Aquaculture

Aquaculture extension programs within New Hampshire are designed to assist both potential and existing aquaculture operations with all aspects of the business. These include species identification, broodstock care, nutrition, disease, systems design, marketing, permitting and business plans. Emphasis is placed on a variety of freshwater and marine finfish, shellfish and seaweed species. Extension staff work closely with the aquaculture research community, both at UNH and elsewhere, to bring the latest technology to the industry. Current outreach efforts focus on baitfish culture in ponds and recirculating systems, trout ponds, land-based recirculating systems, offshore finfish culture, and seaweed (nori) culture.

Contact: UNH Cooperative Extension, (603)749-1565

Link to Growing Seafood Publication

Off-Shore Mussel Culture

Extension Educator, Rollie Barnaby has worked cooperatively for several years with the UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center and the local fishing community, to assist with the development of off-shore mussel culture. Unlike inshore farms that rely on floating rafts or surface lines to raise mussels, the UNH off-shore mussel farms are located miles offshore on submerged long lines, out of sight and safely beneath boat traffic. Because of the high nutrient availability of the deep off-shore waters, mussels grow at a remarkable rate. The meat yield as well as quality has been superior to other mussel cuture methods.

Andy Lang (left), a local fisherman, is the proprietor of the farm. He took over the licenses obtained by the Portsmouth fishermen cooperative in 2005.

UNH Cooperative Extension specialists continue to work closely with Andy, assisting with seafood safety and HACCP requirements as well as with the commercialization of the farm.