Many Wisconsinites may be surprised to learn that the state’s agricultural sector includes seafood raised on land, such as Atlantic salmon. Fish farming—also known as aquaculture—here in the U.S. is one way to reduce America’s reliance on imported seafood. Estimates, depending on how they are calculated, indicate that between 65% and 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. In addition to this trade deficit, this situation means that seafood often travels great distances to reach your plate.

A free, online panel discussion hosted by Wisconsin Sea Grant will look at one form of sustainable fish farming known as recirculating aquaculture systems. “Fish on land? The growth of land-based fish farming” will take place Thursday, March 17, from 7 to 8 p.m. (central time) as part of Sea Grant’s “Lake Talks” series.

Registration is required and is open now. The hour will include time for audience questions.

Land-based water reuse systems, like the tanks shown here, can provide an optimal, carefully controlled environment for fish to thrive. Pictured here are Atlantic salmon. (Photo: NADF)

Also called RAS, recirculating aquaculture systems use large tanks and efficient reuse of water to raise fish on land. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made major investments in furthering RAS research and workforce development, building upon earlier support from the National Sea Grant College Program, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Attendees of the March 17 panel will learn about cutting-edge aquaculture research and outreach happening in Wisconsin. They will also gain a broader, national view of recirculating aquaculture and how it can help with America’s seafood trade deficit, provide nutritious food and reduce food’s carbon footprint.

Speakers will also address how U.S. fish farming and wild-caught fisheries can go hand in hand to supply sustainable seafood to American consumers. The evening will also touch upon the role that aquaculture plays through fish hatcheries that support recreational and commercial fishing and the recovery of imperiled species.

Panelists are:

  • Emma Hauser, Aquaculture Outreach Specialist/Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and Wisconsin Sea Grant
  • Dr. Catherine Frederick, Extension Associate for the Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network (RAS-N) and Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon (SAS2), University of Maryland Extension and the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
  • Dr. Jesse Trushenski, Chief Science Officer and Vice President for Animal Welfare, Riverence; Past President and Fellow, American Fisheries Society

For Lake Talks event and registration information, visit the Sea Grant website, or follow Wisconsin Sea Grant on Facebook or Twitter. You can register for the March 17 presentation now.

For questions about this series, contact Wisconsin Sea Grant science communicator Jennifer Smith.

The post Lake Talks series to explore sustainable, land-based fish farming first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/lake-talks-series-to-explore-sustainable-land-based-fish-farming/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-talks-series-to-explore-sustainable-land-based-fish-farming

Jennifer Smith

Three grants totaling more than $334,000 were awarded to Wisconsin Sea Grant to support the state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries, particularly in the areas of career development and resilience planning.

Sharon Moen, Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist. (Photo: Marie Zhuikov)

Recently, NOAA Sea Grant announced federal funding to aid the sustainable growth of the U.S. seafood industry. One of the efforts focuses on the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafood resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant has been awarded $186,000 in funding through that competition, meant to increase the resilience of the seafood sector to respond to future disruptions. The project has a two-year time span and was one of 13 awarded nationally by NOAA Sea Grant. Sharon Moen, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist, is the project lead.

A second recently announced grant of $98,000 was awarded through NOAA Sea Grant and NOAA Office of Sustainable Fisheries (more specifically, through the “Food from the Sea” Careers Program).

The work funded by this grant enables the Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to collaborate on building the framework for a Great Lakes commercial fisheries apprenticeship program over the next six months. Project leads for this effort are Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant fisheries specialist, and Lauren Jescovitch, a Michigan Sea Grant extension educator in the Upper Peninsula. Moen will also be a key player. Together, the team will assess apprenticeship program needs among both tribal and nontribal fishers. The implementation phase of the apprenticeship program will be funded by the two-year grant.

Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist.

A third grant of $50,000 enables the Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative to continue to grow its outreach potential over the next year. Moen leads this project.

“It is exciting that NOAA Sea Grant selected these three Wisconsin proposals for funding,” said Moen. “Food fish—both wild-caught and farm-raised in the U.S.—is an important part of our economy and food security. This funding will enable us to build on our efforts to help commercial fishers and fish farmers thrive in a challenging environment.”

The commercial fishing side of the projects focuses on developing the Great Lakes region’s first-ever apprenticeship program in fishing and fish processing. “Commercial fisheries across the country are graying as the older generation gets older, but who will take the wheel to keep these fisheries going?” said Seilheimer.

Continued Seilheimer, “Our work will build the framework for an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of commercial fishers. We will learn from tribal and state fishers about the needs and wants for a new training program. We hope to build an apprenticeship program that will provide an experienced workforce for tribal and commercial fisheries for years to come to support sustainable Great Lakes fisheries.”

Clarence Pratt of the Red Cliff Fish Co. shows a vacuum-sealed package of lake trout from Lake Superior that has just been processed. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

While the pandemic has been tough all-around, noted Moen, “It has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous commercial fishers.” One partner in this project is the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which operates the Red Cliff Fish Co. The fish market prioritizes local retail sales and supplying Lake Superior fish to Native American elders.

While other states have apprenticeship programs focused on commercial fishing and fish processing, Moen said this one will focus on needs specific to the Great Lakes.

The aquaculture side of the projects will include efforts to inform fish consumers and the general public about fish-farming methods.

“Aquaculture in the U.S. has come a long way in the last several decades, and public perceptions have not kept up with reality,” said Moen. “Regulations in the U.S. as a whole are quite strict, and even more so here in Wisconsin, which should give consumers confidence that they’re choosing a safe product that has been raised responsibly. It pays to check labels or ask at the fish counter when you’re shopping.”

Moen and Seilheimer will carry out the funded activities along with members of Sea Grant’s science communication and education teams.

At their core, the three grant-funded projects are responding to challenges faced by Wisconsin fish farms and commercial fishers, from pandemics to workforce issues. “In the end,” said Moen, “We want to create a stronger food network and food systems so that when future disruptions happen, we’ll be better prepared.”

Those interested in learning more about these projects may contact Sharon Moen or Titus Seilheimer.

The post Wisconsin Sea Grant awarded $334,000 to support state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-awarded-334000-to-support-states-commercial-fishing-and-aquaculture-industries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wisconsin-sea-grant-awarded-334000-to-support-states-commercial-fishing-and-aquaculture-industries

Jennifer Smith

Every year, summer seems to go by in a flash—and, with it, Sea Grant’s summer internships. If you follow the news section of our website, you know that we have seven creative and capable interns this year, each working on a different project with a different mentor.

We caught up with one of those interns, Hunter Goldman, recently to see how things are going with Hunter’s work on the “Eat Wisconsin Fish” project under the guidance of Outreach Specialist Sharon Moen. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.

Wisconsin Sea Grant intern Hunter Goldman at Lake Superior (Submitted photo)

Major: Sustainable Community Development

College: Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin

Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

So, how did a vegetarian end up helping with Eat Wisconsin Fish?

I e-mailed back and forth with Sharon, and she knew that I love cooking and have GIS experience. I also looked at the Eat Wisconsin Fish website to connect my interests to the mission of EWF. One of its goals is to cater to a wide audience, and I felt I was up for that challenge.

I also mentioned to Sharon some sauces I had made recently, and that’s part of how this came to be: our “get saucy with Sea Grant” theme this summer, with my making recipes on Facebook Live.

How have the weekly Facebook Live cooking events been going? It’s been fun watching you in your home kitchen.

It took a little getting used to, but I’m more comfortable behind the camera than presenting for a large audience face-to-face, so it’s easier for me to project myself over Facebook Live.

You’re using your GIS (geographic information systems) background to help with updates to the map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website. What can we look forward to when this is complete?

The updated map will be really in-depth and easily filtered. It will be an upgrade to what’s currently there.

What I have planned is we’re going to have multiple layers, so you can easily select what you’re looking for, such as fishers, markets, academic or research facilities and so forth. For each producer, you’ll be able to easily see their location, address, a description, links to social media, a phone number and that sort of information.

Eat Wisconsin Fish is all about finding and enjoying fish that is sustainably caught or farmed in our state. That’s a nice fit with your major in sustainable community development. What draws you to this field?

I’ve always had a passion for the environment. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with how the Earth works and how humans impact it. Long-term, I’d like to implement geography and GIS and do urban planning that is focused on sustainability.

We heard that you’re intrigued by Iceland and would love to work there someday! Tell us more.

As a country, Iceland is really focused on sustainability; they’re huge leaders in that field, with geothermal power and an emphasis on sustainable energy. Another aspect I like is Iceland’s emphasis on social justice and equality. Iceland has amazing things going on for the LGBT community, which I’m a member of.

I also have an odd fascination with puffins! Iceland has the largest puffin population in the world, with about 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffins.

In Wisconsin, we have to make the most of summer. It goes too fast! What’s your go-to dish this time of year that would pair well with Wisconsin fish?

My family has a great recipe for gazpacho. If you let it sit in the fridge for a bit, those flavors of tomato, lemon, onion and garlic really come together. It’s refreshing and very light.

You could serve this with a simple fish recipe, like the Fish Fillets with Lime from the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, using whitefish or whatever you like best. It would be a good choice for a hot summer day!

The post Summer intern spotlight: Hunter Goldman and Eat Wisconsin Fish first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/summer-intern-spotlight-hunter-goldman-and-eat-wisconsin-fish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-intern-spotlight-hunter-goldman-and-eat-wisconsin-fish

Jennifer Smith