NYSG programming is beginning to develop the skilled workforce needed to continue the growth and success of New York’s resilient aquaculture and seafood businesses

Contact:

Michael Ciaramella, NYSG Seafood Safety & Technology Specialist, P: 631-632-8730, E: mc2544@cornell.edu

Stony Brook, NY, March 4, 2019 - A skilled workforce is key to the continued growth and success of resilient fisheries’ aquaculture and seafood (FAS) businesses. Educating and encouraging students to consider careers in FAS is integral to developing and providing the skilled workforce necessary for the FAS industries to grow. In 2018, New York Sea Grant’s (NYSG) new Fish to Dish internship and education program addressed the lack of formal FAS trainings in New York State and throughout the U.S.

NYSG partnered with the Center for Aquatic Animal Research and Management (CFAARM) to initiate the Fish to Dish education and internship program. A program curriculum was developed and five interns were selected and matched with industry partners representing seafood processors, finfish and shellfish farmers, and commercial fishermen in New York.

The interns, selected from a pool of applicants from around the country, attended an education program once a week to learn about the various industry sectors. This approach provided participants a well-rounded education that integrated the historically siloed FAS sectors.

All five interns successfully completed the internship.Post-program evaluations indicated the program did or might affect the interns’ future plans to pursue careers in fisheries, aquaculture and/or seafood.

This NYSG-developed internship program to assist in the creation of a skilled FAS workforce yielded five individuals with a better knowledge of the fruitful opportunities that exist in FAS sectors and the skills to pursue careers as FAS professionals.


The NYSG Fish to Dish student internship program successfully graduated all five students. Credit: NYSG/Michael Ciaramella.

Partners:

• Acme Smoked Fish, Brooklyn, NY
• Cornell Cooperative Extension, Southhold, NY
• Center for Aquatic Animal Research and Management, Wingdale, NY
• Great Atlantic Shellfish Farm, East Islip, NY
• Haskell’s Seafood, Calverton, NY
• Hudson Valley Fish Farm, Inc., Hudson, NY
• Manna Fish Farms, Inc., Hampton Bays, NY

More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.