more up- mns from uaculture d SSPO – to cs of the day spectively. hope you’ll


Trade Associations – ASSG


secure an extensive interview with Scotland’s recently ap- pointed Minister for the Environment, Paul Wheelhouse. Looking further afi eld there are also interesting insights into oyster growing around the globe and also an overview of the Hungarian aquaculture industry, which is beginning to evolve from production of carps to higher value predatory fi sh. We hope you enjoy all the changes. FF


Rob Fletcher News Editor


s


Now ist,


zine. BY JANET H BROWN oard


The other side of the pond 8


Can the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers learn anything from the way America’s East Coast Shellfish Growers Association is organised?


ure D ory


r Robert B Rheault – more commonly known as ‘Skid’ Rheault (Rheault being pronounced ‘row’) or Bob – set up the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association


(ECSGA) in 2004 and has been its executive director for six years. Skid became involved in the idea of an as-


sociation because he had been working as an oyster farmer in a state without an aquacul- ture industry at the time – Rhode Island. ‘I had to be very active on the state level to


Steve Bracken, Herve Miguad, Sunil Kadri and Ken Hughes


rew Balahura wdowds@fi shupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett +44 (0) 131 551 7901 e-mail: editor@fi shfarmer-magazine.com


www.fi shupdate.com Park, 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh EH5 2DL


O. Box 1, Crannog Lane, Lochavullin Industrial Estate, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4HB 1 568001


get things going,’ he said. ‘I established a state growers’ association with a few allies, started writing an industry newsletter and sent it to all the state legislators, brought in guest speakers from other states where things were going well and where nary a negative word was heard. Eventually we got some traction and fixed the regulations that were holding back the industry.’ This led on to a larger consortium, with a


d £95 including postage. All Air Mail. Wyvex Media Ltd by Headley Brothers Ltd., Ashford, Kent ISSN 0262-9615


number of growers getting together at various meetings and the idea of establishing an East Coast Shellfish Growers Association was ban- died about. They had seen how well organised the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) had become, how effective they could be in meetings with regulators, how they focused government research dollars toward key problems – they wanted that. While setting up the ECSGA, Skid continued


to run his own company, farming and mar- keting oysters trading as Moonstone Oysters working out of Narragansett, Rhode Island, and he is still an adjunct faculty member in the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. He established the East Coast Shellfish Research Institute and has been successful in attracting several


12 26


Clockwise from top right: ECSGA meeting; oyster; Dr Robert B Rheault.


substantial federal research grants to address critical industry research priorities. How has the ECSGA grown and is it still growing? We grow in membership by about 10 to 20 per cent a year and we


had a sharp increase this past year, but we still only have a small frac- tion of the industry as members. Of the estimated 1,300 farms on the East Coast, we only have about 15 per cent. The nature of the industry is such that many farmers are very small, part-time operations who won’t pay dues. There are few large farms, and several of these believe they don’t need to join an association. They can hire their own lobbyist. What are the main issues facing ECSGA? We spend a lot of time and energy dealing with shellfish sanitation


16


issues. Vibrio parahaemolyticus control seems to dominate much of my time. We are also trying to rectify the trade war with the EU so we can restore some of the lucrative connections we had in EU markets five years ago. We are trying to get acknowledgement for the ecosystem services we provide through nutrient credit trading, and we are con- stantly working to improve water quality and expand harvest areas. Are there different chapters in the ECSGA or are members mainly oyster folk? We represent about 60 per cent clam farms, 40 per cent oyster farms


48


and there is a nascent mussel industry. I have heard you talk at conferences about the importance of lobby- ing – what do you advise? It is really important to ensure that the regulators don’t put you out of


52


business. If you are not involved in the process of writing the regula- tions, then the law of unintended consequences dictates that they will probably hurt you if you don’t protect yourself. You need to participate in the scientific research, the public outreach and the education of your legislators. By demonstrating the growth in green jobs, the sustainable seafood production and the ecosystem benefits, we can enlist the help of politicians when the regulators get crazy, or if we have a need of re- search dollars. Educating the legislators is a constant task. There is huge turnover and they know nothing about your industry. If you don’t have time to do it then you need to pay someone to do it for you. This is why busy professionals are members of trade associations. Is export a major interest for your growers? We are experiencing an explosion in the market for oysters right now, so there is not a lot of surplus production to send overseas, but


3 08/02/2013 11:24:01 www.fishfarmer-magazine.com


Janet Brown works to support and promote all aspects of sustainable shellfi sh culture and restoration via The Shellfi sh Team and edits The Grower.


Paul Wheelhouse is Scotland’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and is an MSP for the South of Scotland.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60