The Aquaculture Working Group (AWG) is an informal collaboration between state agencies, higher education institutions, aquaculture membership organizations, aquaculture advocates, private sector companies, and other organizations focused on sustaining and growing aquaculture in Minnesota.
The AWG’s purpose is to:
- Provide a forum to discuss issues in aquaculture.
- Connect groups and organizations who are working with aquaculture.
- Organize a collective effort to grow the industry.
Meeting dates
The AWG will meet from 10-11:30 a.m. on the following dates:
- Thursday, November 6, 2025
- Wednesday, February 11, 2026
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026
- Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Expectations for the AWG
Purpose
- To sustain and grow the aquaculture industry in Minnesota through dialogue and recommendations from aquaculture producers, industry and state government.
AWG functions and scope
- Provide input on strategic policy development for aquaculture in Minnesota, including the priorities identified in the 2025 Minnesota Aquaculture Plan.
- The AWG will:
- Represent the breadth of aquaculture interests.
- Identify and inform state agencies of aquaculture issues.
- Recommend to state agencies potential approaches to respond to issues.
- Recommend effective aquaculture policies, research priorities, programs and regulations.
- Meet quarterly.
- Recommend agenda items to be discussed at meetings.
State agency functions and scope
- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will support the committee by:
- Organizing quarterly meetings.
- Creating agendas.
- Moderating meetings.
- Taking notes.
- The MDA and other state agencies will support the committee by:
- Providing relevant information (e.g., available data, potential programming, budget initiatives, policy initiatives, research initiatives).
- Engaging with the committee on aquaculture plan implementation and program implementation/innovation.
- Addressing issues deemed significant by the committee, which includes offering insight into what state agencies have control over and what they do not.
- Fostering dialogue regarding industry challenges.
Desired outcomes
- Shared understanding among members and state agencies on challenges and potential solutions.
- Provide effective and well-supported recommendations to address identified aquaculture challenges.
- Enhanced industry-agency collaboration and partnership to collectively achieve Minnesota Aquaculture Plan goals.
Authorization and authority
- The AWG is a volunteer effort organized by the MDA and established in support of the 2025 Minnesota Aquaculture Plan.
- The working group is not a decision-making body and has no authority on aquaculture policy, research, or operations. The MDA and other state agencies involved may take feedback from the committee to assist in their decision making.
Participation
- Participation in the AWG is an open to anyone interested in aquaculture.
Evaluation and suspension
- The MDA will evaluate the working group annually. The MDA may suspend or sunset the committee if its purpose is not being met or per its discretion.
Participation and communication
- The meeting schedule will be available on this page as well and will include a way for those seeking participation to request emailed meeting invites.
- Prior to the initial meeting, MDA may provide a press release informing the public about the AWG and where to go to sign up for notifications.
- A month prior to each meeting, an email will be sent to all seeking participation requesting agenda items.
- Participants are asked to attend when available or when topics are of interest to them.
- The MDA acting Aquaculture liaison is the main point of contact for the working group.
- For external communications, including social media, members are free to express their views as private citizens; however, they should be clear that they do not speak for or represent the AWG. Media requests involving the AWG should be directed to the MDA acting aquaculture liaison who will then forward to MDA communications staff.
