A red tilapia raised at the aquaculture facility of the UOG Land Grant agInnovation Research Center. (Photo courtesy of University of Guam)
Community members interested in aquaculture, local food production, and fish processing are invited to take part in a first-time workshop from University of Guam Land Grant titled Tilapia to Table: Raising, Processing, and Curing Fish. The workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, on the UOG campus.
The classroom-based workshop will begin with an introduction to practical techniques for raising tilapia in a saltwater environment as well as an introduction to salting and smoking techniques, resulting in a safe, nutritious, and shelf-stable food product. Additionally, participants will learn how to turn the non-edible parts of the fish into fertilizer so that nothing goes to waste.
Interest in sustainable aquaculture and climate-resilient food systems is growing in Guam and across the Pacific, said Hui Gong Jiang, aquaculture research faculty with the UOG Land Grant’s agInnovation Research Center. Recent typhoons, infrastructure disruptions, and rising costs of imported food have further highlighted the need for locally adaptable production systems.
Hui Gong Jiang (Photo by Robert Clark/University of Guam)
“This workshop is particularly exciting because it will connect tilapia aquaculture production directly with fish processing, value-added products, and local food security,” she said. “Rather than focusing only on how to grow aquatic species, participants will learn how locally produced seafood and marine crops can be transformed into safe, nutritious, marketable, and culturally appropriate food products.”
Jiang will lead the workshop alongside UOG Land Grant animal and meat scientist Jeng-Hung Liu and soil scientist Christianah Oladoye.
Jeng Hung Liu (Photo courtesy of University of Guam)
All participants will receive some salted fish to take home and enjoy.
Registration is open online at https://url.uog.edu/tilapia-to-table for a registration fee of $25. For additional information or registration assistance, contact Gwindaleen Espulgar at (671) 735-2133 or espulgarg@triton.uog.edu.
(Photos courtesy of University of Guam)
