SERA-IEG-9 2000 Annual Meeting Minutes
March 29-30, 2000
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

March 29, 2000

Robert Romaire opened the meeting at approximately 8:30 in the Veterinary Medicine Building on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU).  He welcomed participants and then introduced administrators over LSU aquaculture programs.  Dr. Larry Rogers, Director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station welcomed participants and provided comments about the important contribution of aquaculture to Louisiana agriculture.  Robert then introduced Dr. Paul Coreil, Assistant Director of Environmental Programs for the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.  Dr. Coreil also welcomed participants and made some observations about the importance of Louisiana aquaculture.  Both administrators extended best wishes for a productive meeting.

Robert then introduced Del Gatlin, chair of SERA-IEG-9, who made some brief comments about the status of this particular exchange group.  Del introduced Dr. Marty Fuller, Associate Director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, who was recently appointed Administrative Advisor for this information exchange group.  Dr. Fuller has been involved in aquaculture for many years and expressed his pleasure in serving as Administrative Advisor for this group.  All participants then provided some information about their professional affiliations and responsibilities.  Gatlin then indicated institutional research and extension reports were available for participants.  He also mentioned a website was developed for SERA-IEG-9 after last year’s meeting and provided its current address.

Gatlin then provided an overview of the information exchange groups that were to meet throughout the day.  Prior to the morning break, the Genetics, Economics, and Water Quality/Effluents exchange groups met for approximately 1 hour.  After a 15-minute break, exchange groups for Nutrition, Yield Verification, and Potential Culture Species met for approximately 1 hour.  Participants then went to tour the LSU Environmental Infrastructure Engineering Laboratory where lunch was served.

After lunch, exchange groups including the Catfish Safety Manual, Food Safety, and Fish Health met for approximately 1 hour.  Then participants went on a tour of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Aquatic Animal Disease Laboratories.  The last exchange groups to meet for approximately 1 hour after the afternoon break were Shellfish, National Catfish Information Database, and Alternative Culture Methods.

The meetings adjourned at approximately 4:30 p.m.  Later in the evening, participants toured aquaculture facilities at the LSU Ben Hur farm and were treated to a crawfish boil and fish fry.

March 30, 2000

Gatlin opened the meeting at 8:30 a.m. and indicated slightly more than 40 people had participated in yesterday’s activities.  He also indicated additional research and extension reports had been made available for distribution.

Then personnel from the USDA/ARS laboratories provided brief overviews of activities at their facilities. Jeff Silverstein of the USDA/ARS Genetics Laboratory briefly described some of the ongoing projects at that lab.

Casey Grimm of the USDA/ARS Laboratory in New Orleans provided a brief overview of that laboratory’s projects, particularly those related to off-flavor in catfish.  He also briefly described some of their activities in the proposal development process.

Craig Tucker, Director of the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) gave a brief overview of the regional aquaculture centers.  He also provided a document which summarized the various projects supported by SRAC.  The Technical Committee and Industry Advisory Committee of SRAC will continue to meet jointly in the fall.

Prior to and after a short break, reports of the information exchange groups that met the previous day were provided by the following people.

Alternative Culture Methods - Jeff Hinshaw
Catfish Safety Manual - Jimmy Avery
Economics - Terry Hansen
Fish Health - Del Gatlin
Food Safety - Stuart Dean
Genetics - Jeff Silverstein
National Catfish Information Database - Del Gatlin for Marty Brunson
Nutrition - Del Gatlin
Potential Culture Species - Jeff Hinshaw
Shellfish - Gary Burtle
Yield Verification - David Heikes
Water Quality and Effluents - Michael Masser

General summaries of information exchanged by these various groups will be posted on the SERA-IEG-9 website as they are received.  Thanks to all who agreed to prepare these reports.

Prior to adjourning the meeting, Robert Romaire and his associates and staff were thanked for all of their efforts and kind hospitality in hosting this year’s meeting.  Jimmy Avery extended an invitation for the Thad Cochran Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville, MS to host next year’s meeting.  That invitation was accepted and the last two weeks in March of 2001 were identified as possible dates.   The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:15 a.m.

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