An Overhaul of the Aquaculture Laws in Rhode Island Michael A. Rice RI Cooperative Extension & Dept....
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Transcript of An Overhaul of the Aquaculture Laws in Rhode Island Michael A. Rice RI Cooperative Extension & Dept....
An Overhaul of the Aquaculture Laws in Rhode Island
Michael A. RiceRI Cooperative Extension &
Dept. of Fisheries, Animal & Veterinary SciencesUniversity of Rhode Island
Early History of Aquaculture in Rhode Island to 1950s
• Oyster Leases of late 19th and early 20th centuries (1860s-1952), peak 20,846 acres
• American Fish Culture Company--trout culture (1874-1994)
• State Lobster Hatchery at Wickford (1898-1949)
Oyster Aquaculture Leases and Fish Traps in Narragansett Bay 1910
Features about early oyster aquaculture in RI
• Peak 20,846 leased acres (1911)
• Peak production 1.4 million bushels live oysters & 1.3 million gallons of shucked meats (1908); worth >$500M in today’s dollars.
• “Mill Town” labor system similar to textile mills
RIDEM Fish Hatchery, Carolina RI ---est. 1874 as American Fish Culture Company
Rowland Gibson Hazard (1823-1883)
• Peace Dale Mfg Company was family textile business• Invested in Union Pacific Railroad• Avid sportsfisherman• Admired German accomplishments and brought them home to RI (Aniline Dyes, Kindergarten & Fish Farming)
RI Commission on Inland Fisheries/ Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Lobster Hatchery 1898-1949
Early Aquaculture Extension in Rhode Island
• 1896 -- Establishment of marine biological station by Dr. G. W. Field of RIAES for “investigation of the cause of the decline of the oyster fisheries in Pt. Judith Pond”
• 1898 -- Cooperation with RI Commission on Inland Fisheries on lobster spawning and nutrition at state lobster hatchery 1898
• 1904 -- Formal establishment of Extension Department at RI College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts (now URI)
• 1914 – Smith-Lever Act establishing Cooperative Extension
Point # 1: RI was an innovator in aquaculture, was major
player & Extension was there in earliest days
Reasons for decline of RI aquaculture in 1930s-40s
• Increase raw sewage inputs
• Cumulative effects of continued soil erosion
• Increased metal finishing effluents
• Hurricane of 1938
• Labor shortages during WWII
• Gov. T.F. Green’s ‘bloodless revolution’ of 1935 and associated socio-political changes
• 1952 – last farm Warren Oyster Company gave up leases
Reasons for lack of RI’s aquaculture growth 1950s-1990s
• Lingering pollution issues
• Rise of the tourism economy
• Suburbanization of coastal zone
• Capture fisheries issues
• Fear of return to “Mill Town” social system
Point #2: Socio-political milieu is at least as important as any
other factor to grow or maintain aquaculture
Aquaculture Extension Efforts 1990s
• 1993 Incubator for formation of OSAA
• 1994 Publication of permitting manual
• 1995 Advice to Legislative Commission on Aquaculture
• 1995 First of annual RI aquaculture conferences w/ extension, private & legislative sponsorship
Legislative Actions 1996-2002• 1996 ‘An Aquaculture Act’
creates aquaculture coordinator and lead agency
• 1998 strategic plan published by Legislative Commission on Aquaculture
• 1998 omnibus aquaculture bill (98-H8816) passing in parts
• 1999-2002 most remaining sections passing
• 2001 Securing federal appropriation for aquaculture planning
Rep. Eileen S. Naughton of Warwick, author of nearly all RI aquaculture initiatives 1995-present
Overview of Statutory/Policy Changes 1996-2002 Affecting RI Aquaculture
• “One-stop” permitting with lead agency and Aquaculture Coordinator responsible for coordinating inter-agency review
• Recognition of aquaculture as a form of agriculture under tax codes
• Exemption of aquaculture livestock from all Fish and Game laws
• Multi-agency “Aquatic Biosecurity Board”
• Simplified leasing and water quality certification procedures
Current Status of Rhode Island Aquaculture
Year Number of farms Total Acres Farmgate value (U.S. $)
1995 6 9 $83,518
1996 6 9 $91,499
1997 6 17 $275,946
1998 10 26 $296,980
1999 14 28 $213,861
2000 12 30 $314,977
2001 18 51.5 $299,998
Final Points:
1) Regrowth of aquaculture in RI is robust 2) It has regained ‘legitimacy’ within RI’s
social-political milieu 3) Key is recognition of value of extension education as advisory to both stakeholders
and decision makers.