May 21, 2024

University of Hawaii joins US$1 million federal grant consortium to address aquaculture gaps

The University of Hawaii, US, is participating in a new consortium funded by a nearly US$1 million federal grant aimed at addressing critical economic and marketing gaps in the US aquaculture industry.

Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic life such as fish and shellfish in controlled environments like ponds or tanks, is the focus of this multi-state and island project. The initiative will focus on building bridges between researchers, industry leaders, and state extension services across various geographic regions.

"With record production of US$90 million in 2023, aquaculture is now one of the largest contributors to agricultural production in Hawaii, yet key information for planning and decision-making is lacking," said Maria Haws, an aquaculture professor at UH Hilo. Haws is based at the university's Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resource Center (PACRC) in Keaukaha, Hilo Bay.

Haws explained that the gap in key information is due to the diverse nature of production methods, systems, and species cultured in Hawaii. Aquaculture spans from breeding shrimp in land-based systems to farming hamachi in open-ocean cages. However, current studies fail to capture the economic dynamics of these diverse regions.

"Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands have relatively weak capacity for aquaculture economics since there are no dedicated aquaculture economists, although some economic specialists contribute to research in this area," Haws said. "Results from this work, as well as the relationships developed through the consortium, will help compensate for this."

Project collaborators include a geographically diverse group of economists and extension specialists with backgrounds in freshwater, coastal, marine, and recirculating aquaculture systems. Led by Virginia Tech, a public land-grant research university, the group also draws expertise from institutions across the nation such as Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, University of Maryland, University of Alaska, Morgan State University, Maine Aquaculture Association, University of Guam, and University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, to address challenges facing the domestic aquaculture industry.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant is providing funding for the establishment of the Aquaculture Economics and Markets Collaborative over the next two years.

-      University of Hawaii