2019 Program

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019

11:00 am – 4:00 pm
REGISTRATION (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm   
TRADE SHOW OPENING (Grand Ballroom)

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Bivalve Shellfish (Pearl Ballroom)
1:00 pm Grower Panel – Good Neighbor Strategies to Avoid User Conflicts   Growers relating their experience with good neighbor strategies – one of the key elements of the industry’s best management practices document. MRR 2008-10_BMP for VA culture industry

Panelists: Patrick Oliver, Rappahannock Oyster Co.; Chris Ludford, Pleasure House Oysters; Chris Buck, Ruby Salts Oyster Co.  

2:00 pm Ask a Regulator – Open forum with your agency staff.   VDH Shellfish Safety:  Danielle Schools, Plant Program Manager; Adam Wood, Growing Area Manager.  VMRC:  Andrew Button, Head of Conservation and Replenishment; Ben Stagg, Director Shellfish Aquaculture Leasing and Mapping

Finfish (Grand Ballroom III & IV)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Research and Extension Updates

VT-VSAREC

  • Michael Schwarz – New facilities, programs, & IALR update
  • Jonathan van Senten – Economics, marketing, and regulations
  • Reza Ovissipour – Sustainable Food Production Systems

VT – Blacksburg

  • David Kuhn – Aquaculture Production Innovations and Post-Harvest Quality

 VSU

  • Chris Mullins – Aquaponics
  • Brian Nerrie – Pond Aquaculture
  • Martin Crosby – Fish Health

2:00 pm VDGIF Aquaculture Program Updates – Brendan Delbos, State Aquaculture Coordinator, VDGIF

2:15 pm Aquaculture Round Table (Producers and Associations)

Moderated by Brian Nerrie, Extension Specialist, Virginia State University

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
NETWORKING AND TRADE SHOW BREAK
(refreshments provided)

3:00 pm- 4:00 pm
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Bivalve Shellfish (Pearl Ballroom)
Rapid Fire Student Research – Part 1
Graduate student research supported by Virginia Sea Grant. The presentations will be short and targeted to what’s most relevant for shellfish growers. Moderated by Abigail Hils, Virginia Sea Grant.

Finfish (Grand Ballroom III & IV)
3:00 pm Resources for your New or Expanding Aqua-Business – Stephen Versen, Manager, Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development, VDACS

3:30 pm A Partnership Approach to Strengthening Aquatic Animal Health – Paul Zajicek, Executive Director, National Aquaculture Association

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm  Shellfish Growers of Virginia (SGV) (Grand Ballroom III & IV)

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER – Jim Perdue, Chairman and Advertising Spokesman of Perdue Farms .  Moderated By Tony Banks, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
(Pearl Ballroom)

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
AQUACULTURE RECEPTION  (Grand Ballroom)
(provided)  Featuring a taste of Virginia’s finest farm-raised seafood products. Enjoy preparations of local clams, mountain trout, tilapia, and catfish. The reception will also feature a  ‘merroir to terroir’ experience thanks to our Virginia Oyster Trail partners! This “water to land” palate experience showcases member pairings of fresh, farmed oysters with Virginia wine and beer companions. Sample “York River Oysters” paired with Alewerks‘ exclusive batch of “York River Oyster Stout” and Rappahannock Oyster Company‘s “Olde Salt” oysters paired with Saude’ Creek Vineyards signature “Pearl” vintage.  Featuring special guest, Deborah Pratt, Virginia’s National Oyster Shucking Champion.

Additional menu items will be available. Guest tickets are available for purchase.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019

7:30 am – 10:30 am
REGISTRATION (Grand Ballroom Lobby)

7:30 am – 8:30 am
HOT BREAKFAST (Grand Ballroom)
(provided)

8:00 am – 8:30 am
VIRGINIA OYSTER TRAIL STATE OF THE UNION (Grand Ballroom III & IV) – Sherri Smith, Virginia Oyster Trail

8:30 am- 10:00 am
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Bivalve Shellfish (Pearl Ballroom)
8:30 am Industry Expansion Panel – Discussion of a potential new strategy for shellfish industry expansion along with the associated legal/policy implications.  

Moderated by Pat Geer, Chief of Fisheries Management, VMRC 
Panelists:  Roger Mann, Professor; Marcia Berman, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program Manager, Center for Coastal Resource Management, VIMS; Angela King, Assistant Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center, William & Mary; and Jim Wesson, retired VMRC Oyster Management

9:30 am Rapid Fire Student Research – Part 2
Graduate student research supported by Virginia Sea Grant.  The presentations will be short and targeted to what’s most relevant for shellfish growers. Moderated by Abigail Hils, Virginia Sea Grant

Finfish (Grand Ballroom III & IV)
8:30 am Emerging Species and Technologies – Chris Tollini, Assistant Aquaculture Manager, Aquaculture Research Center, UMBC-Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology

9:15 am A Case Study: Black Sea Bass Commercialization Efforts – Chris Bentley, Seawater research Manager, Eastern Shore Laboratory, VIMS

10:00 am – 10:30 am
NETWORKING AND TRADE SHOW BREAK
(refreshments provided)

10:30 am- 12:30 pm
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

 Bivalve Shellfish (Pearl Ballroom)
10:30 am News from the Genetics Front
Moderated by Stan Allen, Director, Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center (ABC), VIMS

11:30 am Biosecurity and Shellfish Health
Moderated by Ryan Carnegie, Research Professor, VIMS

Finfish (Grand Ballroom III & IV)
Aquaponics Session

10:30 am Novel Sanitizers for Controlling Bacterial Biofilms  -Reza Ovissipour, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist , VT Seafood AREC

11:00 am State of the Aquaponics Industry – Brian Filipowich, Chair, Aquaponics Association

11:30 am Hands-on Aquaponics Demonstration  – Chris Mullins, Extension Specialist, VSU

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
LUNCH
(provided)

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
GENERAL SESSION (Pearl Ballroom)

1:30 pm Positive Aquaculture PR Panel

Moderator: Sherri Smith, Lander Creative

2:30 pm Regulations and Costs

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
NETWORKING AND TRADE SHOW WRAP-UP

Past Conferences

Click on the links below to see the programs and presentations from past Virginia Aquaculture Conferences:

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