California Aquaculture mourns the loss of a dear friend, colleague, and sage advisor, Dr. Fred Conte, state aquaculture specialist for UC Davis Cooperative Extension.
Read a special message from Tony Vaught, President of the California Aquaculture Association (CAA) linked here.
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the selection of federal waters off southern California and in the Gulf of Mexico as the areas of focused evaluation for the first two of ten Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in the United States. Establishing these Aquaculture Opportunity Areas are part of NOAA’s responsibility under the May 2020 Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.
These two regions were selected based on the already available spatial analysis data and current industry interest in developing sustainable aquaculture operations in the region. NOAA envisions each AOA as a small defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture. While the regions for the first two AOAs have been selected, the exact locations and configuration will be shaped by a combination of spatial analysis and public input. Continue reading
URGENT DEADLINE: 6 May 2020
ISSC is seeking to fund studies to identify and evaluate factors which contribute to risk of vibrio illnesses and better tools for addressing biotoxin concerns. The purpose of this RFP is to invite interested parties to propose studies that could offer viable control options for identifying risk factors for vibrios and more effective techniques and tools for assessing risk from shellfish toxins. The ability to initiate data gathering in 2020 will be considered in the process. The following link provides additional information that will allow proposal submitters to understand the scope of the RFP and develop a proposal in an acceptable format. ISSC Request for Proposal.
The CA Department of Public Health is the State Authority for regulating commercial shellfish in California and is interested in partnering with potential applicants. For this RFP it is important to understand the current regulatory system for Vp or biotoxins in order to create an effective and impactful study for consideration. Please contact Vanessa Zubkousky-White vanessa.zubkousky@cdph.ca.gov.
An archive of resources related to COVID funding and assistance for your aquaculture business is consolidated by following the ‘COVID Updates’ tab above.
[From the U.S. Department of the Treasury.]
The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.
Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards. Continue reading
[This entry courtesy of the California Aquaculture Association.]
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the CARES Act, which provided additional assistance for small business owners and non-profits, including the opportunity to get up to a $10,000 Advance on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). This Advance may be available even if your EIDL application was declined or is still pending, and will be forgiven.
If you wish to apply for the Advance on your EIDL, please visit www.SBA.gov/Disaster as soon as possible to fill out a new, streamlined application. In order to qualify for the Advance, you need to submit this new application even if you previously submitted an EIDL application. Applying for the Advance will not impact the status or slow your existing application. Continue reading
(The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship has provided guidance to the small business provisions in the recently passed CARES Act linked here.)
The programs and initiatives in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was just passed by Congress are intended to assist business owners with whatever needs they have right now. When implemented, there will be many new resources available for small businesses, as well as certain non-profits and other employers. This guide provides information about the major programs and initiatives that will soon be available from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to address these needs, as well as some additional tax provisions that are outside the scope of SBA. To keep up to date on when these programs become available, please stay in contact with your local Small Business Administration (SBA) District Office, which you can locate here.
(This webinar from Ohio State University Extension may help your local aquaculture business.) Continue reading
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, businesses, individuals and families may apply now for medical insurance coverage if uninsured and eligible.
Learn more at Covered California.
Mar 25, 2020 – (From a recent dispatch by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association – the following has information on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, applicable to aquaculture producers nationwide, including California.)
CORONA Response bills – what do they mean for aquaculture businesses?
There was an $8.3B supplemental appropriation (March 6) and a Families First Response Act (March 18) – and then the CARES bill which has passed the senate and now heads to the house for consideration.
CARES is a $2 trillion package that has huge injections of small business lending, unemployment insurance, tax relief and tons of other moving parts for other sectors of the economy. In the bill are $300M for fisheries disaster relief (including aquaculture) as well as $9.5B for the Secretary of Agriculture to use to help farms that have lost markets due to restaurant closures. Continue reading
Aquaculture Matters 