Aquaculture advocacy group nets Hawaiian fish farm chief
Dick Jones, chief executive of Hawaiian fish farmer Blue Ocean Mariculture, has joined the board of the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), which promotes aquaculture in the Pacific region of the United States.
Blue Ocean Mariculture grows Seriola rivoliana - a member of the yellowtail family that it brands as Hawaiian Kanpachi - in submersible cages in the open sea.
It is the only open-ocean finfish aquaculture producer operating within the US and the only US fish farm certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
Expanding reach
Jim Parsons, NWAA board president and general manager of Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, described the addition of Jones and Blue Ocean Mariculture to the Alliance as “a strategic and necessary step in expanding our geographic reach as an aquaculture advocacy organisation as we collectively call for a more aquaculture-friendly regulatory environment both nationally and regionally - including the Northwest region and the Pacific Islands”.
Jones cited the emerging need for food self-sufficiency and food security in the US as a key reason for joining the Alliance, which he views as a strong voice for all aquaculture - whether marine, freshwater, or closed containment (RAS) systems that produce finfish, shellfish, or sea vegetables.
“One of the lessons learned during the pandemic is that you can’t always count on imports to feed people,” Jones said in a press release from the NWAA. “We have the knowledge, the technology, and the people in this country to be self-sufficient when it comes to the production of aquatic foods. Creating a favourable climate for responsible, sustainable aquaculture is perhaps the most important initiative we can undertake in this country.”
Retail and non-profit background
Jones’ career includes 14 years in the retail supermarket sector, overseeing seafood operations for Whole Foods Market and Texas-based HEB Grocery. He also brings expertise in the non-profit sector, where he worked with industry, governments, and agencies globally to implement fisheries and aquaculture improvement projects.
“We need aquaculture to feed the world into the future,” said Jones, adding that the Alliance “plays an important role in promoting the many benefits of responsible aquaculture while providing a platform for networking opportunities in the aquaculture sector”.
The board of the Washington state-based NWAA includes Keith Drynan, general manager of Hendrix Genetics-owned trout ova producer Torulodge; Carrington Gorman, North America commercial manager of Cargill Aqua Nutrition; Sean Nepper, chief brood officer for trout farmer Riverence; and Genny West, general manager Canada for aquaculture supplier Scale AQ.
