Many may not know it, but CTAHR hosts an important potential collaborator and ally right in Gilmore Hall: the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture! CTSA is one of five regional aquaculture centers in the United States established by the USDA, which integrate individual and institutional expertise and resources in support of commercial aquaculture development. CTSA, which was established in 1986, is jointly administered by UH and the Oceanic Institute of Hawaii Pacific University. CTSA’s executive director, Cheng-Sheng Lee, and his assistant Maggie Ma are housed in CTAHR.
Aquaculture has huge potential benefits to people and communities around the world. As Cheng Sheng wrote in the “Letter From the Director” of the latest Regional e-Notes,
“There are many ways that aquaculture can meaningfully impact our island communities, one of the most obvious being increased food security and nutrition. Aquaculture can allow us to secure the sustainable supply of staple species and introduce new and healthy seafood options, such as seaweeds and fish high in beneficial fatty acids, which can play a role in improving health and wellness across the region. Development of the industry can also have significant economic impacts, especially when considering the ideal farming conditions of the Pacific Islands. A recent article in the Agriculture Economics 2019 issue titled “Does a ‘Blue Revolution’ help the poor? Evidence from Bangladesh,” indicated aquaculture contributed to a 10% reduction in poverty in Bangladesh. 10% of the population represents 1.8 million people whose lives, incomes, and access to healthy seafood were improved. …
“As an industry, we need to do more public outreach to share these wide-ranging benefits with everyone; community acceptance and support is the only way that aquaculture will reach its full potential.”
Read more of the letter and find out more about CTSA here.