ORGANIZING EFFECTIVE AQUACULTURE EXTENSION PROGRAMS THROUGH ACTION TEAMS: partnering for progress

Don Webster*, Matt Parker and Don Meritt
 
 University of Maryland Extension, Wye Research & Education Center,
 PO Box 169, Queenstown MD 21658; Email: dwebster@umd.edu

In 2010, Maryland began issuing shellfish leases under revised laws that discarded a century of onerous restrictions on private shellfish growers. With these changes, a single agency was created to handle permitting and coordinate state and federal reviews. To spur industry growth, support programs were established to attract investment and encourage business development. These included low-interest loans through an agricultural lending unit, oyster seed production systems placed in a variety of locations, assistance with market development, sonar mapping of leases and screening for oyster disease. University of Maryland Extension was contracted to develop an Oyster Aquaculture Education and Training Program to provide the skills required for commercial fishermen to transition to farming and those from other businesses to develop technical skills for profitable operation. These programs brought together institutions, agencies and non-governmental organizations to coordinate their activities and track progress.

UM Extension operates with program Focus Areas and, under these, Action Teams that address specific areas of need. The Seafood Production Action Team was formed to cover the development of aquaculture and included representatives from multiple institutions and organizations. Conferences, workshops and short courses were conducted to provide educational resources for the expanding industry. In recent years, twenty-five programs have been conducted annually, based on needs assessments and evaluated by UME teaching effectiveness forms. Computerized results are provided to educators and used in their annual reviews by administrators.

With six years of development, over two million dollars in low-interest loans have been provided to growers. Almost 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) have been leased and are in active production. Spat on shell bottom leases are assisted by a Remote Setting Training Program that has resulted in over 300 million spat deployed annually, with growers creating private systems and selling seed as well as planting leases. Water column leases using cultchless seed are undergoing significant expansion and legal opinions by the court system have created precedents allowing the industry to expand annually.

The authors provide an overview of the programs and planning process that have aided industry development with discussion of the need for ongoing identification of problem areas and a political base that assists with solutions. Data on extension programs and how they aided development of the industry are included with plans for future activities to support additional expansion.