UMass Boston

Course Overview

Description

This course will examine the basics of working in and managing a successful aquaculture operation. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing segment of the food industry, with more then half of what we eat from the ocean coming from aquaculture. This is an increasingly competitive space that suffers from a tradition of malpractice and misunderstanding as well as a regulatory culture that lags far behind an innovative rate. Site selection, gear, seed and feed procurement, marketing, and supply chain dynamics are all important elements of a successful aquaculture operation that demand an understanding of regulatory, financial, and marketing and entrepreneurial principles. This course is designed to introduce students to these challenges and equip them with the tools needed to engage within the industry on a sophisticated, successful level. Students will gain a foundational understanding of how to move from "I would like to operate an aquaculture business" to "I am operating an aquaculture business". Building on this understanding, students will prepare their own business plans to demonstrate mastery of key aspects of operational efficiency necessary support the vital financial structure of any business. Lastly, through the concepts of entrepreneurship, students will learn how to integrate business concepts to be able to develop and sustain a successful aquaculture business. This course will be organized into three parts: Essentials for a business in aquaculture, operating a business in aquaculture, and moving from concept to execution. This course alludes to but does not deeply discuss the complex and ever changing regulatory, policy, and legal systems that govern operations in this sector.