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Oregon Aquaculture Association
OAA |
President's WelcomeDecember 12, 2005 Dear Fellow Aquaculturists, It is time to renew our annual membership dues in Oregon Aquaculture Association. First, I wanted to share some highlights of our exciting, and sometimes bumpy, first year. September 2004 was our official beginning with formation of Oregon Aquaculture Association. Before the ink was dry on our Bylaws, we quickly introduced four bills and worked hard to educate legislators and staff regarding our issues. We managed to pass one bill which ensures that fish farming is an outright use in an Exclusive Farm Use zone. One bill which did not pass would have allowed us to raise and sell sturgeon, authorized propagation holders to write transportation permits for aquaria ponds, and to establish an Aquaculture Advisory Board. Another bill would have required ODFW to spend 10% of their trout budget on purchasing trout from private aquaculture. The final bill dealt with transferring regulation of food fish production to Oregon Department of Agriculture. We will continue to work on these issues, and many more, as we gain increased awareness and reputation in the future. While lobbying, we made many contacts. Most people we met wanted aquaculture to be more important than it is now. We helped sponsor a wonderful dinner for the legislators, joined by Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, Oregon Anglers, Association of Liquor Stores, Mt. Hood Beverage and Pacific Seafood. Audrey McCall, wife of former Governor Tom McCall, was at the fish fry and thoroughly enjoyed our seafood and fish dinner. It was a great time to get to know people and share our view of the aquaculture industry. In 2005, we were the new kids on the block. Next time, we will be better prepared to make the legislative changes needed to help our industry grow. Additionally, as a result of our efforts, we developed a working relationship with ODFW with goals to address these and other issues, including fish health examinations. Recently we launched a new website: www.oregonaquaculture.org. Check it out and let us know how we can make it better. We want the website to highlight our members and the work we are doing as an Association. We are also working with OSU Extension to host a Pond Management conference for pond owners and Extension agents on March 11, 2006. Please plan to attend! Again, we hope you will continue your yearly support. Please join Oregon Aquaculture Association for our 2005-2006 year. We need your help and support to make Oregon a fish-friendly state! Sincerely, Clint Bentz, President |