President's Welcome
November 16, 2006
Dear Fellow Aquaculturists,
The Oregon Aquaculture Association (OAA) is entering its third year which began
October 1, 2006. We are proud to share our achievements over the past twelve
months and want to thank you for your support.
During the 2005 Legislative session, we sought legislation to create an
aquaculture advisory board within Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW).
Although this legislation was not passed, the ODFW subsequently created the
Private Hatchery Committee based on our proposed legislation. Committee members
were chosen in January of 2006, and the Committee has met twice since then. The
Committee is working on several issues including fish health management,
transportation permits, and permitted species. Minutes from these meetings are
posted on our web page for your review.
Last March, OAA organized our first pond workshop, which was co-sponsored by the
Oregon State University Extension Service. We hosted 120 people who came to the
event from throughout Oregon. The workshop, “Pond 101," was held at the Oregon
Garden in Silverton, and addressed regulatory requirements for pond development,
issues related to stocking fish in ponds, and pond management recommendations
from notable authorities. Again, our web page contains copies of many of the
workshop presentations.
In May, OAA was awarded a $9,500 matching grant from USDA Rural Business
Enterprise Grant. This grant was matched by a $5,000 grant from The Bridges
Foundation, a $1,000 grant from Silver Cup, and $3,500 from active members of
OAA. This $19,000 endeavor is to evaluate marketing options and strategies for
aquaculture in Oregon, and to evaluate state regulations and support.
The months ahead provide new opportunities for OAA. We are planning another pond
workshop at Oregon State University on March 17, 2007. This will be co-sponsored
with OSU Extension Service and will focus on pond management and restoration for
both large ponds and ornamental ponds.
In addition, we hope to complete our marketing grant. With this new information,
we will work with ODFW and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to evaluate new
opportunities for aquaculture in Oregon. We look forward to continuing to work
with the director and staff of ODFW to create a regulatory environment that
works for private aquaculture in Oregon.
In the upcoming 2007 legislative session, OAA will continue to work to address
issues of importance to our members including propagation of sturgeon and
privacy concerns with ODFW transportation permits. We appreciate your input and
your help in this important effort.
Please enjoy our web page, www.oregonaquaculture.org. Let us know how we can
make this website more meaningful and helpful to you and for the cause of
private aquaculture in Oregon.
We can’t do any of this on our own. We thank you for your help in making our
second year such a success and we ask for your continued support of OAA in 2007.
Sincerely,
Clint Bentz, President
Oregon Aquaculture Association
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