Biosecurity Workshop for Shellfish and Seaweed Producers: Understanding, Creating and Following Your Biosecurity Plan

Biosecurity: ‘…the concept of applying appropriate measures to reduce the probability of a biological organism or agent spreading to an individual population or ecosystem and to mitigate the adverse impact may result.’ 

Farmed organisms on Maine’s coast – like oysters, mussels and seaweed – are completely tied to the environment in which they live.  The waters of Maine give our farmed products what they need to live, and contribute strongly to their market recognition, but the same waters also mean that farms are linked to one another, even at some distance.  This linkage can be a pathway through which disease, invasive species and pests can travel.  To limit such risks, aquaculture producers are well served to put good biosecurity practices in place.

This workshop follows on an introductory event on biosecurity in 2016, and will accomplish the following:
-Review the rationale and benefits of a sound biosecurity plan, and following the plan in your business
– Introduce the elements of a biosecurity plan, and review the process for developing one for your aquaculture facilities
– Begin to create individualized plans.  We will give each attendee a homework assignment in developing their plan, to help them create the document.

We expect to meet again for Part II of this workshop later in 2018, at which point we will review plans with farmers, and continue to create individual farm plans.

The instructor for the event is Sebastian Belle, Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association. The event is coordinated by Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and funded by NOAA Sea Grant under the Aquaculture in Shared Waters program.

An RSVP is requested. For RSVP’s, questions or other details contact Dana Morse at 207.563.8186 or [email protected].