A major obstacle for U.S. aquaculture is the lack of reliable industry data collected from producers. Accurate reporting and data collection mechanisms form the basis of industry understanding and are necessary to guide resource allocation, research topics, technological needs, and policy changes in the aquaculture industry. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) attempts to track the industry through the Census of Aquaculture, released every five years. Although producers are required to submit data for the census, many businesses do not report, resulting in an unreliable source of data, minimal production estimates, and an inability to track credible industry change. The absence of accurate reporting makes understanding the effects of both local (employee shortages, weather events) and global (COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions) events on the industry difficult or impossible to quantify.
Our case study aims to 1) determine how well the USDA Census of Aquaculture represents the status of the aquaculture industry in Minnesota and 2) establish an accurate baseline that reflects the status and needs of the Minnesota aquaculture industry. We compared three data sources: 1) USDA Cens us of Aquaculture, 2) state aquaculture license information from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), and 3) phone and in person interviews with Minnesota aquaculture producers. The interviews prompted producers to answer basic questions about their farm status, what they see as current industry needs, and how COVID-19 has affected their businesses and the industry overall.
Our results highlight disparities between the USDA census information and data collected from MNDNR aquaculture licenses and phone/in person interviews with producers. Comparing output from the three methods showed different results and highlighted the importance of accurate reporting to understand how industry needs can be met. For example, if there are no accurate bas eline data, it is difficult to determine how COVID-19 affected the industry overall in terms of businesses lost or added and what could have protected against losses. In addition to highlighting how data gaps might be filled, we provide a baseline for the current status of the Minnesota industry and quantify current producer needs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we acknowledge that our methods are more costly and time consuming, they may provide a better framework for future data gathering and h elp move sustainable aquaculture forward in other regions of the U.S.