Attending Aquaculture 2025? Don’t Miss the NAA-NWAA Advocacy Session!
Almost all federal employee travel has been canceled to attend Aquaculture 2025. Unfortunate outcomes are the cancellation of sessions organized by federal agencies and a significant number of presentations throughout the conference.
One of the canceled sessions is the joint effort by the NAA and Subcommittee on Aquaculture devoted to the new National Aquaculture Development Plan. The session was also to include updates from agencies and the opportunity for you to ask federal program leadership questions.
In place of the canceled session, the NAA and Northwest Aquaculture Alliance have organized a session devoted to effective advocacy at the national, state and local levels. The session is entitled, Aquaculture Advocacy: Federal, State, Local Issues and Actions. Presenters will speak to what they have experienced in the tactics critics are using, what have been effective responses and what may be in store for the U.S. aquaculture community going forward. Please join us for an informative and exciting session that will include an open forum. Bring your experiences, suggest actions that should be taken!
Aquaculture Advocacy: Federal, State, Local Issues and Actions
Aquaculture 2025
Galerie 2
1:30 – 5:30pm
March 7, 2025
15 min | Introduction Paul Zajicek, Executive Director, National Aquaculture Association |
| 30 min | Advocacy Case Studies: Washington and Oregon Maria Smithson, Jeanne McKnight, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance |
| 30 min | Navigating the Regulatory Battlefield: Lessons Learned from Maine Sebastian Belle, Executive Director, Maine Aquaculture Association |
| 15 min | Viewing Advocacy from the Agency Perspective. Dr. Michael Rust, Senior Research Fellow, Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute |
| 30 min | You’re Farming Octopus! Animal Rights Activism and U.S. aquaculture Paul Zajicek, Executive Director, National Aquaculture Association |
| 30 min | Washington Department of Natural Resources Bans Net Pen Farms: A Lesson in Political Corruption Jim Parsons, President, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance |
| 60 min | Moderated Discussion |