Cooperative Living May 2019 - 36

ForTheFuture | by Kathy Dixon, Virginia Farm Bureau
Aquaculture in Virginia State's underwater gardens
continue to grow
T
he aquaculture industry in Virginia is doing swimmingly,
whether in saltwater or freshwater.
Aquaculture is the process of raising fish or seafood in a
controlled environment, whether outside in coastal marine water
or the open ocean, or inside in an enclosed facility. Virginia
aquaculture species include clams, oysters, softshell crabs, catfish,
rainbow trout, tilapia, striped bass, freshwater prawns and more.
Growers often " seed " small shellfish on the floor of a body of
water like the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries, or by growing them in
floating cages. Freshwater aquaculture mainly takes place in ponds,
tanks or raceways, and basins or canals that channel flowing water.
Virginia leads the nation in aquaculture clam production and
is No. 1 on the East Coast for farmed oyster production. In 2017,
the shellfish segment of aquaculture contributed $53.4 million to
the state's economy, according to the 2017 Virginia Shellfish
Aquaculture Situation and Outlook Report from the Virginia Institute
of Marine Sciences (VIMS). The VIMS report said the 2017 farmgate
value for clams was $37.5 million and $15.9 million for oysters.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that
Virginia's trout numbers have increased from 430,000 in 2013 to
500,000 in 2017. The total sales for trout went from $1.2 million
in 2013 to $1.5 million in 2017.
Because the industry is so important to the state, the Virginia
Farm Bureau Federation (VFBF) has an Aquaculture Advisory
Committee (AAC). The eight-member committee meets twice a
year to assess the strengths of the industry and to address
concerns of Virginia's cultured shellfish growers.
From a freshwater trout producer in Rockbridge County to a
hybrid striped bass farmer in Charles City County to a catfish,
trout and prawn grower in Lunenburg County and an oyster and
clam producer in Accomack County, the committee " covers the
gamut " of aquaculture producers, notes Tony Banks, VFBF
commodity marketing specialist and the committee's advisor.
Banks helps monitor aquaculture issues throughout the year
and presents information to the committee when it meets.
Committee member Bryan Plemmons, owner of Casta Line
Trout Farms in Rockbridge County and the Virginia Trout
Company in Highland County, says the aquaculture committee
has " been extremely important to our trout-farming operations
personally, and to all of aquaculture in general.
" Perhaps even more importantly, the AAC has put me in touch
with people in the agencies that have the most oversight of
aquaculture activities, " Plemmons notes. He says the committee
also has connected him with representatives of major universities in
Virginia that perform pertinent research for the aquaculture industry.
He adds that the committee has been helpful to his trout farms
when faced with regulations that could negatively impact them. " I
could relate several instances where the Virginia Farm Bureau and its
AAC has saved our farms thousands of dollars " by opposing legislation
that would negatively affect aquaculture operations.
In addition to helping aquaculture producers regularly, every
other year, the VFBF aquaculture committee works with other
industry representatives to organize the Virginia Aquaculture
Conference. This year's event is scheduled for Nov. 15 and
16 in Newport News. Banks expects it to draw more than 200
34 | Cooperative Living | May 2019
aquaculturists as well as Virginia Cooperative Extension staff and
other research professionals.
" Aquaculture continues to grow, " Banks shares. " There is a demand
for freshwater species like trout, prawn and tilapia; the demand for
catfish is steady; and clams and oysters - we can't raise enough
of them fast enough. "
Oysters and clams have always been popular, Banks says, but
wild-caught shellfish were unreliable. Now that farmers have
begun cultivating the mollusks, they can provide a reliable
supply of uniform-sized product for a stable market.
" People used to say you should only eat oysters in the months
that end in an 'r', but now they are safe and plentiful enough to eat
year-round, " Banks says. " People can't get enough Virginia oysters. "
Consumers' desire for local foods and the increased popularity
of oysters and clams among restaurateurs and chefs has led to
a resurgence in the industry, he adds.
" Aquaculture has allowed more
consumers greater access to
a product with a fairly
consistent size
and quality. " 
Hybrid striped bass are among freshwater species marketed by
Virginia aquaculturists.
co-opliving.com
KATHY DIXON PHOTO
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2019

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