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Florida FWC Puts Hold on Oyster Harvesting Decision

Dan Aquaculture, Florida, Georgia, Industry News Release, Water

(NSF) – Looking to address additional concerns from area residents, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission delayed a vote Wednesday on finalizing a suspension of wild-oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay for five years. Commission Executive Director Eric Sutton said some people in the Northwest Florida area have had late concerns and “we’d like to take some more time to shore …

‘GatorByte’ to detect water quality less expensively – and at different places, times

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, Florida

By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) A water-quality buoy called ‘GatorByte” might help resource managers monitor water quality over space and time – all for as little as $1,500. As it stands, such sensors are typically mounted at one location, and they give you data about water quality only at that one location, say UF/IFAS researchers. GatorByte can be …

biden

USDA Supports U.S. Seafood Industry Impacted by Retaliatory Tariffs

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, USDA

(Washington, D.C., September 9, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide approximately $530 million to support the U.S. seafood industry and fishermen impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments. The funding will be provided through the Seafood Trade Relief Program and funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), …

UF/IFAS Wants to Hear from Those Impacted by the Red Tide of 2017-19

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, Florida

By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) University of Florida researchers want to hear from marine businesses impacted by the 2018 red tide event that occurred between October of 2017 and January of 2019. Respondents will have until Sept. 25 to complete the appropriate online questionnaire. “We will run the surveys statewide with an initial focus of our analyses in …

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Commissioner Fried Welcomes NOAA Announcement of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, Florida

Tallahassee, Fla.— The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the selection of sites in federal waters off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico as one of the first locations designated as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. The announcement comes after Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, asking that the department consider designating waters off Florida’s coast as an …

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Commissioner Fried Applauds Cabinet Approval of Conservation and Aquaculture Projects

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, Environment, Florida

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Florida Cabinet approved a Florida Forever land acquisition project in Franklin County and Wakulla County and an aquaculture lease project in Gulf County. These projects will help support Florida’s aquaculture industry, which has suffered massive sales decreases due to COVID-19, and will provide important conservation protections for natural lands and wildlife in the Panhandle area. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is the state’s lead …

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Florida to Receive $23 Million in Aquaculture and Fisheries Assistance via CARES Act Stimulus

Clint Thompson Aquaculture, Florida, Legislative

Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced the allocation of $300 million in federal assistance for fisheries provided by the CARES Act stimulus package. These funds will be available for coastal and marine fishery participants negatively affected by COVID–19. Florida will receive $23.6 million of this funding to aid the state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries. The Florida Department of …

Produce Safety Alliance

USDA Announces Additional Food Purchase Plans

Dan Aquaculture, Citrus, Dairy, Economy, Field Crops, Fruits, Industry News Release, Pork, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

(USDA/AMS) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced details of $470 million in Section 32 food purchases to occur in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, in addition to purchases previously announced, which will enable USDA to purchase surplus food for distribution to communities nationwide. These Section 32 purchases will provide additional support for producers and Americans in …

aquaculture

UF Surveys to Identify Impact of Pandemic on Florida’s Agriculture and Marine Industries

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Economy, Equine, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Fruits, General, Hemp, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pasture, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Research, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

(UF/IFAS) — With agriculture and marine industries occupying a large portion of Florida’s economy, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) wants to better understand how measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are impacting these sectors. Starting today, faculty from the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics (FRE) department are deploying surveys to UF/IFAS Extension agents …

covid

FDACS Agricultural and Seafood Availability Notice

Dan Aquaculture, Field Crops, Florida, Industry News Release

(HCCGA) — FDACS has created the attached form for producers to fill out with their product availability. Once submitted, FDACS will utilize to forward to their Fresh From Florida contacts, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, food banks and make connections with other State Departments of Agriculture in hopes of providing market opportunities to move product during the Coronavirus …