Florida Department of Agriculture and

Consumer Services

Division of Aquaculture

600 South Calhoun Street, Suite 217

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1300

Kal Knickerbocker, Director

Division of Aquaculture

600 South Calhoun Street, Suite 217

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Phone: 850-617-7600

E-mail: [email protected]

Webpage:

FreshFromFlorida.com/Divisions-Offices/

Aquaculture

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Contact the division at: [email protected]

Division of Aquaculture The core responsibilities of the Division of Aquaculture are described in Chapter 597, Florida Aquaculture Policy Act, Florida Statutes, and include:

• Developing and enforcing environmental and food safety regulations governing commercial aquaculture production and shellfish (clams, oysters and mussels) harvesting and processing, respectively.

• Certifying and inspecting shellfish processing plants and classifying and monitoring shellfish harvest areas in accordance with National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

• Leasing coastal state submerged land for aquacultural purposes.

• Certifying and inspecting upland commercial aquaculture facilities for compliance with the Aquaculture Best Management Practices Rule.

• Providing practical and technical assistance concerning regulations, production, financial assistance, or educational programs.

For the open or closed status of Shellfish Harvesting Areas, call:

Apalachicola Shellfish Center 850-653-8317

Cedar Key Office 352-543-5181

Melbourne Office 321-984-4890

Panama City Office 850-236-2200

Port Charlotte Office 941-613-0954

Tallahassee Office 850-617-7600

For Aquaculture Certificate of Registration, Aquaculture Best Management Practices, call:

Bartow Office 863-578-1870

Tallahassee Office 850-617-7600

For the leasing of submerged state lands, call:

Tallahassee Office 850-617-7600

Florida Aquaculture Florida Depar tment of Agriculture and Consumer Ser vices

Divis ion of Aquaculture

Tilapia Lake Virus Outbreak Confirmed in Mexico

Confirmed TiLV Outbreaks as of August 2018

August 2018 Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) is a pathogen that poses a Issue No. 99 significant health threat to the global tilapia industry. Inside this issue: First identified in Ecuador

Hurricane Forecast and 2in 2014, the virus has now Farm Preparation

expanded throughout FAO’s State of World 2 tropical nations around Fisheries and

Aquaculture the world, with outbreaks recently Upcoming Workshops 2

confirmed in six Mexican Farm Inspector’s Corner 3 states. To date, there are

Expansion of Sales and 3 no reported cases of TiLV in the U.S. TiLV causes fingerling mortality rates up to 90% in Use Tax Exemptions for

Aquaculture Businesses infected regions and affects both Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and hybrid tilapia, O. niloticus x O. aureus. The disease is transmitted by direct fish to fish contact, with fish transportation and Staff Changes 3

handling stressors being major outbreak risk factors. Signs of TiLV infection include: cloudy,bulging or shrunken eyes, skin lesions, lethargy (slow movement), and fish ceasing to feed.

Florida tilapia farmers should take extra precautions to prevent the introduction of this damaging disease into the U.S. Do not bring any fish onto your farm without a health certificate. While the disease is confirmed to affect

tilapia, it may be carried onto your farm by other species. Do not import tilapia from any countries known to have TiLV without a health certificate that confirms

the stocks are free of TiLV. Know and trust the source of your fry or fingerlings, and educate all farm personnel about this new virus

and proper biosecurity measures. Contact your aquatic animal health expert to have your fish tested for TiLV. If you experience an unusual mortality event, contact your aquatic animal health expert or the State

Veterinarian's office by phone at (850) 410-0900 or 1 (800) 342-5869, or by email at [email protected].

For More Information you may contact: OIE TiLV Disease Card: Dr. Roy Yanong OIE.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs/pdf/ UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory A_TiLV_disease_card.pdf Phone: 813-671-5230 ext 104 UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization TiLV Worldwide Alert: [email protected] FAO.org/news/story/en/item/888884/icode/ Special thanks to USDA-APHIS and UF Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory for providing information for this article.

Florida Aquaculture Review Council Research Projects for FY 2019-2020 An annual responsibility of the Aquaculture Review Council, as described in the Florida Aquaculture Policy Act (Chapter 597, Florida Statutes), is to evaluate and rank research proposals that have been submitted to the council through a formal solicitation process. The council recommends selected projects for funding consideration to Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. For fiscal year 2019-2020, the council is recommending three projects totaling $308,438, which will enhance aquaculture education, and farm productively and profitability: 1. Aquaculture in the Classroom — $59,264, UF-Tropical Aquaculture Lab (TAL), FDACS Division of Aquaculture and UF-Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC); 2. Addressing Industry-Wide Limitations in Finfish Aquaculture Nutrition Protocols — $174,271, UF-TAL,

UF-IRREC, and Florida Keys Community College; 3. Improving Larval Feeding Performance in Ornamental Fish Species — $74,903, UF-Tropical Aquaculture Lab. Contact the division for further details about the selected projects.

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� Aquaculture � Capture fisheries

Farm Preparations for Hurricane Season As aquaculture facilities are heavily dependent on reliable resources, such as water and electric power, preparations must be made to reduce the damage caused by storm events. Your farm should have a disaster management plan, including emergency contact information for all employees, emergency backup equipment, a disaster supply kit and disaster SOPs. Facilities with critical electric, life-support systems should contact their local utility company to be placed on their high-priority power reactivation list. Natural disaster crop insurance should also be considered. USDA Farm Service Agency, as well as private insurers, offer disaster insurance to aquaculture facilities.

For more information and important hurricane contacts, see the division’s Preparation and Recovery from Hurricanes technical bulletin.

Aerial spraying to control mosquito populations often occurs following major storm events to prevent the spread of human and animal diseases. Please contact your local mosquito control program if you have any concerns regarding aerial spraying around your farm. Some mosquito control programs can add you to a “notification” list to provide updates on when and where spraying will occur within your area. During a major storm event, in which FDACS mobilizes it’s Mosquito Control Incident Response Team to assist counties with emergency mosquito control efforts, the division will send aerial spraying information to farms in impacted areas.

Please visit the department’s Mosquito Control webpage for a district contact directory and additional information. You may also contact Adriane Rogers at (850) 617-7929 or [email protected] if you have further questions.

FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published the bi-annual report, State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018, which provides an in-depth summary of global fishery and aquaculture statistics, ranging from production data and employment demographics to markets forecasts and government policy priorities. While the entire report is worth a review, major statistic highlights from this year’s document are summarized below.

• Global fish production peaked at 171 million metric tonnes (MT) in 2016, with aquaculture representing 47% of the total and 52% of the food-use total.

• The value of fisheries and aquaculture in 2016 was USD 362 billion, with aquaculture representing 64% of total value.

• 2016 global aquaculture production was 110.2 million MT (USD 243.5 billion).

• Food fish production included 54.1 million MT of finfish, 17.1 million MT of mollusks, and 7.9 million MT of crustaceans.

• While over 369 finfish species are farmed Global Foodfish Consumption Projection

globally, 20 ‘staple species’ represent 84% of global production, with 55% of production from the carp family.

• Aquatic plant production is dominated by tropical seaweed species, growing from 13.5 million MT in 2005 to 30 million MT in 2016 (+220%).

• While aquaculture annual growth rate has declined from the dramatic gains experienced in the 1980s and 90s (~10%), 2000 -2016 annual growth remains higher than any other major food sector at 5.8%. Data from: FAO 2018

Upcoming Workshops Shellfish Aquaculture Gear Management In partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, the division is hosting a workshop from 1-5pm on September 12 in Cedar Key to discuss shellfish aquaculture gear management techniques and strategies to prevent aquaculture gear loss. Guest speakers from NOAA and the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association will attend the workshop to discuss the importance of debris prevention and public perception as the industry grows. An informal group discussion of oyster and clam gear management techniques will be led by two extension specialists with production expertise. This workshop will be broadcasted live online at UFL.Zoom.us/j/436539248. For additional information, please contact: Charlie Culpepper at (850) 617-7600 or [email protected].

FAA Annual Membership Meeting and Fall Tour The Florida Aquaculture Association is having its annual membership meeting and fall tour at 10am on October 26 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, 5600 US 1 North, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946. The meeting will feature committee reports, elections of directors, commodity reports and other association business. Tours of HBOI’s research building and ORA’s marine ornamental production facilities will follow the meeting and luncheon. For additional information, please contact the Florida Aquaculture Association at (863) 293-5710 or [email protected].

Principles of Small-Scale Aquaponics The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Science is hosting an aquaponics workshop on November 2 from 9am-3pm at the Walton Cty. Extension Office, 732 N. 9th St., Defuniak Springs, FL 32433. This small-scale aquaponics workshop will provide knowledge on the principles and operation of aquaponic systems including system design options, fish production, plant selection and best management practices. Registration begins on September 1. For additional information, please contact the Walton Cty. Extension office at (850) 892-8172.

Please contact the Division to have an upcoming workshop advertised in this section.

Farm Inspector’s Corner Health Documentation Requirements

for Imported Aquaculture Stocks In Florida, all health records for imported aquatic organisms must be retained for at least two years by certified aquaculturists. Health records shall include:

1) Date of entry/receipt 2) Date of shipment 3) Name and address of consignor 4) Name and address of consignee 5) Aquaculture Certificate of Registration Number

(buyer and/or seller) 6) Species 7) Total number and average size of animals 8) Ploidy results (if applicable). 9) Diagnostic test results 10) Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI) 11) Broodstock origin documentation

Division approval must be obtained for ALL shipments of penaeid shrimp to a Florida farm and any shellfish or sturgeon imported from out of state. Submit health records, including diagnostic results and an OCVI to [email protected] for approval prior to shipment.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also regulate intrastate and/or international movement of aquatic organisms. Contact these agencies to determine any additional shipping requirements (licenses, import declarations, inspections, etc.) for the species you produce.

See Import and Export Requirements for Aquaculture Products for detailed information on aquatic organism shipment requirements and pertinent links and contact information. Contact the division if you have any questions regarding shipping requirements for your aquaculture products.

Expansion of Tax Exemptions for Aquaculture Businesses

Effective July 1, 2018, the following changes have been made to the sales tax exemption for gas or electricity used for certain agricultural purposes:

• The exemption for butane gas, propane gas, natural gas, and all other forms of liquefied petroleum gases is expanded to include tractors, vehicles, or other farm equipment used directly or indirectly for the production, packing, or processing of aquacultural products, as defined in section (s.) 597.0015, F.S., whether used on or off the premises of a farm.

• The exemption for electricity used in a packinghouse is expanded to include buildings or structures where fish are packed or prepared for market or shipment. “Fish” is defined as “any of the numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates of the superclass Pisces, characteristically having fins, gills, and a streamlined body, which is raised through aquaculture.”

Also, effective July 1, 2018, industrial machinery and equipment, including parts and accessories, purchased for use in aquacultural activities at fixed locations are exempt from sales tax. “Industrial machinery and equipment” is defined as tangible personal property or other property that has a depreciable life of three years or more and that is used as an integral part in the manufacturing, processing, compounding, or production of tangible personal property for sale.” A building and its structural components, including heating and air-conditioning equipment are included.

Sign-up to receive up-to-date tax information at: FloridaRevenue.com/DOR/Subscribe.

New Division Staff Kit Harshaw started as an Environmental Specialist II at the division’s Port Charlotte field office in May 2018, and is responsible for water quality monitoring in shellfish harvesting areas along the southwestern coast. Kit graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science from Florida Gulf Coast University, and has previously worked as a fisheries observer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's Fisheries-Independent Monitoring program. Kit can be reached at (941) 613-0954 or at [email protected].

Kit Harshaw Nicole Martin started as an Environmental Specialist II at the division’s Tallahassee office in August 2018, and is responsible for inspecting shellfish processing plants. Nicole graduated with a

Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science from Jacksonville University, and has previously worked the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's molluscan research program in Apalachicola.

Nicole can be reached at (850) 617-7628 or at [email protected].

Abbey Pylant started as an Environmental Health Aide in the division’s Apalachicola field office in August 2018. Nicole Martin

Abbey graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology in May 2018, and has previously worked on coral reef degradation research at UGA’s Osenberg Laboratory. Abbey can be reached at (850) 323-6843 or [email protected].

Matt McCollough started as an Environmental Specialist II at the division’s Cedar Key field office in August 2018, and is responsible for inspecting shellfish processing plants. Matt received a

Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of West Florida, and worked as a North Pacific Groundfish Observer with Alaskan Observers Inc. and NMFS.

Abbey Pylant Matt can be reached at (352) 221-0725 or [email protected] Matt McCollough

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