Duluth, Minn. — The annual conference is designed to be an opportunity for current aquaculture practitioners, new farmers, educators, and the public to learn about aquaculture.
Conference collaborations include the Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Minnesota Sea Grant, and the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility.
“The Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative has been working to encourage and support students, producers, and speakers from historically marginalized groups to participate in national and regional aquaculture conferences through travel support and mentoring,” said Amy Schrank, Minnesota Sea Grant fisheries and aquaculture extension educator, MNSG extension leader, and GLAC project leader. “We are supporting a number of students to attend this year's meeting and are excited to sponsor the conference keynote speaker and aquaponics entrepreneur Glen Ford.”
The conference will have a dozen or so topical panels including whirling disease, aquaculture economics and finance, water quality management, fish health and biosecurity, education, workforce development, product marketing, and product processing.
The Farming insights panel will include speakers on walleye, shrimp, bait fish, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Atlantic Salmon, and aquaponics and be moderated by Minnesota Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Don Schreiner.
The panel on aquaculture regulations and challenges, also moderated by Schreiner, will include Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wastewater Engineer Nate Willis and WI DNR Fisheries Research Scientist Stephanie Shaw.
“The conference will be a great chance for producers and potential producers to learn more about aquaculture in the Great Lakes region,” Schreiner said. “It’s also an excellent opportunity for farmers to network informally and learn from each other.”
In addition to panel sessions, the conference will include tours of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery, Red Cliff Fish Company, and Bodin Fisheries' processing facility.
Quick reference:
- Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture Conference
- Agenda (tentative)
- Dates: March 22-23, 2024
- Times: 8 a.m. March 22 to 2 p.m. March 23 CT
- Location: Legendary Waters Resort and Casino in Bayfield, Wisconsin
- Registration is closed
- Conference contact: UWSP-NADF Emma Hauser, ehauser@uwsp.edu
MNSG Aquaculture projects:
- Minnesota Sea Grant Fisheries and Aquaculture Program:
- MNSG Egg-to-Market Yellow Perch
- MNSG Invasive Cattail-Dominated Shorelines project
- MNSG Increasing Golden Shiner Bait Production in Minnesota project
CONTACT:
Amy Schrank, extension program leader and fisheries and aquaculture extension educator, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth. aschrank@umn.edu.
Don Schreiner, fisheries specialist, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth. schr0941@d.umn.edu.
Marie Thoms, communications manager, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth. methoms@d.umn.edu.
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To speak to someone about aquaculture in one of the Great Lakes states please visit the Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative contacts page to find your state's GLAC representative.