KINGSTON, R.I. — August 29, 2000 — The University of Rhode Island will cosponsor the first Southern New England Aquaculture Conference and the fifth annual Rhode Island Aquaculture Conference on Oct. 1 and 2 at the Pell Center at Salve Regina University in Newport. The event is open to the public.
The conference will showcase the emerging aquaculture industry in the region and address a wide range of economic, environmental, education and management issues pertinent to the industry. Representatives from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island will participate.
“Although aquaculture has been practiced for thousands of years in Europe and Asia, it’s finally gaining some acceptance in southern New England,” said conference co-chairman Michael Rice, chairman of URI’s Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science. “But it’s also facing a number of critical issues that impede its development to full potential. This conference will address problems common to aquaculturists in the Northeast in an effort to resolve the difficulties that hamper the continued growth of this important industry.”
Featured speakers for the conference are Thomas Losordo, who was instrumental in developing aquaculture in North Carolina and who serves as the president of the World Aquaculture Society, and August Schumacher, undersecretary of the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Additional conference highlights include a discussion of the different issues the industry faces in various northeastern states, a daylong session on the use of aquaculture in the classroom, and a four-part working session for industry representatives and regulators. A reception following the event’s first day will feature a competition to determine which state has the best tasting shellfish.
Joining URI in sponsoring the event are the Rhode Island Legislative Commission on Aquaculture, Salve Regina University, Roger Williams University, URI’s Cooperative Extension, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Narragansett Bay Commission, Sea Grant, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, and Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture.
For further information or to register for the conference, contact Michael Rice at 874-2477 or rice@uri.edu.
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For Information: Michael Rice 874-2943, Todd McLeish 874-7892