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Currently, there are eleven major fish species cultured in significant numbers in Massachusetts. They are the Atlantic salmon, bluegill, brook trout, brown trout, channel catfish, golden shiner, hybrid striped bass, koi, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and tilapia. The American eel also has potential in the aquaculture industry. These species run the gamut from those native to the Commonwealth such as brook trout and Atlantic salmon to truly exotics such as the African tilapia. The reasons for culturing these species are as varied as the fish themselves. From recreational fishing to food to restoration efforts, aquaculture in the northeast is growing rapidly and shows promise for continuing expansion in the future.

Summaries of life histories and environmental requirements for these species can be found on this webpage.

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Aquaculture involves the manipulation of marine or freshwater organisms and/or their environment before eventual release, harvest, or capture; the controlled cultivation and harvest of aquatic animals and plants. (USDA National Aquaculture Development Plan, 1983).

>In Massachusetts, the aquaculture industry is small, but growing steadily. It is estimate that aquaculture contributed approximately $8 million to the Commonwealth economy in 1992. The industry is roughly split between inland and marine aquaculture in terms of economic value. Most industry analysts would agree that there has been a steady rise in production since 1992, both in the marine and inland sectors.

Marine aquaculture in the state is presently limited to the cultivation of shellfish (quahogs, oysters and scallops) for commercial, research, and propagation purposes. There are no coastal fish farms or ocean ranches in the state and only very limited work, primarily for research purposes, is dedicated to seaweed culture. Proposals for offshore fish farms and shellfish culture have just recently been proposed in the state and are undergoing permit review. The inland aquaculture industry is comprised primarily of a handful of highly technical recirculating facilities located mainly in the western part of the state (with one on Cape Cod). These facilities produce hybrid striped bass, tilapia, trout and other finfish. Additionally, there are a number of small pond and flow-through facilities located in Massachusetts.

Additional information concerning the aquaculture industry in Massachusetts is available at this webpage.

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A complete summary of economics for aquaculture can be found in the Northeast Region Aquaculture Industry Situation and Outlook Report (Bush and Anderson, 1993).

Massachusetts aquaculture farm gate value for 1992 (the most recent Situation and Outlook Report) was over 8 million dollars. The dominant species produced was the Northern quahog. Other important cultured products were oysters, trout, hybrid striped bass, scallops, baitfish/other fish, and tilapia. Most ($6,350,918) of the farm gate value for Massachusetts comes from the production of oysters, hard clams, mussels and scallops. The species cultured in freshwater (which accounted for the remaining $1,670,000) were trout, hybrid striped bass, baitfish/other fish and tilapia.

Massachusetts is listed as one of the top three Northeast states for the production of trout, hybrid striped bass and tilapia. Information on these species, although not specific to Massachusetts, lends information to the current and potential industry in the Commonwealth.

More information on the economics of the Aquaculture industry in Massachusetts is available at this webpage.

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With an average annual growth rate of nearly 10%, the Massachusetts aquaculture industry is experiencing growth similar to that of the global industry. As a result of the rapid growth of aquaculture, there is a persistent need for the transfer of culture technology and growout methods for a great variety of traditional and new aquaculture species.

Fortunately, there are a number of technical and information resources available in Massachusetts and abroad. The Department of Agriculture Resources retains an aquaculture resource Library that is available for review by appointment at the DAR office in Boston. Massachusetts is also fortunate to have three regional state aquaculture centers located in Southeastern (SEMAC), Northeastern (NEMAC), and Western (WMCSA), Massachusetts. In addition to staff expertise at each of the centers, the centers also house a great deal of aquaculture information.

The SEMAC has also established a number of satellite resource centers at regional public libraries throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. Massachusetts is also home to one of the United States Department of Agriculture’s five regional aquaculture centers. The Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center NRAC is located at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and is host to an extensive library that includes fact sheets, project reports and other helpful materials.

Links
Northeastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Center
Shellfish Aquaculture in Massachusetts

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Regulatory streamlining has often been cited as an effort that is crucial for continued, efficient development of aquaculture in the United States. Similarly, the Massachusetts Aquaculture White Paper and Strategic Plan recognized the need for streamlining the regulatory process in order to facilitate industry expansion. To that end a variety of recommendations aimed at providing permit assistance and simplifying the permit process were among the priority recommendations identified by the Plan.

With the above in mind a number of steps have been taken in effort to facilitate the permitting of aquaculture facilities in Massachusetts. As a first step toward streamlining the permit process for aquaculture enterprises the Massachusetts Aquaculture Permits Guidance Document was created. Through the efforts of the Permit Streamlining Sub-Committee of the Massachusetts Aquaculture Advisory Group, it was determined that in order to examine how the permit process could be streamlined all permits that may be applicable for any activity associated with any form of aquaculture must be identified. To that end, the Guidance Document identified and defined all permits and regulatory authority in Massachusetts in accordance with four primary areas of regulatory concern; species to be cultivated, structures may be employed, water source, water/waste discharge. The Guidance Document also includes a checklist that can assist in identifying all permits that may be applicable for any aquaculture facility proposed for Massachusetts.

The Proposed Operation Overview Format was generated in effort to define how the information about a facility proposed for Massachusetts should be reported to the potential regulatory agencies (ideally those agencies identified through the Guidance Document). The Overview Format provides instructions to potential applicants for the development of proposals that enable the streamlined project review.

The Aquaculture Operation Description Form is a two-page "fill in the blank" form that, once completed, provides a snap shot description of the proposed project. The Description Form should be the starting place for the permitting of any aquaculture operation in Massachusetts. Following submittal of the completed form to the Department of Agriculture Resources Aquaculture Coordinator’s Office the proponent is either directed to the appropriate regulatory agency for permit application materials or interviewed for the scheduling of a pre-permit application meeting that includes representatives from all appropriate regulatory agencies.

More information about the permit process for aquaculture operations can be found through the Aquaculture Coordinator’s Office.

Aquaculture Coordinator
Department of Agriculture Resources
Division of Agricultural Development
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
617-626-1730
Scott.Soares@state.ma.us

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Massachusetts Aquaculture Grants Program

In 1997, as a result of the efforts of the Massachusetts State Legislature, the Governor\'s Office, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources, the Massachusetts Aquaculture Grants Program (MAG) was created in response to the Commonwealth\'s interest in aquaculture development and the need for diversification of fisheries and agricultural enterprises in Massachusetts. The MAG program encourages environmentally responsible aquaculture projects that can demonstrate public and industry benefit through work that will: result in the development and implementation of new technologies, products, processes or services; reduce aquaculture industry operating costs thereby increasing business profitability; increase the productivity of Massachusetts aquatic cultivation endeavors; and preserve existing jobs and/or result in new employment opportunities for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Funded projects are required to submit a final report that provides details about project development and results.

For more information concerning the grant program contact:

Aquaculture Coordinator
Department of Agriculture Resources
Division of Agricultural Development
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114-2151
617-626-1730
Scott.Soares@state.ma.us

Agro-Tech Grants

The Department of Agriculture Resoucrces offers another type of grant that aquaculturists sometimes find helpful. The Agro-Environmental Technical Grant assists farmers who use technology to improve the profitability of their farms. Read more about it at the Mass. Dept. of Food and Agriculture Agro-Tech Grant Page. The Agro-Environmental program has be used for grants for aquaculture projects.

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