Restoring The Environment While Powering the Aquaculture Industry
The Nature Conservancy and The Pew Charitable Trusts have announced that their Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) project has received an additional USD $ 6.3 million in additional funding. The goal of SOAR is to restore coastal ecosystems and increase diversity and equity within the oyster aquaculture industry while fostering a thriving aquaculture industry. The additional funding builds upon an initial $ 5 million raised from phase one of the program.
Part of the additional funding comes from a $3-million investment grant given from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund. The additional $3.3-million investment comes from the Builders Initiative.
The funding from Stage 2 will directly support the SOAR Purchase Program, which buys oysters directly from growers in order to deploy them in oyster reef restoration projects throughout the U.S. Remaining funds will be directed towards the SOAR Shellfish Growers Resiliency Fund. According to The Nature Conservancy, the fund invests in marine conservation efforts that increase economic opportunities for shellfish farmers and improves diversity and equity in the oyster aquaculture and conservation industries.
The two companies initially launched the SOAR project with NOAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2020. Within the initial two years of operation, the project’s Purchase Program redirected over 3.5 million oysters from farms at 25 sites, encompassing about 40 acres of oyster reef and directly supporting 125 shellfish companies. That effort alone managed to preserve over 450 jobs.
SOAR will continue to progress and offer advanced opportunities for farmers and organizations throughout the second phase and in upcoming phases. The fund and the Builders Initiative will create an additional 50 industry-led projects with a focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion, as well as restoration projects that will benefit underrepresented communities.
A Collaboration Between Aquaculture and The Environment
To learn more about the SOAR project and how it plans to support the Aquaculture industry, go to SeafoodSource.com:
“‘Oysters – whether farmed or wild – are environmental powerhouses, improving water quality, providing wildlife habitat, and protecting against erosion,’ The Nature Conservancy Senior Marine Restoration Scientist Boze Hancock said. ‘This sets shellfish growers up to be one of our strongest allies in the recovery and protection of oyster reefs.’
‘After seeing the extraordinary benefits of leveraging farmed oysters in restoration sites, it became clear to us that this model of collaboration between the aquaculture sector and ecosystem restoration has the potential to be scaled in the U.S. and around the world,’ The Nature Conservancy Lead for Global Aquaculture Robert Jones said. ‘As we expand the scope of the project, we’re eager to realize the potential of partnering with farmers on conservation and consider where and how we might apply the model next.’
‘Supporting shellfish farmers from underrepresented communities to expand innovative, environmentally friendly business practices that also help restore marine habitat is a win-win,’ Pew Charitable Trusts senior officer Aaron Kornbluth said.”
Do you know any other ventures that are helping to mitigate climate change while aiding the aquaculture industry?
Source: Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration receives additional USD 6.3 million in funding - Seafood Source
Photo Source: WIX - www.wix.com
Written by AQUAMERGE
March 24, 2023