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Courtesy of AquacultureMatters.gov

California Sea Grant, the Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML), Save Our Shores, Sustainable Design Masterclass, and LIFT Economy all co-sponsored a two-day forum held at the Moss Landing facility Fri-Sat, Aug 10-11, presenting a wide range of topics exploring pathways toward responsible aquaculture development in California. A comprehensive list of contributors included Natural Resources Agency Secretary, John Laird, retired US Navy Captain Wayne Porter of the Naval Post Graduate School, and Mike Rust, NOAA Aquaculture Science Advisor, to name just a few. Local Assemblymember Mark Stone provided an insightful summation of the first day’s discussions worthy of consideration (viewable at the end of the Aug 10 afternoon session).

Also discussed were low-impact/regenerative aquaculture opportunities in California that could enhance natural resources, reduce pressure on wild fisheries and freshwater resources, decrease the state’s reliance on imported aquaculture products, and the natural partnerships that exist (and might be further developed) between aquaculture and conventional agriculture. Tony Vaught of the California Aquaculture Association, and Dr. Michael Graham and his colleagues at MLML directed attention toward innovative, integrated aquaculture solutions that could address some of agriculture’s irrigation drainage water and nutrient challenges – capitalizing on facilities, resources, and expertise partnering with and based at the Moss Landing site and the surrounding environs – solutions with applications throughout California, the western US, and indeed around the world. (See: Aug 11, morning session.)

Archived video of the forum may be viewed below. The agenda is linked here and may aid in navigating the extensive video footage, which is divided into half-day segments. (Sound fidelity somtimes compromised by speakers’ distance from mic, but presentations are fully visible.)