VIRGINIA TECH RESEARCHERS
TAKE LEAD AT AQUACULTURE SYMPOSIUM
BLACKSBURG,
July 1, 2003 - If the world wants
to continue eating fish, the future
pools of supply will need to come
from aquacultured products. Virginia
Tech continues to be a leader
in the development of technologies
needed to deliver safe foods cultured
in healthy environments.
At
the World Aquaculture Society
(WAS) meeting, held recently in
Louisville, Kentucky, Virginia
Tech Aquaculture Center staff
and CFAST (Commercial Fish and
Shellfish Technologies) members
organized and moderated special
sessions in yellow perch culture,
aquaculture disease and developments
in marine flatfish technologies.
Over
14 scientific presentations were
given by Virginia Tech researchers
and students - representing the
strongest research presence at
the worldwide annual conference.
As a result of Virginia Tech's
high profile at the WAS meeting,
Alltech Inc., one of the world's
fastest growing animal feed additive
companies, commissioned Ewen McLean,
director of the university's Aquaculture
Center, and Steven Craig, head
of the Center's nutrition group,
to assist in the development of
a special session on aquaculture
for the 19th Annual Symposium
on Biotechnology in the Feed Industry.
"Our research not only has important
ramifications to the aquaculture
industry but also has significant
implications for the development
of oral drug carrier systems for
other animals and humans," said
McLean, who is a fisheries professor
in the College of Natural Resources.
"Aquaculture
has been the fastest growing component
of any sector of agriculture production
for the last quarter century,
and its growth shows no sign of
slowing," acknowledges Craig,
associate professor at the College
of Veterinary Medicine. "Aquaculture
production has become of increasing
importance to the domestic economy
as the only means of offsetting
an imbalance of trade in seafood
products, which presently stands
at $5 billion annually," he says.
McLean
adds, "The Commonwealth of Virginia
is an important player in the
national aquaculture scene with
total sales of around $25 million
in 2002. In addition to being
one of the country's most important
producers of tilapia, clams, and
softshell crabs, the Commonwealth
is the seventh largest producer
of trout. The state, which also
supplies oysters, scallops, catfish
and hybrid striped bass to regional
markets, has recently examined
the possibility of producing other
marine and freshwater species
using intensive aquaculture methods."
With
increasing concerns over traceability
and food security and safety,
aquaculture represents the only
means of safeguarding our aquatic-based
food supply. "As a key component
of Virginia Tech's expanding research
activities, the Aquaculture Center
of the Department of Fisheries
and Wildlife Sciences seeks to
enhance our understanding of the
complex issues that face the future
development of sustainable aquaculture
both domestically and internationally,"
McLean continues. The Aquaculture
Center is currently investigating
the fresh water fish species,
yellow perch and tilapia and the
marine fish, summer flounder,
southern flounder and cobia.
Plans
are afoot to expand species diversity
housed at the center with pompano,
Atlantic sturgeon and marine shrimp
later this year. This diversity
of animals provides visiting school
children and other touring groups
a unique opportunity to encounter
the broad range of fishes that
are available to the Commonwealth's
aquaculture industry.
