Grower Resources
Barriers to Entry in the Northeast U.S. Aquaculture Industry
This report by the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center lists the key species, regulations and resources for each state, along with the barriers to getting started.
Best Management Practices
The BMP manual and the Excel macro-enabled template to create your own BMP document;
plus a Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquaculture technical bulletin covering Aquaculture Gear Management;
plus the Aquaculture Stewardship Council's recommendations on reducing waste and promoting recycling of aquaculture gear.
Biofouling Control Strategies
This handbook from Maryland Aquaculture Extension shows how to identify and control common biofouling species in the Chesapeake Bay.
Bird Interactions with Shellfish Aquaculture
Executive Director Bob Rheault summarizes a webinar hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on issues relating to birds and aquaculture.
Disinfecting Used Shellfish Gear
When buying used shellfish production equipment, be sure to thoroughly disinfect it before you put in the water. This reduces the risk of introducing disease or invasive species.
European Union Trade Agreement
For the first time since 2011, U.S. producers - beginning in the states of Massachusetts and Washington - are eligible to export live, raw and processed bivalve molluscan shellfish to the EU, while producers in Spain and the Netherlands are also now eligible to export live and raw bivalve molluscan shellfish to the U.S.
Farm Sign-Up
Members can fill out our online form and get listed on our Buy Shellfish page so consumers can easily search by location to find out where they can buy product direct from the farm.
Financing Resources Manual
The Financing Resources Manual from the Maine Aquaculture Association is an in-depth summary of all known financing resources available to Maine aquaculture producers as well as some generic sources available to all growers.
Gear Comparison Study
Comparison of Bottom and Floating Gear for Growing Oysters in Southeastern Massachusetts
Gear Management
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture, developed an extension-style publication based on information from a 2018 gear workshop in Cedar Key, Fla. It covers best management practices for shellfish gear; marine debris facts; lease stewardship and public perception; how to reduce, reuse, recover and recycle; shellfish gear management strategies; preparing for severe weather; and important resources.
Getting Started in Forida
Everything you need to know about growing shellfish in Florida. From acquiring a lease, to risk calculations, to planting, to harvest.
Getting Started in Maine
The Essential Start Guide to Maine Aquaculture outlines the rich opportunities and the overlooked realities of starting an aquaculture business in the state of Maine.
Hatchery and Nursery List
East Coast list updated annually by Rutgers University Cooperative Extension of Ocean County N.J.
How to Install a Soft-Shell Clam Farm
This comprehensive guide by John M. Hagan and Ethel Wilkerson of Manomet lays it all out.
Over-Wintering Oysters I
Literature review on over-wintering methods for oysters, compiled for Little Shemogue Oyster Company by Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture
Over-Wintering Oysters II
Tech Talk: To Pit or Not to Pit?
Bill Walton and Diane Murphy of Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant summarize the pros and cons of over-wintering oysters in seed pits in southeastern Massachusetts, and describe their experiments on pitting.
Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program
The Regional Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Program (RSSBP) is a collaboration of members of industry, scientists, regulators and extension agents using the best available science to minimize risks associated with interstate seed transfers of bivalve shellfish.
Social License to Operate
In April 2022 the World Wildlife Fund held a workshop focused on the social license to farm kelp in New England. Around 100 invitees from around the globe grappled with the question of how to get past some of the permitting obstacles impeding the expansion of kelp farming in coastal waters. This final report contains extensive sections on challenges and solutions, and communications and outreach.
State Permitting
State-by-State Summary of Shellfish Aquaculture Leasing/Permitting Rules and Production Data in Microsoft Excel format
Storm Preparation Tips
A series of fact sheets for the off-bottom oyster aquaculture industry to help oyster farmers reduce damages related to wind, storm surge and decreased salinity from flooding. Six publications focus on planning, preparation and recovery for different types of farms, facilities and equipment.
Swapmeet Signup
The ECSGA Swapmeet is a Google Group that is open to anyone, where subscribers can buy and sell used gear, inquire about seed availability, look for a job or post a job opening. Unlike ECSGA-L, you don't have to be a paying member of the association to subscribe. This is a publicly accessible group so you can join it directly.
