The NAA is the largest and most involved aquaculture user group in the country and they have been an advocate for the RAC program and its stakeholders for many years

This cooperative agreement award of $478,150 from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture will support the National Aquaculture Association in conducting an external review of the Regional Aquaculture Centers program. The review will assess the effectiveness and impact of the program in supporting the aquaculture industry and stakeholder needs. As the largest aquaculture stakeholder group, the National Aquaculture Association will facilitate engagement with a comprehensive cross-section of industry participants to ensure the review considers diverse perspectives. This involvement is critical to the success of evaluating the Regional Aquaculture Centers program and identifying opportunities to better serve aquaculture research, extension and education priorities. The award period is from October 13, 2021 through September 30, 2023.

Their participation allows this external review to reach a more expansive and comprehensive stakeholder community than IT would be able to reach without their involvement. This is vital to the success of the review.