Overcoming Barriers to Expanding Aquaculture in Texas
More than 160 individuals from across 10 states, nine universities and 12 state and federal agencies converged on Corpus Christi for the Overcoming Barriers to Expanding Aquaculture in Texas workshop held Jan. 22-24.
The program featured over 20 educational sessions presented by top aquaculture and seafood industry experts.
“The primary goal of the meeting was to enable stakeholders to exchange ideas to develop a roadmap for the future of sustainable expansion of aquaculture in Texas,” said Todd Sink, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service aquaculture specialist and associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
Event co-hosts included the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Aquaculture Program, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Aquaculture Program, Texas Sea Grant and the Texas Aquaculture Association.
“We ended up with a pretty broad representation of the industry including 43 commercial aquaculture producers, 23 commercial aquaculture farms, 21 aquaculture retailer or industry support companies, 21 university departments and institutes, as well as trade associations and non-governmental organizations,” Sink said.
Parr Rosson, Ph.D., RWFM associate department head for extension and professor, said the workshop was a wonderful illustration of how diverse collaboration and the sharing of ideas can lead to advancement.
“Todd and his team should be applauded for all of their hard work in not only planning but facilitating this event,” Rosson said. “I think it’s safe to say that we are all optimistic when it comes to the future of aquaculture expansion in Texas.”
