By ANN ALLEN
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Long before the United States realized it was importing questionable seafood and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill raised fears of contamination, ecologists and economists were predicting the world seafood supply would run out by 2048 or sooner.

Those were dire statistics for the U.S., a nation in which the average person eats 16.5 pounds of seafood per year. In response, American farmers began focusing new attention on aquaculture, cited by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the fastest growing form of food production in the world.

It is also a significant source of protein for people in many countries, including ours. Globally, nearly half the fish consumed by humans is produced by fish farms. This worldwide trend is expected to continue along with the demand for safe, healthy seafood.
Hoosiers interested in starting a new aquaculture facility or expanding an existing one will have an opportunity to receive direct training from commercial producers and financial advisors, at three advanced aquaculture workshops scheduled this year throughout Indiana.

Presented in collaboration with the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), Purdue University extension, the Indiana Board of Animal Health and the USDA Risk Management Agency, the two-part series features private producers and public and private industry partners.
Steve Hart, ISA aquaculture director, is excited about the project. “The opportunity to work directly with commercial growers is rare,” he said. “Having three on board and willing to work with newcomers is huge.

“We want to offer advanced aquaculture workshops to provide specialized technical training directly in the industry. By offering hands-on opportunities followed by vital financial classroom training, we are providing our producers with the best tools and practices to advance their businesses.”

Participants may chose to attend one of the three workshops that will precede a Sept. 30 financial planning workshop at the Purdue Cooperative Extension office in Frankfort. All on-farm workshops run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. EDT. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
Lunch will be served.

Pre-registration is required because of on-farm workshop limits of 15 participants per location. The $50 registration fee covers both trainings. To register, applicants should visit www.indianafishfarming.com

Dates and locations are as follows:
•July 20: Cage System Workshop at Sweetwater Springs Fish Farm, 2983 E. Paw Paw Pike, Peru (intersection of U.S. highways 31 and 24).

•Aug. 21: Pond System Workshop at Navilleton Shrimp and Buffalo Farms, 7715 Navilleton Road, Floyds Knobs.

•Sept. 11: Indoor System Workshop at Aqua-Manna, 7442 So. 750 East, Ladoga.

 Additional information may be obtained by calling the ISA office at 800-735-0195.