Minorities In Aquaculture Aims to Cultivate Diversity in Fish Farming
by Imani Black for Innovasea Insights | September 29, 2021
As a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I had the privilege of growing up in one of the largest coastal communities in the world. Living on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the culture of the estuary is inherently ingrained into our upbringing. No matter the occasion, seafood is usually the star of many family gatherings while the waterways are an integral part of many of the activities.
From a young age, I understood our responsibility to protect coastal communities like those near Chesapeake Bay and knew that I had an enthusiasm for conservation and restoration. Eventually that grew into preparing for an environmental-based career.
Without having a complete idea of which sector of environmental conservation I wanted to pursue, I was introduced to aquaculture by a summer internship at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and was hooked. Two years and one move back to Maryland later, I was fully immersed in the aquaculture industry. In 2018, I started working my “dream job” at a privately owned shellfish hatchery in Maryland as assistant hatchery manager.
During those years, I realized a lot about my connection to and passion for aquaculture and commercial fisheries, and learned many lessons that would help develop my career. At times, my involvement in the industry as a woman was questioned, but I still always felt like I was made to be an oyster farmer. I was proud of the career I had cultivated and every day, no matter how hard the work was, I was honored to have a place in something so essential.