of experience in oyster farming and hatchery management across Maryland and Virginia. As the founder of Minorities In Aquaculture and a graduate with a Master’s degree in Ecological Anthropology from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, she is dedicated to fostering workforce inclusivity and equity through mentorship, education, and advocacy. (imanib@mianpo.org / www.mianpo.org / @imaniiiblackkk)
The international student dilemma
Are we letting vital talent slip through our fingers?
After talking with a few of the international students who were part of the Minorities
In Aquaculture (MIA) 2024 internship cohort, I had no idea how hard it truly was for them to become involved in our industry. Of course, these experiences don’t speak for every international student, but for some, it’s a long road of hoping to find a place that will see them not as a short-term hire, but as a long-term part of the team.
And when I look at the bigger picture, I can’t help but ask myself: how many amazing people have we passed up on and dropped at the last minute when we find out there’s another step to the process?
The bigger picture
Nationally, the labor gap is striking. There are eight million job openings in the U.S. but only 6.8 million available workers. Projections show this deficit could grow to six million by 2032 (IDP, inSpring & AIRC, 2024).
While headlines focus on nursing or advanced manufacturing, aquaculture and other blue economy fields feel these pressures acutely, especially in regions where specialized talent is already scarce.
Researchers note that “the limited and declining pool of working - age Americans cannot alone meet the demand for skilled labor; integrating international talent is no longer optional but imperative” (IDP, inSpring & AIRC, 2024).
It’s important to remember that even at the federal level, the topic of international students in the workforce has been shaped by shifting priorities. During the Trump administration, there was significant scrutiny on visa programs like H - 1B and Optional Practical Training (OPT). In 2020, for example, proposed rules aimed to limit the duration of certain student visas and add heightened reviews for
work authorizations – policies that, while not fully implemented, created uncertainty for employers and students alike (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2020).
At the same time, administration officials publicly emphasized the need to “protect American workers first,” which often left international graduates unsure of their standing in long-term workforce planning (Redden, 2020).
An untapped solution
International student enrollment in the U.S. reached 1.126 million in 2023-24, with 56 percent pursuing STEM degrees and nearly 73 percent wanting to stay and work after graduation (IDP, inSpring & AIRC, 2024). These students bring cutting - edge skills in biology, engineering, logistics – precisely what aquaculture operations need to grow sustainably.
The reality, however, is that these students often face steep adaptation challenges. A 21-year trend analysis found that sociocultural and academic barriers – language issues, cultural isolation, and
systemic misunderstanding – remain the most persistent hurdles worldwide (Oduwaye et al., 2023).
“International students face similar challenges regardless of their host country, with no significant improvements over the past two decades,” the study concludes (Oduwaye et al., 2023).
Barriers holding them back
I’ll be honest, until last year, I had never navigated the work visa process, let alone with three interns, all with different needs for support. I didn’t realize how it could feel like a high-stakes leap for both employer and candidate. Yes, there’s an upfront investment when it comes to sponsorship, and yes, hiring anyone new is risky. But as I’ve listened – and continue to hear – about the hurdles faced by international students I’ve met or supported as they try to break into this workforce, I’m more curious to know: is it truly the work visa standing in the way of hiring international talent, or is it the systemic lack of understanding of navigating through the process?
By breaking down barriers, we could potentially unlock a steady stream of international talent ready to innovate and grow our industry.
What’s striking is that we already have a pathway: Optional Practical Training (OPT). This allows STEM graduates up to three years of work authorization per study level without employer sponsorship. There’s no lottery, no cap, and no direct cost to employers – yet many companies in niche sectors like aquaculture aren’t aware of it (IDP, inSpring & AIRC, 2024).
Even as OPT remained in place under the Trump administration, it came under review multiple times, which the Association of International Enrollment Management noted created “a climate of hesitation among employers unsure of long-term policy stability” (AIRC, 2020). For international students, those signals added another layer of uncertainty to an already complex process.
The human side of the challenge Studies reveal that 82.9 percent of international students face sociocultural challenges, like language barriers, homesickness, an discrimination (Oduwaye et al., 2023).
In my conversations with students, I’ve heard echoes of that research – stories of brilliant young scientists struggling to feel seen because of an accent or because their questions about sponsorship felt like a deal-breaker to potential employers.
One student said plainly, “It’s not about whether I can do the work. It’s about whether someone will take a chance on me long enough to prove it.” That hit me hard.
But change is possible. The Ritedose International Student Engagement (RISE)
program pairs a pharmaceutical company with a college to build a talent pipeline. At Case Western Reserve University, targeted employer education and career services have helped international graduates outperform domestic peers in employment outcomes –only one percent still seeking employment compared to 3.5 percent overall (IDP, inSpring & AIRC, 2024).
And of course, what does this mean? Imagine similar partnerships in aquaculture – hatcheries and universities working handin-hand, regional seafood tech incubators teaming up with STEM programs. By breaking down barriers and using models like RISE, we could potentially unlock a steady stream of talent ready to innovate and grow our industry.
I’ve devoted my career to equipping the next generation of the aquaculture workforce with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive, while also working to uncover, address, and solve the very barriers that have slowed the growth of our industry’s career pipeline. Through these conversations – and by witnessing firsthand the untapped brilliance, dedication, and passion international students bring to this field – I see things differently now. We may very well be overlooking some of the most driven, well-prepared, and resilient future leaders aquaculture could ever hope to have.
As AIRC, IDP, and inSpring put it (2024), “International students represent an underleveraged solution for industries experiencing chronic talent shortages, particularly
those requiring STEM expertise.”
In addition to Oduwaye et al. (2023) reminding us that those challenges these students face aren’t going away on their own, we can’t afford not to address it as we improve the viability, accessibility, and global presence of the U.S. seafood industry moving into the future.
So I’ll leave it here with this: In an industry, like aquaculture and the maritime field, that strongly depends on innovation and resilience, how many exceptional international graduates have we quietly overlooked –simply because the path to hiring them felt unfamiliar – and how much longer can we afford to let that untapped talent slip away?
Have a workforce development or industry challenge you’d like me to explore next? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind – email me and share what’s resonating with you right now. |
ANA
References
IDP, inSpring, & The Association of International Enrollment Management (AIRC). (2024). “Connecting Industry & Education: International Talent as a Solution to the U.S. Labor Shortage.” Oduwaye, O., Kiraz, A., & Sorakin, Y. (2023). “A Trend Analysis of the Challenges of International Students Over 21 Years.” SAGE Open. https://doi. org/10.1177/21582440231210387
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2020).
“Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media.” Federal Register, 85(189). Redden, E. (2020). “Trump administration proposes major changes for international students.” Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/ news/2020/09/25/trump-administration-proposes-major-changes-international-students
Making waves in America
How the Velella Project sets new rules for U.S. aquaculture
By Lynn Fantom
Last June when anti-aquaculture groups appealed a key U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit for Ocean Era’s Velella Epsilon demonstration project in the Gulf of Mexico, CEO Neil Anthony Sims immediately shot back with a press release accusing “a few agenda-driven activist lawyers” of “pushing emotionally charged, anti-science arguments” which robbed the Florida fishing and boating community of the opportunity to form their own opinions on offshore aquaculture.
Undeterred, the Hawaii-based marine biologist expressed determination to move forward on the project, despite seven years of permitting hurdles.
In light of such setbacks, however, industry watchers globally are beginning to ask how aquaculture leaders and young people alike can sustain the commitment to develop the scientific innovations and regulatory reformation necessary to launch a totally new food production system.
Aquaculture North America spoke with Sims, who told us about the experiences that have driven him to become the kind of advocate people often turn to for insights and inspiration. He was as likely to quote Confucius as economic and climate data.
What’s at stake
The imperative to grow finfish in the deep ocean has only strengthened as people have recognized how animal protein production impacts the climate and other limited resources, particularly land and fresh water.
“If you are passionate about personal health, ocean health, and planetary health, then you should be eating more sustainably farmed seafood. It’s
Once permitted, Velella Epsilon will be anchored 130 feet (40 meters) deep and 40 miles off the coast of Sarasota, Florida, and stocked with red drum.
PHOTO: SEAPROTEAN
one of the least impactful, most readily scalable forms of animal protein production on the planet,” says Sims.
Today, many leading environment organizations – the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Environmental Defense Fund, and The Nature Conservancy – all advocate for increasing the world’s supply of seafood through aquaculture.
And, for both health and environmental reasons, Americans are eating more seafood. In fact, consumption increased 31 percent between 2002 and 2021, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Yet between 70 and 85 percent of that seafood is imported. For consumers who like to know where their food comes from, it is an uncomfortable fact that 90 percent of shrimp, the most popular seafood in the U.S., is imported.
“When we produce seafood in the U.S., we ensure it’s environmentally and socially sustainable, something
not always guaranteed in imports,” noted Danielle Blacklock, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, in an email.
What’s more, greater seafood production in the U.S. would help reverse the significant trade deficit: the difference between imports and exports has been running at over $20 billion in recent years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“To produce seafood at a scale that feeds families, offshore development must be part of the solution,” Blacklock added. So, where does it stand?
Forays offshore
In 2001, Sims and a business partner began developing a fish farm off the coast of Kona, Hawaii. Today that operation, called Blue Ocean Mariculture, produces over 800 tons of sashimi-grade Hawaiian Kanpachi in net pens that can be submerged up to 30 feet (9 meters) below the water’s surface. It is the only commercial farm in the U.S. to raise fish in the open ocean.
”It’s been operating now for over 20 years, and there has been no significant impact on water quality. It is just half a mile from a beautiful stretch of coral reef. On any evening, there will be 15 or 20 boats there with tourists diving among the manta rays. Has the dive community complained?” asks Sims.
“Crickets,” he answers, adding, “Put diving among the manta rays on your bucket list.”
In 2011, Sims’ interests in next-generation technologies led to the launch of the Velella Beta-test Project. In partnership with Lockheed-Martin, the Beta test was an unmoored Aquapod that drifted for eight months off Hawaii Island. The Beta-test kampachi grew twice as fast as expected.
Velella Beta was named one of TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of the Year 2012.” Through financial support from Illinois Soy Board, Velella Gamma then followed. This moored array demonstrated remote command-and-control technologies.
Now the third iteration, Velella Epsilon, is destined for the Gulf if it can overcome the challenge to the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit, issued by the EPA last May.
With funding from National Sea Grant, this pilot-scale project will feature new technology (a SeaProtean submersible net pen) and a new fish species (red drum).
“If you are passionate about personal health, ocean health, and planetary health, then you should be eating more sustainably farmed seafood,” says Neil Anthony Sims.
Kampachi swim inside the Aquapod. This trial array in 2013 was moored 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) deep. It included an unoccupied feed barge that technicians ran remotely.
PHOTO: JEFF MILISEN
Goals of this demo project
Through Velella Epsilon, scientists will be able document the performance of the fish, as well as its impact on the marine ecosystem. In addition, they will monitor its effects as a fish aggregating device (FAD), which could benefit commercial, recreational, and charter boat fishermen.
The project was also intended as a demonstration of how to obtain permits for offshore aquaculture in the U.S. As Sims sees it – and the last seven years have demonstrated –“there is clearly deep dysfunction in the current permitting process.”
Offshore aquaculture projects require compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The public can weigh in at every stage; groups like Friends of Animals, Don’t Cage Our Oceans Coalition, and the Center for Food Safety all filed appeals or lawsuits to stop the Velella Epsilon project.
“Currently, there’s no clear legislation that tells you what you need to do, what the rules are around
submitting for a permit, who oversees it, and how you move the process forward,” adds Dick Jones, whose resume includes CEO of Blue Ocean Mariculture, co-founder of the global nonprofit Ocean Outcomes, and director of seafood buying programs at both HEB and Whole Foods.
Passion for the ocean
If the conservation groups who have opposed the Velella Epsilon project could meet Neil Sims, they might take pause.
After earning a Bachelor’s at James Cook University, he started his career in the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources – the government agency which protects wild fish stocks and marine biodiversity.
The experience frames much of Sims’ philosophy about the relationship between humanity and the oceans.
“I’ve seen islands that supported viable artisanal fisheries, which had been sustainably managed under traditional regimes for decades, and then some bright spark shows up with a vacuum packer and a blast freezer, and in six months it’s all over. The
fish are gone,” he says. “And I’ve seen islands where the pearl shell diving industry transformed – in a matter of months – to a pearl farming industry, with tremendous economic, environmental, and work-safety benefits.”
The black pearl farming industry was in its inception in the Cooks during the mid-1980s. Previously, pearl shell diving supplied the jewelry and button trades. Local divers were free-diving these lagoons, ripping pearl oysters out, killing them, and then selling the shell for about US$2 per oyster.
But farming offered a lucrative alternative, Sims says, “if you farmed that same oyster and instead of killing it for the shell, you hung it from a long line, nurtured it, and then had a technician come and implant a black pearl nucleus into that oyster. And then, if you tended that oyster for two more years, you would have a pearl that was worth, at that time, US$85 in the Tahiti auction. And you still had the oyster!"
“ So, very early on, I realized there was a sweet spot: using economic incentives to drive what we saw as the ecological imperatives. And that has
In June, the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture visited Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to support offshore aquaculture legislation. The motto of the industry advocacy group is: “Grow it here, do it right.”
been the underlying imperative of my career,” Sims says.
Sims pursued pearl oyster research and development throughout the 1990s, but he also watched as critical wild fisheries in the U.S. collapsed. Atlantic cod; West Coast groundfish like sablefish, flounder, and skate; Pacific albacore; sardines in California – all were overfished. At the same time, increasing affluence and health consciousness were motivating people to eat more seafood.
Sims says he felt the firm hand of fate in his back as he considered his career options: “What are you gonna say when your grandchildren come up and ask, ‘Gee, Grandpa, in the global seafood crisis, what did you do?’”
A team, a network, an alliance
He has now devoted a quarter of a century to offshore aquaculture development.
”Neil has a strong passion for the ocean,” says Jones, who met Sims about 20 years ago.
“I think that passion is what drives him to keep going to see open ocean aquaculture in the United States be as strong an industry as it is in other parts of the world.”
The federal and state governments have provided research grant funding for a number of innovative projects. In addition, the U.S. soy industry has supported years of extensive feeds research. Working within the community at Kona’s Natural Energy Laboratory, where both Sims and Jones have their offices, has been an “immense benefit,” Sims says, calling the industrial park “the original aquaculture incubator facility.”
Reflecting on what has sustained him over the years, Sims also gratefully acknowledges his team members and scientific collaborators, who have “not only sipped the KoolAid but drunk it in big, thirsty gulps,” he says.
So, he’s ready for the next hurdle. He quotes the I Ching, “Perseverance furthers.” | ANA
PROVEN EQUIPMENT
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The fight for funding
Amid economic volatility, financial challenges, U.S. seafood producers are calling for change
By Mari-Len De Guzman
Every year, more than US$100 million in federal financing programs are allocated to support U.S. aquaculture businesses. But some producers are finding that availability and meaningful access can be two different things – and they are beginning to speak out.
It’s a seeming disconnect between government pronouncements to support the growth of U.S. aquaculture through these funding programs and the difficulties and hurdles business owners say they face when trying to access them.
“ One of the things that’s really making it a lot more difficult is the position of NOAA,” says Robin Pearl, co-founder and president of Florida-based shrimp genetics producer American Penaeid. “And it shouldn’t be this hard and it shouldn’t be this way.”
Pearl, who also co-founded American Mariculture (AMI), the company behind Sun Shrimp, maintains the current system governing NOAA-managed financing programs has not been responsive to the needs of seafood farmers, especially after their businesses have had to endure a global pandemic and other natural disasters.
AMI and American Penaeid filed for bankruptcy in January 2025, after taking a significant hit from the global shrimp market downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ We’ve been in business for 12 years, and we’ve sold over a hundred million dollars worth of shrimp. If one of the better qualified companies in America cannot succeed or cannot find the support that it needs, how does anybody else have a chance?” Pearl says.
As the federal agency that oversees U.S. aquaculture, NOAA offers several funding opportunities for aquaculture research and development, as well as for commercial businesses. In particular, the NOAA Fisheries Finance Program (FFP) provides long-term fixed rate loans for the fishing and aquaculture sectors with an annual allocation of $100 million.
AMI was among the aquaculture companies to have been approved for the FFP. Having gone through the application, approval, and funding processes, Pearl has experienced first-hand the flaws within that system. In a July LinkedIn post, Pearl called it “the worst mistake I ever made.”
There is no publicly available data on how many companies have received loans through the FFP or how much has been
Robin Pearl said his business is one of many that have experienced how difficult it is to navigate through NOAA's funding programs.
extended to aquaculture businesses to date. As of press time, NOAA did not respond to questions from this writer.
Slow growth
Despite a national goal of advancing its domestic aquaculture industry, the U.S. still imports as much as 80 percent of its seafood supply. Domestic aquaculture only accounts for seven percent of the total U.S. seafood supply, according to data from NOAA Fisheries.
“The U.S. isn’t even in the top 10 of the countries in the world for aquaculture production and value,” says Nicole Kirchhoff, founder and CEO of Live Advantage Bait, which produces warmwater marine fish, fingerlings, and eggs for baitfish and foodfish grow-out, research, and restoration.
“Part of this is our lack of governmental support compared to other nations. The top countries support aquaculture through tax incentives, subsidies payment for ecosystem services, and direct-to-business financing and loans.”
While there is no information available pertaining to loans facilitated through the FFP, NOAA’s Sea Grant does provide some data on its federal investments. Sea Grant is a federal-university partnership program supporting coastal marine and Great Lakes communities through research and education. From 2018 to 2023, the program has invested an average of $16.3 million in aquaculture annually, resulting in $69.6 million in economic impact.
Knowledge gap
Kirchhoff, who is also a marine biologist, notes a large chunk of government funding, up to 95 percent, goes to federal facilities, universities, and not-for-profit
organizations, leaving very little money for private businesses.
“ Other countries, for example in Australia where I was, they have a model where most of the funding for aquaculture is either
directed by the farms themselves – they actually have to sign off on it – or is actually paid to the farms to do the work. And then the academics help either the data collection or the writeup or ways,” Kirchhoff says.
Instead of competing for government funding, aquaculture farmers and universities could collaborate on industry-focused research. Nicole Kirchhoff says this offers advantages for both sides because farmers can share in much needed funding while researchers can have access to the real-world scale of a commercial farm.
The Live Advantage Bait CEO has travelled around the world exploring global aquaculture industries, and has spent five years in Australia, where she has significantly contributed to tuna conservation, aquatic animal health, and fish welfare.
Aquaculture farmers often find themselves in competition with NGOs and research institutions when it comes to government funding. “Sadly, one of our biggest competitions has too often become the very institutions tax payers are funding to help us.”
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Kirchhoff says she hopes for better collaboration between research institutions and commercial farms, with the common goal of advancing the economic benefits of aquaculture. Funding policies that make research institutions more accountable to increase farm productivity – such as knowledge transfer and providing a path to commercial viability – would be most beneficial to the industry. Currently, there are no meaningful incentives for academia to pursue these kinds of industry-focused outcomes; instead the objectives have mostly been for academic publishing and student education.
Kirchhoff says one area of research and industry collaboration would be to use commercial farms for research purposes, instead of universities building their own facilities, which typically lack the economy of scale that a commercial farm might provide.
“We spend a lot of money on aquaculture research but it’s not being spent in the right areas. As you can see from the last 20 years, 30 years, aquaculture really has not grown in the United States,” she says.
Private funding and regulatory hurdles
Beyond government funding, private capital makes up a significant amount of investments into global aquaculture. In 2023, more than $1 billion in venture capital flowed into aquaculture start-ups, globally, with investments focused on sustainable production, a report from AgriTech Insights says.
Securing funding from traditional banks, however, is another story.
“Banks still consider (aquaculture) a high-risk industry,” says Kirchhoff. “Securing loans is nearly impossible and comes with a high cost. Without collateral, most businesses can’t even get started without their own money or investors’ (money). Investors (often) don’t get the returns they want so you are looking at a smaller pool of passionate investors to keep us going.”
Pearl says banks are typically wary of providing loan facilities to aquaculture businesses due to assets that are not easily collateralized. For instance, the land where the aquaculture facility stands can be used as collateral, but not the actual facility.
“Commercial banks are generally not part of the mix because they say it is just too risky,” he says. This is why government funding and loan facilities are crucial, and need to be designed to better serve the industry.
The Fisheries Finance Program was established in the 1970s. Pearl points out some pain points of the loan approval process and the hoops that a business still has to go through even after approval to actually access the money.
For one, he says the requirements that a business applicant must prove 75 percent U.S. ownership could be problematic for start-ups who have had to rely on foreign capital to fund their projects and would automatically disqualify them for the loan.
“When you are an investor in my company, in my shrimp farm, and let’s say you invested $20,000. And then I say, ‘Oh, by the way, can you send me your passport? I need your social security card. I need to make sure that you’re an American.’ That doesn’t go over well with investors,” Pearl says.
The reimbursement model for accessing an approved loan also needs revisiting, he adds. When the loan is approved, the money is placed in escrow from which the company can draw after they have incurred the expense and request for a reimbursement. This means a company which has been approved for the loan still has to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars upfront, and spend that money before it can get reimbursed.
Despite a national goal to advance U.S. industry, farmers are finding it difficult to navigate the government's business financing support programs.
“So when (NOAA) finally gave us the (loan) money, they didn’t give us the money,” Pearl says. “ They took the $4.8 million they put in an escrow account with Wells Fargo and they said, ‘Now the minute you spend half a million dollars, you could file a draw and then we’ll pay back $400,000.’”
The recognition of the regulatory hurdles faced by aquaculture companies is not new. In 2018, during a Senate hearing held by the committee on commerce, science, and transportation, then senator John Thune of South Dakota stated, “Currently, however, those seeking to expand the domestic farming of seafood often face a confusing regulatory maze. Permits for an aquaculture farm may be required from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Coast Guard, the Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration. This overlapping web of federal jurisdiction and lengthy, sometimes unending, permitting process can take 10 years or more, scaring many investors away.”
Vocal voices
After enduring financial difficulties and a federal regulatory system that he believes does not help the industry thrive, Pearl says he is now becoming more vocal about pushing for a change in the system.
“We are a leading company in our field, but I’ve done very little to actually promote… the whole industry. What we do is hard and I was just trying to figure out how to survive and how to work and how to grow.”
“I realize now that was a mistake on my part. I should have been much more vocal, much more active, even when I was having these issues with NOAA, three years ago, four years ago,” Pearl says. He acknowledges that it can be difficult for the industry to speak up against the system, but with the current administration’s push towards strengthening domestic production, across all industries, Pearl says this might be a good time to lobby for change.
Kirchhoff says collaboration is key, not just among producers and farmers but also with researchers, NGOs, and the government.
“I work closely with nearly a dozen universities and NGOs – fantastic, smart, driven, and wonderful people. Many see the need for change and want change so they can use limited dollars and their employment and resources to help,” she says. | ANA
Innovation Beyond Measure
WIth the current administration's push towards strengthening domestic industry, Robin Pearl is hopeful that this is the time for fish farmers to lobby for change.
Showcase
Deep Trekker launches 1,000 m direct power and fiber tether system
Deep Trekker is introducing its new 1,000 meter direct power and fiber tether system for the Revolution remote-operated vehicle.
The system offers a maximum depth of 1,000 meters, and a powered winch with feeds that tether automatically during deployment and recovery. The fiber optic tether provides high-bandwidth communication and data
Quality & Value Quality
transfer. Its direct power supply eliminates battery swaps for continuous operations, the company said in a press release.
Kitchener, Ontario-based Deep Trekker is a specialist in remotely operated vehicles and related machinery. Its battery-operated equipment ensure no need for gas power and thus a reduced risk of contamination to the environment or to fish health, according to the company’s website.
Gael Force Group appoints two sales managers to support international growth
Gael Force Group has appointed two new sales managers to support strategic growth in international export markets, including Iceland, the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa.
Joining the business is Sigurður Steinþórsson, who brings a wealth of experience within the aquaculture sector in Iceland. Also joining is Alessandro Ciattaglia, with many years of experience in aquaculture sales, to engage with customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (EMENA), the company said in a press release.
“We are delighted to welcome Siggi and Alessandro to the Gael Force team,” said Jamie Young, group sales director at Gael Force Group. “With their combined expertise and deep understanding of their respective countries, we are confident they will play a pivotal role in expanding our presence globally.”
Both Steinþórsson and Ciattaglia will be identifying new opportunities, continuing to drive product innovations to meet market demands,
New sales manager at Gael Force Group, Sigurður Steinþórsson PHOTO: GAEL FORCE GROUP
building and maintaining strong relationships with customers overseas, and delivering value to stakeholders, the press release explained.
“These appointments mark a significant step forward in supporting the increasing demand for the company’s trusted equipment, technology, and services in their export markets,” said the press release.
Gael Force Group is based in Scotland. The company’s export strategy is focused on developing innovative solutions and establishing relationships within the aquaculture market.
South-Tek now offers compressors, dryers, and filters
Nitrogen generation solutions brand South-Tek is expanding its product line to include a full suite of compressed air solutions, including compressors, dryers, and filters.
For aquaculture operations, this provides a turnkey program for aeration systems that depend on reliable, consistent airflow, the company said in a press release.
The compressors are designed for continuous uptime and low maintenance. The air systems help maintain water quality and fish health. The products come with support from engineers familiar with marine and aquatic environments, explained the press release.
“This launch marks a significant step in our mission to provide unmatched control, performance, and expertise,” said South-Tek Systems CEO, Jens Bolleyer. “As the leading single-source provider of gas generation and compressed air solutions, we now offer a comprehensive product suite under one brand.”
South-Tek Systems’ new line of compressors is designed to be efficient, durable, reliable, with low maintenance. The addition of dryers and filters helps ensure clean, dry air, to protect equipment and optimize system performance, said the press release.
“We are thrilled to expand our product offerings and provide our customers with a comprehensive compressed air solution,” said Dustin Parscal, national sales manager at South-Tek Systems.
South-Tek is based in North Carolina.
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FishPros Network
BY LEAH WILLIAMS STOKER
Who is leading aquaculture's tomorrow?
As U.S. aquaculture scales to meet rising global demand, there’s a pressing question every industry leader must ask: Who will lead it?
The industry is growing fast both domestically and worldwide, with new technologies, species, and markets opening up at an unprecedented pace. In the United States, aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing segments of agriculture, yet it still lags behind countries like Norway, Chile, and China in both volume and workforce development.
Amid all this opportunity, there’s a very real and immediate risk: We are not doing enough to build and retain the next generation of aquaculture leaders. If we don’t act now, the leadership drought will catch up to the momentum.
In aquaculture and across adjacent industries, we are witnessing a generational shift. Many of the sector’s most experienced professionals are nearing retirement, and institutional knowledge is at risk of walking out the door.
At the same time, industries like biotech, environmental sciences, and food tech are aggressively attracting young talent that might otherwise explore aquaculture. These sectors offer competitive salaries, strong branding, and faster career mobility, pulling talent away before aquaculture even gets on their radar.
Worse still, global expansion is outpacing our leadership pipeline. Companies are growing, investments are flowing, and innovations are accelerating but who is preparing the people who will run, scale, and evolve these operations five to 10 years from now? Without intentional development of future leaders, we risk limiting the industry’s capacity to grow and sustain itself long term.
Attracting and retaining emerging professionals in aquaculture requires more than job postings and entry-level offers. Members of Gen Z and young Millennials are seeking mission-driven work, continuous learning, visibility, and faster paths to making an impact. They want to know whether a company aligns with their values, whether they will be mentored, whether there is room to grow, and whether the industry itself is relevant and future-focused. Creating a culture that supports professional development, inclusivity, and innovation is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s essential to competing for top talent.
To truly retain emerging leaders, employers must move beyond traditional job structures and start building clear and compelling career pathways. This begins with launching or strengthening internal mentorship programs that connect seasoned professionals with rising talent.
Companies must articulate what career progression looks like, from entry-level roles to leadership positions, and provide opportunities for growth through experience, exposure, and education. Identifying high-potential individuals early and engaging them in strategic projects can accelerate their development, and the impact is mutual. These rising professionals contribute fresh ideas, new technologies, and a level of digital fluency that complements traditional aquaculture knowledge.
Incentives beyond salary play a critical role as well. Purpose, culture, visibility, and autonomy matter to today’s workforce. A company’s brand and internal environment must reinforce that this is a place where people can grow and be recognized. In addition, entrepreneurship should not be overlooked.
Not every future leader will follow a corporate ladder. The aquaculture industry must make room for and encourage business builders, innovators, hatchery owners, and technology creators. Employers, incubators, academic programs, and trade organizations all have a part to play in helping entrepreneurial talent flourish.
Equally important is the readiness of the
workforce to meet the demands of a modern, tech-enabled industry. Aquaculture’s future will be shaped by AI, data analytics, remote monitoring, and precision farming. However, there is a growing gap between the skills being taught and those actually needed in today’s and tomorrow’s aquaculture operations. Upskilling is needed across all levels, from the farm floor to the executive suite.
Training must include emerging technologies, digital tools, strategic thinking, and collaboration across disciplines, including biology, technology, and business. According to NOAA, workforce development and training remain key bottlenecks to advancing U.S. aquaculture. If we fail to modernize our training strategies, we will struggle to scale sustainably.
The same principles that guide successful aquaculture apply to building great leaders. We must have a long-term strategy; leadership development cannot begin only when there is a vacancy. Ongoing coaching, feedback, and mentorship should be built into the daily rhythm of team culture. And above all, we must create the right environment; a culture that allows people to experiment, evolve, and thrive.
Whether you’re running a farm, managing a hatchery, or leading a global company, it’s time to treat talent development as mission-critical. The future of aquaculture will be built by the people we invest in today. If we want to scale the industry and meet both domestic and global demand, we must grow leaders with the same care and intention we bring to growing fish. | ANA
Leah Williams Stoker is a recruiter and career strategist focused on aquaculture, natural resources, and sustainability. She is the founder of FishPros Network and a regular columnist for Aquaculture North America
Creating a culture that supports professional development, inclusivity, and innovation is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential to compete for top talent.
JOIN US ONLINE
OCTOBER 16, 2025
11 AM EST
Back by popular demand and following the success of its inaugural 2023 event, is the World Trout Culture Summit 2025 - an easyto-access online event for trout culturists worldwide. Whether you’re raising trout commercially or for re-stocking purposes, this event is for you! This year’s event will be packed with informative presentations and panel discussions. Learn from international trout experts and industry peers. Register today!
AGENDA*
(UTC-5:00 Eastern Standard Time)
11:00 AM to 11:50 AM Keynote: Trout Powerhouse
11:50 AM to 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM The Steelhead Debate
12:50 PM to 1:00 PM Break
1:00 PM to 1:50 PM Feeding for sustainability * Agenda is subject to change
NOW and choose to watch live on event day or the recordings later at your convenience.
Want to sponsor this event and show your support for the trout culture community? Contact Jeremy or Patrick now for details.
