#aquaculture

The 47th annual Telly Awards judging council, which selects the winning entries, featured more than 250 expert judges from Google, HBO, BBC, Netflix and more. More than 13,000 entries from around the globe were submitted this year.

The University of Hawaiʻi has been selected as one of five core members of a new national seafood research consortium backed by $13.5 million in federal funding — with Hawaiʻi-based researchers and the state’s unique ocean resources playing a central role.

Tokuda ultimately opposed the measure, citing its failure to address the rising costs facing farmers and producers, support the nutrition needs of working families—from keiki to kupuna—and provide meaningful investment in rural economies. The bill cleared the committee by a vote of 34-17 and now goes to the full House of Representatives for consideration.  

The Oceanic Institute of Hawaiʻi Pacific University marked a historic milestone last week by releasing over 300 aquacultured juvenile yellow tang (lauʻīpala) into the waters of Oʻahu. This initiative, carried out in collaboration with Georgia Aquarium and Disney’s Aulani Resort, represented the first documented release of fish in Hawaiʻi aimed specifically at ecosystem restoration rather than food production—a significant step toward preserving Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the Compost Reimbursement Program for Fiscal Year 2025, which may reimburse agricultural producers for the cost of purchasing compost, including transportation costs.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present new challenges for the State, the Hawaiʻi State Senate is focused on addressing these concerns and more in the upcoming legislative session.

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development has issued almost half a million dollars in grant monies to various local organizations in September and October.

The Board of Directors of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) has appointed Gregory P. Barbour as the agency’s new Executive Director. Barbour will assume responsibility for the management of the agency in mid-June.