Tampa Tribune [Pasco section]; July 15, 2004;

By: JO-ANN JOHNSTON;

DADE CITY — Morning Star Fishermen says it has landed a prize catch in bringing former Clearwater Marine Aquarium executive director Dennis Kellenberger onboard to steer the fish farming and aquaculture center.

Kellenberger started working last week at Morning Star as executive director. The east Pasco County-based not-for-profit promotes fish farming to raise food for the poor.

Hans Geissler, the agency's founder and president, said he hopes Kellenberger will be able to raise the money needed to better support the operation and to extend its scope with more programs for the community.

"I've always had my eye on Dennis," said Geissler, 63.

Kellenberger, 54, demonstrated valuable planning, fundraising and operational skills during his 25-year tenure at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Geissler said.

"He brought that from a $16,000-a-year operation to a multimillion operation."

"He ran that on a shoestring budget and made it work," said Phil Henderson Jr., who owns Starlite Cruises, a Clearwater business that started a sea life cruise in conjunction with the aquarium during Kellenberger's tenure.

Kellenberger resigned from the aquarium last year and has been helping to run a family business, along with starting a nonprofit that creates exercise programs for people with disabilities. Geissler persuaded the Clearwater man to commute to Dade City to help work with Morning Star, too.

Morning Star is a humble operation, but with far-reaching activities and goals.

People come from Central America, and from closer environs, to the 11-acre Morning Star facility (formerly a tropical fish farm) on Old St. Joe Road to learn to breed tilapia, a fresh water fish that can be raised in many environments and sold as a food source. The facility trained almost 100 people in the past 12 months, Geissler said.

Kellenberger had known Geissler for years through a church connection but never had time to visit the Morning Star site while running the Clearwater aquarium. But Kellenberger was intrigued.

Being a marine biologist by training, Kellenberger liked the fact that by promoting aquaculture, Morning Star aids ocean conservation. That's because fish farming gives people in poorer nations an alternative to overfishing in ocean waters, he said.

The nonprofit works in soil, as well. It grows organic vegetables and herbs in gardens planted along an outdoor hatchery. That way, water containing fish waste from the hatchery can be used as a rich source of irrigation for the garden beds, explained Sister Kathleen Keck, a Franciscan nun who lives and works at Morning Star. Fish remains also are used as fertilizer.

Kellenberger sees a potential to add community education and recreation programs to the grounds of the facility, and showcase the aquaculture at the same time. Floridians could learn about sustainable food production, proper eating, exercise and recreation, all in one place, he said.

He sees schools planning field trips to the center, families signing up for day classes in gardening or farming, or scheduling weekend camping trips onsite, and disabled people tending to specially designed gardens.

"This is a tremendous resource," he said.

But first, Kellenberger said, he has to raise cash needed to get the operation on better footing. Morning Star spent $26,000 on programs in its past fiscal year, operating with revenue of about $47,000, according to a report filed with the state. The center was purchased with a mortgage for $100,000.

Geissler and his wife, Sigrid, have been supporting the operation by working without much pay to help supplement some small donations, grants and training revenue the center has received.

But that's not enough backing to bring the facility to its full potential. Morning Star limits hatchery operations, for instance, because it doesn't have the money to pay for the electricity needed.

But if Morning Star could afford to pay a $1,200 monthly electricity bill, instead of a $400 monthly bill, Geissler said, it could raise 50,000 to 100,000 pounds of fish a year. He would like to sell that harvest, either through local vendors or perhaps directly to the public from a smokehouse on site, and use the money to pay for operating the facility.

So Kellenberger's immediate priority is to raise about $100,000 to boost the budget and bring in volunteers, as he did at the aquarium. The next stage will be to bring in government and foundation grants to further improve the operations and add some new programs, such as a fitness trail, Kellenberger said, until Morning Star can make its own money.

"Sooner or later, we're going to be self-sufficient" Geissler said.

Reporter Jo-Ann Johnston can be reached at (352) 521-3062.

Cutline: Tribune photos by FRED BELLET

(2) Morning Star attracts people from near and far, including those from nations in Central America who come to learn to breed tilapia, a freshwater fish that can be raised in many environments and sold as a food source. Breeding the fish benefits the environment in such nations because it deters overfishing. The facility trained almost 100 people in the past 12 months, its founder says.

Dennis Kellenberger hopes to draw families to the center.

Tribune photo by FRED BELLET

Water rich in fish waste can be used to help irrigate garden beds, says Sister Kathleen Keck, a Franciscan nun who lives and works at Morning Star Fishermen in Dade City.

Hans Geissler

"I've always had my eye on Dennis," Morning Star's founder says of the new director..