Aquaculture in Maine

Transcription

  [intro music] Daniel Morris:  Hi. My name is Daniel Morris. I'm an extension associate with the Maine Sea Grant Program and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. We're here at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine to give you an introduction about aquaculture ‑‑ what it's all about, what plants and animals are being grown, and what's going on right here in Maine. Aquaculture is farming, but on farms that grow their crops in water instead of on land. Aquaculture includes a wide variety of plants and animals in fresh water or salt water, indoors or outdoors. Producers might operate very large farms covering many acres, or they might be as small as a tank or two in the home or office. The practice of aquaculture has been around for at least 3,000 years, with the ancient Romans growing oysters and the Chinese growing carp. Ever since those early days, farmers, students, scientists, and others have been working to improve out methods. The simplest explanation for why aquaculture is used is that people around the globe like to eat fish, shellfish and other things that live in water. Aquaculture provides a way for the farmer to grow a crop that people want. Also, in recent years, wild fisheries have reached a limit. Farming is a way to produce food that feeds a growing population. Worldwide there are a variety of animals and plants being grown. They can be for people to eat, like catfish, salmon, oysters, and mussels, or kelp. It can also be to help out wild stocks of animals, like salmon on the West Coast of the United States. It can also be done to help clean up the environment, such as seaweed that removes excess nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, or to supply a market for aquarium fish like clownfish. Maine has a great history of aquaculture. For many years, we've produced fish like salmon and trout for recreational fisherman to catch. Growers in Maine produce a wide range of species for people to eat, such as mussels, oysters, salmon, cod, kelp, and trout. We also help with stocking populations of wild fish and shellfish such as brook trout and sea scallops. Maine aquaculture farmers grow aquarium fish like clownfish and seahorses and they supply sport fishermen with bait, like shiners and smelt. They even grow seaweed, like the kelp being grown right in Casco Bay and elsewhere along the coast. Maine Sea Grant and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is your go to resource for more information on marine and freshwater aquaculture. Visit our websites, give us a call, or drop us an email. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks. [exit music] Transcription by CastingWords�