Kia ora is a Māori-language which has entered New Zealand English. It translates literally as "have life" or "be healthy,” wishing the essence of life upon someone, from one speaker to the other (source: Wikipedia).
A couple of years ago, a commercial oyster farmer shared an idea of purchasing some new grading equipment for their operation that was manufactured by a company overseas, and it sparked an interest in traveling to visit a more mature industry to learn how to make the United States shellfish industry more resilient and successful.
Then last year, a Sea Grant opportunity, “Enhancing knowledge of aquaculture technologies, practices, and businesses,” was announced. Subsequently, last March at the World Aquaculture Society meeting in New Orleans, I shared the idea with Tom Bliss of Georgia Sea Grant, and he said that he’d had similar conversations with a couple of his shellfish farmers interested in learning more about innovative gear systems for grow out.
With only days before it was due, we were able to submit a competitive full proposal with letters of support from industry participants, our travel hosts and a great effort by the Offices of Sponsored Programs at Auburn University and the University of Georgia. With Tom leading the effort and Georgia Sea Grant providing the necessary non-federal match funds, we crossed our fingers and sat back and waited for months for an award announcement.
Fortunately, with only days to coordinate the site visits and travel, we were awarded funding for our proposal, “Experiential learning of New Zealand aquaculture production by Sea Grant Extension agents and commercial shellfish farmers to facilitate aquaculture growth in the United States.” Though excited, there was much to do in a short period of time. The following industry participants joined us for an orientation Zoom meeting led by Tom and Sara Karlsson of the University of Georgia:
- Chris Head of Admiral Shellfish Company.
- Charlie Phillips of Sapelo Sea Farms.
- Thomas Piecuch of Holy Ground Oyster Company.
- Evan Webster of New Reef Oyster Company.
- Chris Hathcock of Tybee Oyster Company.
These companies were reimbursed through the grant for travel expenses and registration fees for the 2025 New Zealand Aquaculture Conference held in Nelson, New Zealand.
The busy itinerary included the two-day conference and site visits to a gear manufacturer, a shellfish processor, a commercial oyster farm, a commercial oyster nursery, the Cawthron Institute and the Moana Hatchery, as well as a few side trips. Which takes me back to the phrase, “kia ora.” Everyone we met and interacted with was genuinely welcoming and willing to share lessons learned and ideas to support the shellfish industry for our participants who will share their experiences with others over the next few months through presentations and publications that Tom and I will be putting together based on their feedback.
Special thanks to Aaron and Debbie Pannell of Flip Farm, the Cawthron Institute, Pandora Wadsworth (Auburn Grad!) of the Moana New Zealand, 2025 New Zealand Aquaculture Conference and many others that welcomed us to their amazing country.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me, Russell Grice, at the Auburn University Shellfish Lab on Dauphin Island, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant at [email protected].
Meet the author
Russell "Rusty" Grice
Oyster Aquaculture Business Specialist
Rusty joined Sea Grant in 2016. He helps oyster farmers navigate requirements for starting farms, and he helps streamline the harvest reporting process for existing farms. His focus is on... Read more
Phone: 251-229-0826
Email: [email protected]