NEXT STOP: SOUTHEAST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTRE

The Southeast Fisheries Science Centre, located in Virginia Beach Drive, Miami is a Federal agency tasked with the main responsibilities of habitat preservation, resource protection and fisheries research. Most of the agency’s research activities are centred on marine and coastal ecosystem assessment of stocks and migratory patterns along the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean. The arm of the organization visited was the Sustainable Fisheries Division in Miami, Florida. Worthy of mention is the ability of the facility to foster the objectivity of science by having the facility to operate on its own. Furthermore, it is clearly evident that they understand and value the need for collaboration between government, private sector and educational institutions such as:
· Regional Fishery Management Councils
· Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami
· Atlantic & Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions
· International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
· Commercial & Recreational Fishing Industry

The Centre has also been also been responsible for the development of sustainability driven innovations for the maintenance of sea catch levels and the reduction by catch losses. One of these innovations was the development of a Turtle Excluder Device (TED) which has the express purpose of preventing the depletion of the marine turtle population from the fishing of tuna and other marine fish species.
In terms of aquaculture the agency is mandated to focus on marine and coastal farming activities while, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with land based farming initiatives like catfish and other species. From this point of view the agency has worked on the development of further innovations to prevent losses due to hurricanes and reduce the negative environmental impact of existing techniques. One such model is the submersible aquatic cage innovation for the growth out of species such as tuna for commercial endeavours. It speaks to the institute’s continued drive and focus to support the continued management and development of coastal and marine species and their ecosystem.

The group was also able to view the cobia salt water fish hatchery, and grow-out operations that the facility has developed in collaboration with the University of Miami. The facility was designed to be a low cost farming model that can be implemented and replicated with ease of operations in a variety of conditions. So far the institute has commercialised the model in Honduras and other parts of Central America with significant success. The agency is also involved in growing slugs for the express purpose of bio-medical research on neuron development.

Author: Kirbby Austin