Seafood industry professionals from across the state gathered Feb. 24–25 at the Georgia Grown Resource Center in Metter for the Georgia Seafood Summit. The full-day event focused on strengthening the state’s seafood sector through shared knowledge, collaboration and practical solutions.
Hosted by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in partnership with Georgia Grown, the summit brought together 73 participants, including seafood wholesalers, aquaculture businesses, distributors, food system professionals, regulators and researchers. Representatives from the Small Business Development Center and the Georgia Center of Innovation’s AgTech program also attended, sharing resources to support seafood product and business development.
Georgia’s commercial seafood industry, including harvesters, dealers and wholesalers, plays an important role in the state’s economy. In 2024, the sector supported 490 full- and part-time jobs, contributed $7.6 million in labor income and generated nearly $51.4 million in total sales.
“Seafood businesses operate in a dynamic environment shaped by regulation and changing consumer preferences,” said Erin Arneson, seafood specialist with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “As the industry grows here in Georgia, we want to create space for people to learn from one another and access information that can enhance their business practices.”
Learning from across the seafood supply chain
The summit opened with a presentation from Eli Kirshtein, vice president of community and business development at Inland Foods. Kirshtein highlighted the strengths and potential of Georgia seafood products and offered strategies for improving communication between producers and distributors.
Attendees of the summit engaged in discussions centered on building more resilient supply chains and navigating the complexities of a global market.
The program continued with presentations exploring food safety, regulatory updates, seafood purchasing trends and emerging opportunities in aquaculture. Mike DeGasser of NEMA Seafood offered an engaging look at ready-to-eat seafood processing, sharing practical insights and tools that businesses can use to strengthen food safety practices. Other sessions offered guidance on navigating evolving food safety standards, regulatory requirements and market trends.
Building connections and generating ideas
In addition to presentations, attendees joined tabletop discussions designed to foster collaboration across the seafood supply chain. Comparing experiences, sharing common challenges and brainstorming solutions generated energy and excitement about future opportunities in seafood production, processing and distribution in Georgia.
Stephen Schrock, managing member of Georgia Sustainable Shellfish Co., LLC, which operates two shellfish farms growing Shell Bluff Clams off Sapelo Island and Liberty Clams off Jekyll Island, said the Georgia Seafood Summit underscored the vast network of people and resources available to aquaculture farmers in the state.
Participants gathered in smaller breakout groups to discuss different topics.
“We are not alone in this business and do not have to reinvent the wheel,” said Schrock. “Collaboration with other growers and resources like Georgia Grown and UGA is crucial to addressing the issues we face. Whether it’s aquaculture techniques, product distribution, or financing and grants, we will all do better if we work together.”
Valuable participant feedback from the summit will be used to help shape future programs and resources to support the state’s seafood industry.
“We had a strong turnout for the event, which shows that seafood professionals are eager to engage in opportunities like this,” Arneson said. “It’s encouraging to see this level of interest, and we look forward to building on that momentum by offering more professional development opportunities in the future.”