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Who we are
Who We Are
The Washington State-based Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) represents aquaculture producers and support-related businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia—and beyond.
Alliance members share a vision of raising high-quality, sustainably produced, nutritious fish and shellfish, farmed in marine waters, freshwater, or in land-based operations that we can offer to local, regional, and global markets.
Why Aquaculture?
The United States currently ranks 16th in the world in aquaculture production. The Northwest region, with its abundant supply of natural resources, know-how, and hard-working people, can—and should—produce enough farmed seafood to help the U.S. compete with imports from other aquaculture-producing countries.
Aquaculture currently provides more than half of the seafood consumed worldwide—and that percentage is increasing as global demand for seafood continues to rise and wild fisheries are fully exploited.
Our Board of Directors
John Dentler – President
Strategic Counsel, Troutlodge
Sumner, Washington
In addition to serving as President of the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance, John Dentler serves as Strategic Counsel to Troutlodge, the world’s leading producer of eyed trout eggs, and one of the oldest aquaculture companies in North America.
Founded in 1945 as a producer of trout for local food markets, the company today is a major aquaculture company, operating eight facilities throughout Washington and Idaho as well as freshwater subsidiaries on the Isle of Man and through a sister company in Chile. The world’s leading producer of eyed salmonid eggs, Troutlodge is one of the largest private suppliers of live trout for large public utility districts, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, indigenous Tribes, and public and private entities.
John Bielka – Vice President
General Manager
Pacific Aquaculture
Nespelem, Washington
Pacific Aquaculture is a subsidiary of privately held Pacific Seafood Group—an Oregon-based seafood producer and distributor that ranks as one of the dominant players in the US seafood industry. Founded in 1941, Pacific today employs 3,000 people in 41 facilities located in 11 states.
Like many other companies that started in the wild capture sector, Pacific recognized that the company needed to diversify into aquaculture in order to meet the needs of its growing customer base. Today, Pacific Aquaculture operates a successful steelhead farming operation at Nespelem, Washington, on the Columbia River.
Carrington Gorman
Technical Adviser
Cargill Aqua Nutrition
Ferndale and Granger, Washington
Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Cargill is a global provider of products and services that help farmers boost crop productivity, manage risks, and support health and nutrition. The company today employs 155,000 people worldwide. After the acquisition of EWOS, Cargill today is one of the largest global suppliers of aqua feed through its Cargill Aqua Nutrition division. The company employs approximately 65 people in Washington (including Ferndale and Granger) and operates a feed mill in Surrey, BC.
Kurt Grinnell
Tribal Council Member; Aquaculture Policy Manager Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Sequim, Washington
Sequim, Washington
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is today at the cutting edge of aquaculture in Washington, operating several shellfish operations and finfish enhancement activities. Most recently, the Tribe has begun collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the University of Washington at a lab near Manchester, Washington, on a pilot project farming black cod in Puget Sound.
Ron Malnor
Sales Manager
Bio-Oregon / Skretting
Longview, Washington
Skretting got its start in Stavanger, Norway in 1899, selling feed and equipment to agriculture producers. Today, the company is an international leader in the manufacture and supply of aquaculture feeds, operating globally, with 3,500 employees in various countries. Its North American production facilities are located in Toole, Utah; Vancouver, BC; and St. Andrews, NB, Canada.
A leading supplier of fish feeds to the Washington state aquaculture industry, Skretting also supplies fish feeds to Washington State’s salmonid hatchery programs with the Department of Fish and Wildlife via its subsidiary, Bio-Oregon. Bio-Oregon operates fish feed distribution centers in Washington State and Westbrook, Maine.
Hugh Mitchell, DVM
Founder/Owner
AquaTactics Fish Health Services
Kirkland, Washington
AquaTactics is a-globally respected Washington-owned fish veterinary services company that provides fish health consultation and fish health tools such as custom prescription vaccines and medications for public, tribal and private fish culture facilities. AquaTacits also provides pharmaceutical and biologics product and facility registration and licensing consultation and participate in cooperative fish health research projects.
Genny West
Director of Sales
ScaleAQ, Inc.
Campbell River, BC
Scale AQ is a world-leading technology and equipment supplier to the global aquaculture industry. We provide equipment and services to both marine and freshwater fish farmers with high tech remote feeding barges for more precision feeding, connective software, underwater cameras, innovative net pen structures and ensilage systems. Scale has 900 employees, 27 offices in 11 countries and customers all over the world.
Sean Nepper
Director of Production
Riverence
Rochester, Washington
Riverence is a land-based farm that raises steelhead trout eggs in Washington in a state-of-the-art RAS facility that maximizes natural water resources and capacity that takes advantage of both the latest technology and the expertise of the Riverence team. Riverence transports its eggs to grow-out farms that are located along the Snake River in Idaho’s Magic Valley.
Jim Parsons
General Manager
Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, LLC
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated aquaculture corporation based in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada. A pioneer in salmon farming, Cooke today has farming operations in Atlantic Canada, the United States (Maine and Washington State), Chile, Scotland, Central America (shrimp) and Spain (sea bass and sea bream).
The oldest continuously operating salmon farming company in North America, Cooke Aquaculture operates farms close to Cypress Island, Hope Island, Port Angeles, and Rich Passage—farms that have been in operation for more than 30 years. Cooke ranks among the global leaders in third-party certifications and traceability programs, with the distinction of holding Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) for all of its farming operations. Cooke Aquaculture Pacific employs 60 people in Washington State.
Jeanne McKnight, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Northwest Aquaculture Alliance
Jeanne McKnight has worked all aspects of the global aquaculture industry for more than 25 years–where she has earned a reputation as a strong advocate for the commercial wild harvest sector as well as the responsible fish farming sector worldwide. She is a frequent contributor to trade magazines and has spoken extensively on the benefits of aquaculture at various conferences.
STAFF
Jeanne McKnight, Ph.D. – Executive Director
Jack Field – Lobbyist
Dan Swecker – Senior Advisor
SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
Linda A. Chaves – Chair
Walt Dickhoff, Ph.D.
John Forster, Ph.D.
Ron Hardy, Ph.D.
Robert Iwamoto, Ph.D.
Conrad V. Mahnken, Ph.D.
Cathy Roheim, Ph.D.
MEMBERS
ABOUT US
The NWAA represents aquaculture producers and support-related businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia—and beyond.
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