An official website of the United States government.
Pennsylvania State University. Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension.
Overview of the industry including statistics, market research, planning and permits, and facilities and equipment.
Business Planning
Southern Regional Aquaculture Center.
Access full-text publications on information about the realities and potential when getting started in aquaculture and small scale, on-farm fish processing.
Also see fact sheets on small-scale marketing and business proposals for loans.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.
Asks questions that focus on knowledge, skills, assessments and costs one should answer when considering an aquaculture business. Identifies publications and organizations.
Is Aquatic Farming for You? ( pdf | 24 KB )
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center.
Self-test and checklist to determine whether aquaculture is appropriate for you.
National Center for Appropriate Technology. ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Explores important considerations that must be weighed when planning an aquaculture enterprise and provides a list of resources and contacts for additional information.
Ecotrust. Local Food Promotion Program Grant Recipient, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Ecotrust, with the Northwest Food Buyers Alliance, created a primer for institutions on local seafood sourcing in the Pacific Northwest. This guide helps institutions take the first step in a place-based approach to sustaining wild seafood by informing sustainable purchasing and charting annual seasons for local Pacific Northwest catch.
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center.
Helps in determining the organizational structure for aquaculture operations of varied sizes - from small part-time farms to very large operations - including sole proprietorship, partnerships (general and limited) and corporations (regular and subchapter-S).
University of Connecticut. Connecticut Sea Grant. Cooperative Extension Service.
Lists elements of an aquaculture business proposal for presentation to a financial institution.
Financing the Aquaculture Operation ( pdf | 102 KB )
University of Connecticut. Connecticut Sea Grant. Cooperative Extension Service.
Provides a short overview of financing options for aquaculture operations and contacts in Connecticut for additional assistance. Many of the helpful organizations listed have offices or counterparts in other states.
Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture
This 2014 catalog, developed in accordance with the National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2801, et seq.), describes Federal programs and activities "that directly or indirectly encourage, support, or assist U.S. aquaculture." Prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture (formerly the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture) under the National Science and Technology Council’s Life Sciences Subcommittee. Please note: Websites and/or programs may have changed. Conduct a web search for the Federal Government Agency and/or the aquaculture program name to locate current information on these programs.