JULY/AUGUST 2023 || VOLUME 14 || ISSUE 4 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.

COM

SALMON

AquaBounty GE
Atlantic salmon:
SCIENCE IS the update
Markets, sales, farm

A STRATEGY construction and more

P. 8
But will Washington state
regulators reopen net-pen
SEAWEED
farming for sablefish? P. 14
A lifetime
harnessing the
power of seaweed
and IMTA
P. 10

MEDIA & FILM

Sereia Films telling

the industry’s
stories
Florida-based non-
profit using film to
educate P. 18

SHRIMP

The future of
shrimp feeding
in ponds
Eavesdropping on
animals has
unexpected benefits
P. 20
 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 3

Superior Nutrition for

CONTENTS
Maximum Performance

Features
8 AquaBounty GE
Atlantic salmon:
the update 8
Markets, sales, construction
and more
By Treena Hein

10 A lifetime harnessing
the power of seaweed
and IMTA
By Dr. Thierry Chopin
10
COVER STORY

14 Science is a strategy
But will Washington state
regulators reopen net-pen
farming for sablefish?
By Lynn Fantom
14
18 Sereia Films telling
the industry’s stories
Florida-based nonprofit uses
film to educate
By Matt Jones

20 The future of shrimp 18

feeding in ponds
Eavesdropping on animals has
unexpected benefits
With years of experience and
By Magida Tabbara research, Skretting has
26 Steve Atkinson: developed feed that sets new
‘We’re not ready to
transition’ 20 standards in quality and
Q&A with one of B.C.’s salmon efficiency.
farming veterans and RAS
pioneer
By Mari-Len De Guzman
Get in touch to learn more about our diets
for all species:

Phone: 435 830 7589

26 Email: info.usa@skretting.com
COVER PHOTO: LIZA MAYER

Columns
5 From the Editor
28 Opinion by Magida Tabbara
B.C. salmon between political bogs and realistic solutions
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 5

FROM THE EDITOR

BY MARYAM FARAG
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 4 | JULY/AUGUST 2023

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Sustainability comes first

A
Angelita Potal
Tel: (416) 510-5113 s always, I am compelled to shed Furthermore, advancements in technol-
Fax: (416) 510-6875 light on an issue of utmost import- ogy and research hold promise for the future
Email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com ance: the salmon farming industry of salmon farming. Closed containment
Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto,
ON M2H 3R1 in Canada. This multi-faceted systems, which provide a controlled environ-
sector has been a subject of both praise and ment for salmon, have shown potential in
Editor Maryam Farag controversy, raising crucial questions about reducing the environmental risks associated
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437-788-8830 sustainability, environmental impact, and with open net pens. Innovative practices
Contributors Lynn Fantom, Matt Jones, Treena the future of our marine ecosystems. such as land-based salmon farming and in-
Hein, Magida Tabbara, Mari-Len De Guzman Salmon farming has provided employ- tegrated multi-trophic aquaculture are being
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6 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

NEWS

Open letter urges Trudeau to support industry NOAA introduces

A joint open letter has been sent to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Aquaculture Science
urging him to change course on the federal government’s approach to open- Advice Handbook
net pen fish farming.
The federal government has pledged to phase out open-net pen farming by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
2025 and Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray is expected to present options for a ministration (NOAA) have introduced the
Tim Kennedy
B.C. salmon farms transition framework soon. The letter was co-signed by Tim Aquaculture Science Advice Handbook: Poli-
Kennedy, president and CEO of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, as cies, Processes, Resources, and Opportunities.
well as other representatives of the Canadian Aquaculture Suppliers Association, the Canadian “It’s providing information to regulators
Federation of Agriculture and the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, among others. at the state level, federal level and some-
“To date, recent government actions have shut down 40 percent of B.C. salmon farming times the local level,” said Ken Riley, chief of
production,” reads one section of the letter. “Your government continues to consider actions NOAA’s science branch. “Aquaculture itself
that could result in further reductions, despite the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ can be regulated and managed in many dif-
peer-reviewed science that says there is minimal or negligible effects from salmon farms ferent ways, and we want to communicate
on wild salmon. You have said many times that science and evidence will form the basis of how our scientists are using their expertise
policy and regulation under your government, and we remind you of your commitment.” in helping inform regulation of aquaculture.”
The letter also cites that salmon farming provides jobs for over 14,000 Canadians and Aquaculture permitting is under the aus-
produces high-quality and sustainable protein to millions in Canada and around the world. pices of several different federal and state
Between food retail, food banks, processors, feed manufacturers and others, over 3,000 agencies. While Riley noted that NOAA
different companies supply the farming sector. Further, it’s economic benefits are crucial itself is not directly involved, the shared
for a variety of different communities. knowledge of their multi-disciplinary team
“Grounded in evidence-based policy, it is Canada’s obligation to deliver the best, sustainable, of scientists and engineers is often used as
high-quality and affordable food to Canadians, while also growing jobs, driving economic part of that decision making process.
growth and supplying this food to the world,” the letter concludes. “We appeal to you to support National-level guidance of this type has
B.C. salmon farmers as an integral and growing part of Canadian food production.” not previously existed. The 54-page hand-
– Matt Jones book provides best practices and successful
models for aquaculture science advice de-
RASTECH23 addresses workforce gaps in aquaculture velopment and describes laws and policies
A marine science degree from the University of Ohio would likely be very different from a around aquaculture permitting as it relates
marine science degree from the University of Maine. to scientific advice.
In a presentation at the 2023 RASTECH Conference and Trade Fair in Orlando, Fla., Mary In the context of ongoing criticisms of
Scarlett Tudor of the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) noted that open net pen fish farming, the handbook
it can be a challenge to determine if an applicant has the required skills even if they have a may be viewed as an attempt to address
seemingly relevant education, so they developed micro-credentials. misinformation. However, that is not the
“Micro-credentials are a digital badge,” said Tudor. “As an employer, if one of my students purpose of the handbook.
that has a credential, they can actually embed it in their CV, you can click on that credential “We’re not using this to dispel any
and it will take you to a University of Maine website to tell you exactly the skill sets the myths, beliefs or misinformation about
student showed proficiency in to earn that badge.” aquaculture,” said Riley. “We’re just stating
Tudor also spoke about the developing occupational competencies through ARI’s experi- that when we publish our science, it’s based
ential courses in aquaculture and an industry-partnered externship program. Given the im- on the best available information that we
portance of those occupational competencies, Christian Brayden of the Maine Aquaculture have at the current time.”
Association (MAA) said that the MAA has pushed occupational standards, so that all jobs The Aquaculture Science Advice Handbook
and training could be better understood. is available on NOAA’s website.
– Matt Jones – Matt Jones
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 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 7

Bio-ropes could help reduce carbon

footprint of aquaculture operations

Spanish tech center AZTI are

developing ropes made of
biopolymers – while still in
early development stages, the
results of their efforts look
extremely promising.

New ropes made from bio-materials could help significantly reduce

the amount of conventional plastics utilized in aquaculture pro-
cesses. Spanish science and technology center AZTI claims that the
biopolymer created ropes could help achieve a 34 percent reduction
HI_Arvotec_MayJune23_CSA.indd 1
in carbon footprint compared to the ropes that are traditionally used
in shellfish or algae aquaculture.
Testing has thus far indicated that the effectiveness of the bio-ropes
is virtually identical to traditional plastic ropes, but the potential
ecological benefits will provide an advantage.
“It’s an aspect of decarbonizing aquaculture,” said Leire Aran-
tzamendi, a senior researcher with AZTI. “They are also compostable
at the end of life, so that’s another advantage compared to the fos-
sil-based ones, as they usually end up in the landfill or an incinerator,
which puts more and more CO2 in the atmosphere.”
While further testing is required to find out if the bio-ropes will
be recyclable, they have determined that they are compostable at an
industrial scale.
“Our hypothesis related to the scientific literature so far, is that we
perhaps cannot expect these bio-based ropes to produce microplastics
or at least to produce them to not be so ecotoxic,” said Arantzamendi.
There is some literature, she notes, that has indicated the bio-plas-
tics can be similarly toxic to conventional plastics, but that research
was done at much higher concentrations than you would find in the
marine environment. In over a year of testing Arantzamendi says that
AZTI have yet to find any microplastics in their water.
The project has already seen some significant interest from mussel
and seaweed producers in North America – those farms that have
expressed interest will likely take part in further assessments and
trials as they continue the path towards commercialization.
PHOTOS: AZTI
Let’s Tie One on Together in 2023
2023-03-22 10:49 AM
Flag Tie Markers
Flag tie markers are another cost-effective way
to secure and identify shellfish equipment.
They are available in a variety of lengths and
marking area sizes to accommodate specific
requirements. They can also be hot stamped
for identification purposes.
• Lengths from 3" to 18"
• Flag sizes from 1-1/8" x ¾", 1-7/8" x 1-1/8" and 2" x 3"
• Tensile strength of 120 lbs.
• Available in Blue, Green, Ivory, Orange, Red, Yellow
• Available with blank flags that may be custom printed or Write-on
Custom Printed Cable Ties
Cable ties are vastly used in the shellfish industry for securing cages and bags. They are
a cost-effective and simple way to ensure equipment is not susceptible to tampering.
Available in a wide range of colors, they are also used for identification purposes.
• Lengths from 4" to 60"
• Tensile strengths from 18 lb. to 250 lb.
• Available in 16 different colors, including UV black and fluorescent
• Permanent hot stamping with company name, date, lot number, etc.
Contact Information:

Andy Moss
With ongoing testing, Arantzamendi estimates that, if they are Nelco Products
22 Riverside Drive, Pembroke, MA 02359
found to be viable, the bio-ropes will be introduced into the market Phone: 800-346-3526 x136
in less than five years. Email: amoss@nelcoproducts.com
Website: www.nelcoproducts.com
– Matt Jones
8 July/August 2023
SALMON
AquaBounty GE
Atlantic salmon:
the update
Markets, sales, farm construction and more
BY TREENA HEIN
I
t’s been a long road from
creation of the AquaBounty
genetically engineered (GE)
salmon in 1989 to today,
with current production sitting
at about 1,200 tons a year and
sales “at competitive prices”
across Canada and the U.S. It’s
also approved for sale in Brazil.
“Thanks to this one-time trait
modification, AquaBounty’s GE
Atlantic salmon reach prime
harvest weight faster and more
efficiently than conventional
Atlantic salmon grown in sea
cages,” says AquaBounty presi-
dent and CEO, Sylvia Wulf. “Typ-
ically, in the 18- to 20-month
range versus 32-36 months.”
She adds that “demand for
our fish continues to exceed our
supply, and during March 2023,
the Indiana farm had its highest
monthly harvest output to date.”
The Albany, Ind. farm is
currently the only AquaBounty
site where harvest is occurring.
The first harvest started over
two years ago, during second
quarter 2021. Operations there
have been impacted by planned
maintenance and repair activ-
ities, including extensive repairs
to the roof of the processing
building. Wulf describes the
facility as continuing to be “a
valuable learning environment
for our operations team, helping
us refine the efficiency of our
production processes, while aid-
ing in design improvements for
our farm in Pioneer, Ohio.”
Construction at that site, the
company’s first planned large-
scale commercial salmon farm,
began in April 2022 but was
paused on June 2 due to a sub-
stantial increase in its estimated
cost of completion. Wulf points
out that the entire construction
industry has been affected by
inflation and supply chain chal-
lenges, resulting particularly
in higher labor costs. (Another
factor is continued negotiations
with Williams County, of which
Wulf didn’t elaborate.)
She says, however, that
AquaBounty is committed to the
Indiana farm’s construction “with
a dedicated effort to be operational
in the next several years.”
She also stated that they will
undertake a detailed review to
evaluate financing options, a
potential smaller scope or size for
the farm, and a possible phased
construction effort for the full
10,000 metric ton design.
She adds, “our growth plans
haven’t changed. We will adjust
the plan and approach for Ohio
and continue to pursue the other
growth opportunities we’ve previ-
ously communicated.”
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
Growing demand
Speaking of growth, AquaBounty’s
small grow-out facility on Prince
Edward Island has been converted
to exclusively focus on egg produc-
tion. This ensures AquaBounty
not only has a sufficient supply of
GE eggs for its own needs, but is
able to have non-GE eggs available
to meet the growing demand for
this product in the North Amer-
ican market.
That market looks good at
present, says Wulf, with “very
positive interest” from a variety of
customers in distribution, food ser-
vice and retailers, particularly in the
mid-west and the eastern Atlantic
regions. “It is gratifying to see that
our customer partners understand
the many benefits AquaBounty’s
Atlantic salmon provide,” she says,
“and that they embrace technology
that will bring more food to more
people in a cost effective and sus-
tainable manner.”
The company is also pursu-
ing potential partnerships in
land-based RAS salmon farming
outside of North America, “We
are targeting countries that are
large consumers and importers of
salmon such as Israel, Brazil and
China,” says Wulf. “Israel is a prior-
ity for a couple of reasons. They’re
very forward thinking in terms of
technology, particularly genetic
engineering, as well as digital
technology. They’re also very
progressive in terms of the way
they think about renewable energy
and water usage, so we think that
there’s much to be learned from a
market like Israel.”
Looking at the big picture,
Wulf see the landscape of the sal-
mon industry as highly favorable,
which supports moving forward
with more RAS farms.
“The net pen farmers are see-
ing their own challenges, which
constrains supply,” she explains.
PHOTOS: AQUABOUNTY INC.
“RAS will play a critical role
in the supply side in the future
since demand remains strong.
AquaBounty’s operational exper-
tise, R&D competence and verti-
cal integration create competitive
advantages when compared with
other RAS farmers.”
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
AquaBounty will also be inves-
tigating the farming of potential
new species like shrimp.
Consumer acceptance
There has been much criticism of
genetically-engineered livestock
from many angles over the last
several decades, ranging from
food safety to environmental
concerns to labelling.
Some countries and regions
allow GE livestock production
(conventional livestock types
and aquaculture species) and
others don’t, with the European
Union being among those
jurisdictions that do not allow
it. There are also distinctions
in some jurisdictions between
genetically-engineered and
gene-edited livestock and crops.
Where production of these
foods is allowed, labelling has been
a concern. As with regulations for
livestock and crop production, the
rules about labelling genetical-
ly-modified (GM, which could be
either or both GE and gene-edited)
foods around the world are not
consistent, as recently noted by
Dr. Karen Massel, a research fellow
with the Centre for Crop Science
at the University of Queensland,
Australia. This mean that many
consumers may not realize they’re
already eating them.
For example, “the most wide-
ly-used enzyme in cheese making,
rennet, is produced from a GM
bacterium,” she recently stated in
an article that’s appeared recently
in many media outlets. She added
that “GMs and gene-edited cereal
and oilseed products are also
widely used in livestock feeds.”
Regarding food safety of
AquaBounty’s GE Atlantic sal-
mon, the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
ministration (FDA) long ago held
an open public meeting, took
public comments and released
draft environmental documents
for public review. The agency
determined that food from the
AquaBounty salmon is as safe to
eat as food from non-GE Atlantic
salmon, with a comparable nu-
tritional profile to conventional
farm-raised Atlantic salmon.
July/August 2023 9
However, according to a use the latest RAS technology operational experience. Then,
Pew Research Center survey of and freshwater tanks to nurture we raise our GE salmon on these
people in 20 countries conducted the fish in a safe, sustainable way, farms for even greater efficiency
between October 2019 and March leveraging our decades of RAS and sustainability.”
2020, concern about GM foods is
widespread globally. AQUABOUNTY HIGHLIGHTS, 1989 TO 2028
In the survey, the majority of (full timeline at https://aquabounty.com/about-us)
respondents in places such as Rus-
sia, Italy, India and South Korea 1989 Researchers at Memorial University succeed in using
view GM foods as generally unsafe genetic engineering to develop an Atlantic salmon that
to eat. “The balance of opinion grows faster during early stages of growth. Conven-
tilts negative even in places where tional spawning has been used on the line ever since.
sizable shares say they don’t know 1991 AquaBounty (formerly AF Protein) is created
enough about GM foods to offer
2010 FDA concludes AquAdvantage Salmon are physically
a view,” stated PEW researchers
the same as Atlantic salmon; safe to eat; and poses no
at the time. “In most places, both
threat to the environment when farmed in land-based
those with higher and lower levels
contained farms.
of education tend to see GM foods
as unsafe to eat. However, people 2015 FDA approves AquaBounty salmon.
with more education, and specif- 2021 First harvest of AquaBounty salmon from its Indiana
ically those who have completed and PEI farms. Pioneer, Ohio site selected as location
at least three science courses for planned large-scale salmon farm.
during their secondary or tertiary
2022 Construction of first 10,000 metric ton farm in
schooling, are more inclined to
Pioneer.
see GM foods as safe.”
For her part, Wulf explains 2028 Target date for reaching production of 55,000 tons of
that general awareness of GM salmon annually.
organisms, as it pertains to all
food, has increased since 2019.
She notes that according to
according to qualitative/quan-
titative research conducted by
AquaBounty, “respondents with DON’T LET
PATHOGENS
the highest household income and
education levels are the most fre-
quent consumers of seafood and
salmon, show highest approval
and positive perception of GMOs, IMPACT YOUR
BOTTOM LINE!
and have the highest AquaBounty
salmon purchase intent.”
From an environmental per-
spective, regarding the potential
A COMPLETE RANGE OF UV STERILIZERS FOR BIOSECURITY
of the AquaBounty GE Atlantic
salmon coming into contact
with wild populations, the FDA
approval process examined
biological, geographical, and
geophysical constraints that,
in combination, “results in an
extremely low likelihood” of
contact. Many types of physical
containment are required, as SCAN HERE
well as “strict security measures
and equipment.” On the sustain-
ability front, Wulf notes that 90
percent of the world’s fisheries
are fully fished or overfished.
“We are shifting salmon pro- SERVICE | QUALITY | SUPPORT
duction out of the ocean to land- www.integrated-aqua.com • 760-745-2201
based RAS farms,” she says. “We
10 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

SEAWEED

A lifetime harnessing the

power of seaweed and IMTA
BY DR. THIERRY CHOPIN, UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK/TURQUOISE REVOLUTION INC.”

O
n May 9, I was very honoured
and pleased to receive the 2023
Lifetime Achievement Award of
the Aquaculture Association of
Canada (AAC) at the Aquaculture Canada
2023 annual conference in Victoria, B.C.
I am now in excellent company as one
of 18 recipients of the AAC Research
Award of Excellence and 16 recipients of
the AAC Lifetime Achievement Award.
The title of my acceptance speech
was, “Forty-three years with seaweeds,
34 years at the University of New
Brunswick, 27 years with the Aquaculture
Association of Canada, 20 years of
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aqua-culture
(IMTA)… Let’s celebrate!”
Receiving this award at the very same
place where, 20 years ago, during
Aquaculture Canada 2003, I mentioned
the expression
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Thierry Chopin with Joanne Burry (left),
conference manager, and Jennifer Wiper,
president of the Aquaculture Association of
Canada. PHOTO: KATHY CHOPIN
“Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture” and
the acronym “IMTA” for the first time, had
a very special meaning for me. Since then,
more than 1,500 publications have been pub-
lished about IMTA, attesting to the topicality
of this sustainable aquaculture practice.
One of my proudest accomplishments
during the nine years (2009-2017) of the
existence of the Canadian IMTA Network
(CIMTAN) is to have participated in the
training of 143 highly qualified personnels,
who are now the next generation of IMTA
ambassadors.
I learned three important things during
these pioneering years. First, the old adage
“the second mouse gets the cheese” is so very
true. Second, like in any organization, five
percent of the people give you 95 percent of the
headaches. Third, you will be able to count who
your real friends are when you stop distributing
the money.
I took the opportunity to mention a number
of other things we learned as IMTA evolved.
For example, IMTA does not mean that fish
have to be part of the system. We started with
salmon, kelps and mussels because that was
the combination we could have in the Bay
of Fundy at that time. However, because
the IMTA concept is extremely flexible and
can be applied worldwide to open-water and
land-based systems, marine and freshwater
environments, and temperate and tropical
climates, and because there are many combin-
ations of different marine resources possible
by taking advantage of the local biodiversity
to select appropriate species based on their
complementary functions in the ecosystem,
economic values and societal acceptability,
there is no ultimate IMTA system to feed
the world. It should be abundantly clear that
IMTA is a concept, not a formula.
The different components of an IMTA
system do not have to be constrained to the
limits of existing finfish sites. That is how
we started with the regulations in place in
the Bay of Fundy at that time, but it does
not reflect the ecosystem scales at which
aquaculture farms really function. We
need to move to an Integrated Coastal Area
Management (ICAM) strategy, in which
several horizontally integrated companies
coordinate their activities within the ICA,
instead of having one vertically integrated
company trying to do everything.
Until now, seaweed (and the other extract-
ive species) have been valued only for their
biomass and food trading values. However,
to calculate IMTA’s full value, they also need
to be valued for the ecosystem services they
provide, along with the increase in consumer
trust and the societal/political license to oper-
ate that they give to the aquaculture industry
within a circular economy approach. In a
recently published book chapter, I identified
27 ecosystem services provided by seaweeds.
Among them, I will cite the following:
• Seaweed are excellent nutrient scrubbers
(especially dissolved nitrogen, phosphor-
us and carbon);
• Seaweed do not need to be irrigated with
freshwater, but they need seawater, of
good quality;
• Seaweed can be cultivated without fer-
tilizers and agrochemicals, but they need
nutrients in the water;
• Seaweed cultivation does not need more
arable soil and land transformation (de-
forestation);
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 11

• Seaweed can be used for habitat pro-
tection, restoration and for increasing
biodiversity. This is a rare situation where
you can have more habitat and eat it too!
• Seaweed is the aquaculture component
providing oxygen, while the other animal
and microbial components consume
oxygen;
• Seaweed store, or transiently “sequester”
carbon while they grow and can contribute
to the slowing down of global warming.
However, when they are harvested and
processed, carbon is also transformed
and enters the fast carbon cycle, i.e. it is
not permanently sequestered. No double
dipping/accounting, please!
• By transiently “sequestering” carbon, sea-
weeds could also reduce coastal acidification.
• Seaweed (and other seafood) can partici-
pate in the decarbonization of this world
by being part of the dietary shift towards
food production systems with a lower
carbon footprint than terrestrial ones,
and the mitigation of nutritious food
insecurity.
There are presently no logical economic
incentives to grow seaweed for sinking them
Thierry Chopin received the Aquaculture
Association of Canada Research Award of
Excellence in 2009, and the Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2023.
PHOTO: THIERRY CHOPIN
to the deep-sea ecosystems for carbon se-
questration. Canada is one of few countries to
have a carbon tax scheme in place. On April 1 ,
the tax increased to CA$65 (US$48.40) per
ton of carbon. Using an average carbon com-
position in seaweeds of three percent fresh
weight (FW), this can be converted to a car-
bon tax (or carbon credit) of US$0.0145 per
kilogram dry weight (DW) of seaweed. This
price for carbon sequestration is unattractive
compared to the price of seaweed in other
markets, which can vary from a few U.S.
dollars to more than US$1,000/kg DW, de-
pending on the applications.
The value of the ecosystem services provided
by seaweed, and other extractive components
of IMTA systems, will have to be recognized,
then monetized, then, used as financial and
regulatory incentive tools. A key ecosystem
service provided by seaweeds is nutrient
biomitigation and a monetary value can be
calculated for this service by the worldwide
seaweed aquaculture (35.1 million tons FW in
2020): between US$2.6 billion and US$5.1 bil-
lion, i.e. as much as 30.9 percent of its present
commercial value (US$16.5 billion).
Over the last decade, much emphasis
has been placed on carbon. In coastal en-
vironments, issues associated with other
nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus,
are significant a nd s hould b e a ddressed.
Interestingly, there is more money to be
made with NTCs than with carbon trad-
ing credits (CTCs): between US$2.5 and
$4.9 billion for nitrogen and US$140.4
million for phosphorus, compared to only
US$51.0 million for carbon. It is, therefore,

ANNOUNCING

Northeast Aquaculture 2024

A joint meeting of the

Northeast Aquaculture
Conference & Exposition
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Milford Aquaculture Seminar
January 10-12, 2024
Omni Providence Hotel
Providence, RI, USA

Abstract submission period July 17 - October 2, 2023

Over thirty special sessions For more information on submitting

are planned covering: an abstract or to discuss an idea for
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Marine & Freshwater Finfish Culture please visit the conference web
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www.northeastaquaculture.org
12 July/August 2023
SEAWEED
important that we go beyond this quasi-ob-
session with carbon and look at the impacts
of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus,
which are also playing key roles in climate
change, ocean acidification and biodiversity.
We also need to integrate the economic,
societal and regulatory aspects of IMTA. The
aquaculture industry always says “Show us
that IMTA makes sense economically.” Well,
I would like to remind you that between
2007 and 2019, we produced 11 publications
ANA_Phibro_julyAug23_CSA.indd 1
on the economic value and benefits of IMTA.
All 11 publications are based on numbers
provided by the industry, for which we are
grateful, and representatives of the industry
are co-authors on these papers. In all scen-
arios, IMTA is more profitable than salmon
monoculture. So, why do we still hear this
line of questioning? Be pro-active, accept
that the economic demonstration has been
done with your data, and, consequently,
adopt IMTA more rapidly.
2023-05-11 1:19 PM
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
We have to take into consideration the intan-
gible societal benefits of IMTA. For example,
what is the value of David and Sarika Suzuki
visiting an IMTA site and shooting a CBC
television episode, which is regularly heard on
CBC? Is that not part of increasing consumer
trust and societal/political license to operate for
the aquaculture industry as a whole?
We got our seaweeds organically certified,
and the salmon grown at IMTA sites got dif-
ferentiated as “WiseSource Salmon” by the
largest food distributor in Canada, Loblaw/
Superstore. We worked on developing a
premium market price. People smiled at us,
indicating that if we got five percent we would
be extremely lucky. We got 11 percent during
two years, until CIMTAN ceased operating.
We need timely and enabling regulatory chan-
ges, instead of the current hampering regulatory
hurdles. In Canada, and several other countries,
aquaculture legislation was written for salmon
farms in the 1980s, particularly to combat dis-
eases in intensive monocultures. It is now clear
that these regulations may inadvertently prevent
innovation in aquaculture practices. We need to
evolve towards a more holistic approach, con-
sidering species interactions, ecosystem-base
management and an ICAM strategy.
Six years ago, when CIMTAN was fully
active, Canada was ahead along the IMTA
research, development and commercializa-
tion continuum. Since we are, unfortunately,
no longer ahead, I remain involved with the
progression of the concept and the training of
bright minds, notably with the ASTRAL con-
sortium in Europe, Africa and South America. I
advise other projects in other parts of the world.
Sadly, I cannot restrain myself from shouting
very loudly, “Where are you Canada? Wake up
Canada!”. We are back to “the second mouse
gets the cheese” and it is very frustrating.
In recent years, we have heard a lot about
blue growth/blue economy/blue revolution.
However, we should recognize that it needs to
become greener. It is more than time that we
combine “green thumbs” and “blue thumbs”,
to talk about turquoise growth, economy, and
revolution. IMTA already contributes to the
United Nations Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) 14 (“Life below water”), but also
to 10 other SDGs. This is one of the solutions
for designing the sustainable food production
systems of the future and the production of
numerous non-food applications.
At the end of my presentation, I could not
resist leading the audience to join me in my
well-known IMTA dance to the tune of YMCA
by Village People, and I received many kind
words for my interesting mix of messages and
fun in my acceptance speech.
W MEN IN
North American Aquaculture
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14 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

COVER SABLEFISH

SCIENCE IS A STRATEGY

A
But will it sway Washington state first-in-the-U.S. pilot research project to develop sustain-
regulators to re-open net pen able practices for farming sablefish has now progressed to
the point that a full-color sales sheet can boast to whole-
farming for sablefish? BY LYNN FANTOM salers about the “pearly white flesh, large velvety flakes,
and sweet, rich flavor” of this native deep-sea fish, long a traditional
food of the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest.
The sablefish comes from the experimental net pens at the Man-
When Quality Matters chester Research Station on Puget Sound in Washington, the result
of a research collaboration and partnership among NOAA Fisheries’

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and the University of Washington.
While scientists have overcome many daunting challenges during
by Riverdale Mills the pilot project, social and political pushback against aquaculture
cloud the future of exactly how and where commercial rollout will
Superior Marine Grade Wiremesh occur in the U.S. The precedent already exists in Canada at Golden
Eagle Sablefish in British Columbia, which is producing sablefish in
partnership with the Kyuquot-Checleseht First Nations.
Similarly, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center aims to develop
and transfer knowledge and technology to the Jamestown S’Klallam
tribe (or any interested party) to help initiate commercial-scale
operations in the United States.

A decade of science

Built to Last,
“The research team at NOAA over the last decade has really opti-
mized many of the culture methods—everything from spawning
Designed to Farm fish to larval rearing to producing juveniles that grow quickly,” said
Ken Cain, who joined NOAA Fisheries last October to oversee the
Aquaculture and Marine Fish and Shellfish Biology Program.
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have had to mimic the natural conditions of deep water (over 300
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They use only red lights “during these critical times,” Cain noted. Be-
cause adult female brood stock do not release all of their eggs at once,
they must be checked every couple of days to remove eggs, each of
which is about the size of a sharp pencil point. The tiny eggs then go
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derive nourishment from their yolk sacs for another month, but then
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 15

Sablefish, a deepwater species native to the Pacific Northwest

and Alaska, are a potential species for commercial farming.
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they need to be fed.

Unlike salmon, which can feed initially on dry commercial prod- DELIVERING THE DIFFERENCE ™
ucts, larval sablefish require live feeds. So, the NOAA scientists
have to produce small marine plankton called rotifers. The larvae www.AffordableROV.com www.morenot.ca
also prefer opacity in the water, which is created by the presence of
algae. To reduce costs, researchers have substituted clay for algae –
an important step in creating long-term economic viability. They are
also working on reducing the cost of rotifer feed by replacing algaeANA_MORENOT_MAYJUNE_LAZ.indd 1 2023-04-03 9:21 AM

with yeast. Still another cost-saving step under study is to substitute

commercially available liquid artemia feeds for live ones.
Work is also very hands-on. Once fish are started on feed, they Newfoundland and Labrador
must be graded by size because of cannibalism. “There’s always some Aquaculture Industry Association

fish that don’t want to feed on something that’s not moving around,”
said Cain. “Once they get bigger than everyone else in the tank, it
doesn’t take them long to reduce the population pretty quickly.”
Another goal at the Manchester Research Station is to have cultured
female fish in captivity maturing and spawning consistently. That
would eliminate the need to collect wild brood stock – both an expense
and a challenge in cases of inclement weather. It would also allow se-
lective breeding. “Ideally, we would select the fastest growing fish and
breed those” to reduce the time to market, which is 18 to 24 months
rather than what currently exists within the trout market as under a
year, said Cain. Environmental cues, like salinity and temperature, may
provide the answers for researchers.
A new project is also focused on a vaccine to prevent a non-typical
furunculosis, a bacterial disease that can be a problem for sablefish,
but not salmon, when waters warm. “It is the only disease issue that
has been a major concern,” Cain noted.
In terms of research challenges, there are no deal-breakers. But,
Cain said, “there’s clearly an opportunity to continue to reduce costs
and to prove that it could be successful in systems other than net pens.”
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The philosophy behind the work

Work is now beginning on a grant-funded project to compare growth More information contact Roberta Collier
rates in net pens with both land-based recirculating aquaculture 1 709-538-3454 | roberta@naia.ca
(RAS) and flowthrough systems. The data will provide the oppor- www.coldharvest.ca
tunity to assess whether these alternatives are economically and
16 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

COVER SABLEFISH

Experimental net pens at the Manchester Research Station on Juvenile sablefish, shown here being tagged, have a “tremendous”
Puget Sound are used for grow-out in the pilot project. growth rate and good feed conversion efficiency.
PHOTO: NOAA FISHERIES/JAMES HACKETT PHOTO: NOAA FISHERIES

environmentally feasible, factoring in electricity and water usage.
“There are always trade-offs,” said aquaculture veteran Jim Parsons.
In 2021, he accepted the role of CEO at Jamestown Seafood after
the tragic death of founder Kurt Grinnell, a member of the Jamestown
S’Klallam Tribe, who launched the company in partnership with the
tribe in 2016. It is expected that by year’s end all Grinnell family
assets will be transferred to the tribe which will then wholly own
Jamestown Seafood, Parsons said.
The former executive of Troutlodge and Cook Aquaculture notes
that, along with the “tremendous growth rate” of juvenile sablefish,

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AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
there’s good feed conversion efficiency—“even on diets that we have
not perfected yet for that fish.” According to Cain, some research has
already been done showing sablefish do well on low-fishmeal diets.
The work this year also includes testing the marketplace with the
10,000 to 12,000 fish harvested at Manchester Research Station.
The strategy, said Parsons, is to fill in the gaps when sablefish are not
available from the wild fisheries due to declining fishing quotas and
harvest restrictions during spawning season. Jamestown does not
want to compete against wild-caught sablefish. Food independence
is more the issue. “It takes everybody in this country growing seafood
or catching seafood to keep it from being imported,” he said.
Part of the marketing program is a sustainability statement that
notes use of the Japanese fish slaughter technique ike jime which
causes instantaneous death. Sushi chefs, along with other high-end
restaurants, are key targets.
Science, hard work, and a little help from friends
The very first point in the sustainability statement is that the sablefish
program is dedicated to farming a traditional fish eaten among the
S’Klallam peoples and using it as a form of economic development
for a rural area. “Channeling Kurt [Grinnell] and listening to the
Jamestown S’Klallam tribal leadership, I think all of us would be
good to remember what they believe: What is done today can impact
seven generations from now,” said Parsons.
But, NOAA only has a 5-year permit to utilize net pens for re-
search and assessment of the grow-out feasibility for sablefish at
their research station.
July/August 2023 17
Last November, as critics continued to argue that net-pen
aquaculture can spread disease to native stocks and degrade the
environment, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz issued a ban
on all net pen farming in Washington state waters. In a complaint
filed in December, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, as a “federally
recognized sovereign nation,” asserted Franz’s action impinges on its
tribal rights, maintaining it could “produce seafood in a sustainable
and environmentally protective manner.”
To that end, collaborators from the University of Washington have
been analyzing the effects of the net pen production on sediments
beneath and surrounding the pens.
And an upcoming goal is to examine polyculture with sea cucum-
bers. These detrivores feed on decaying organic matter in coastal
sediments, making them a potentially valuable partner in integrated
multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). Interest has also been expressed
in IMTA with seaweed.
“There’s got be some creativity that comes into play here to bring
people around to see aquaculture is (a) not what it used to be and (b)
not all that bad” said Parsons.
In May, Washington Superior Court ruled that the Northwest
Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) will be allowed to intervene on behalf
of its members in the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s lawsuit. NWAA’s
intervention request stated that Franz’s total commercial ban appeared
“untethered to the specific science of other expert agencies.”
Reflecting on the project and its prospects, Parson added, “We’re
making headway that science will eventually win out, right? The
earth is not flat, it’s round.”
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18 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

MEDIA & FILM

Sereia Films telling the industry’s stories

Florida-based nonprofit using film to educate BY MATT JONES

W
ith misconceptions and mis-
information about the aqua-
culture industry running wild
in some areas, one non-profit
film production company has made its mis-
sion to share the stories of the industry and
to promote the good work being done. Sereia
Films’ ongoing series, “Eating Out: The Hunt
for Sustainable Seafood,” presents short-
form documentaries on those who fish and
farm in responsible and sustainable ways.
Founder and executive director Sarah
Curry said that she had previously been
working with a small production company
in Miami that had primarily developed
documentaries on fish farms, which would
be screened around the world. When that
company dissolved, she wanted to keep do-
ing that same kind of work, but with a mind
to making the content more accessible.
“I decided to start Sereia Films to create
educational content, but making it more
publicly available on these important issues
that I thought more people should know
about,” said Curry. “We honed in in the past (From left) Cinematographer Daniel Kaplan, Sereia Films Executive Director Sarah Curry,
few years specifically on seafood education, Treasure Coast Shellfish founder Nicolette Mariano and production assistant Nicky Del
just because that’s my passion and area of ex- Pozo during the filming of an installment of “Eating Out: The Hunt for Sustainable Seafood.”
pertise. And there is a huge hole to be filled
as far as creating educational, inspirational
content around these issues.”
Sereia Films’ subjects have thus far been
based in the south of Florida – where the
non-profit is based and a hotbed of fishing
and fish farming activity. Curry noted that
they are definitely interested in covering
farms in other areas in the future, but specific
plans and funding for that have not yet been
put into place. However, most of their locally
focused coverage would still be valuable and
educational to audiences in other areas as
they tie into larger issues that impact us all.
“The stories that we highlight at different
farms and seafood producers and these
issues – while they’re based in South Flor-
ida, they’re really kind of national and global
issues of ‘where are we getting our food from
now?’,” said Curry. “‘Where is it going to
come from in the future?’ A lot of what we do
PHOTOS: SEREIA FILMS

is, I don’t want to say baseline education, but

there’s still a lot of misinformation and mis-
understanding around how our seafood is
produced, the steps that it takes to get to our
plate. And particularly with the blue foods
movement and folks being more aware of Sereia Films make documentaries that explore seafood production, including farms such as
how our food choices are impacting climate Treasure Coast Shellfish as seen here.
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
change and the realization that seafood can
be a really climate change-friendly food.”
Some of the farms that Sereia Films have
highlighted are undertaking efforts to limit
energy consumption, or effective waste
management or feed innovations. Curry is
particularly interested in feed innovations
and finding new and better ways to feed fish.
She’s also very happy any time that she can
highlight the accomplishments of women,
as they are underrepresented in the industry.
“Nicolette Mariano, the woman who found-
ed Treasure Coast Shellfish – which is the next
film that we’re working on – she’s in her 30s,
she’s an aquatic biologist and she’s working
really hard to produce some awesome oysters
off the east coast of Florida,” said Curry.
Additionally, the films attempt to address
misconceptions about different seafood prod-
ucts. She noted that there is a perception that
good oysters are not produced in Florida, for
example, and the oysters found on menus in
Miami are typically imported from elsewhere.
While there are distribution issues that play
a part in that, there is a negative connotation
associated with warm water oysters.
“So for this one with [Mariano], I inter-
viewed someone from the state regulatory
agency who deals with these farms to show
all the processes that are in place to main-
tain the safety and quality of the products,”
said Curry. “Farms are required to harvest
products by certain times, during certain
months. There’s been huge improvements
with refrigeration, traceability, and keeping
products cold throughout the supply chain.”
“[Curry and Sereia Films] are amazing ad-
vocates,” said Mariano. “The different chefs
that she meets, she’s gone out of her way to
bring them samples and to educate them and
getting the word out there. Especially since
there’s only about three farms on the east
coast of Florida right now doing oysters.”
Another species that can have a bad
reputation is tilapia – chefs Curry has
spoken with have turned their noses up at
tilapia, but instead will import similar fish.
A shame, she noted, when there are tilapia
farms producing great fish within the state,
mostly sold into the live market. A tilapia
farm is planned to be the focus of a docu-
mentary later this year.
“Wouldn’t it be cool to have some Florida
farmed tilapia on Florida menus?” said
Curry. “Maybe it won’t be able to compete
with imports, necessarily, but folks don’t
even know that we’re growing this great
seafood in our backyard. We took a look
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around and said ‘what are we growing here
in Florida?’ As it turns out, we’re growing a
lot but it’s not necessarily making its way to
Floridians.”
While the films are aimed in many ways at
addressing misinformation and misconcep-
tions about seafood production, they are not
merely propaganda for the industry. Curry
noted that when the films are screened, she
is inevitably asked about different rumours,
outdated stereotypes, or specific examples of
bad actors in the aquaculture sector.
“There’s always going to be folks who are
not doing it the right way, in every industry,”
says Curry. “And even these better farms
have room for improvement. I think there’s
naysayers about the seafood industry in gen-
eral these days. And while that can be valid
in certain instances, from my perspective,
learning about this industry for the past 10
years and going to conferences, it seems like
almost all the players across the industry
are working to improve their systems, the
materials they use, or the transparency.”
Sereia Films’ documentaries can be
viewed on their Youtube and Vimeo pages,
and they are currently working with a local
Public Broadcasting System station to get
them aired there.
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SHRIMP

The future of shrimp

feeding in ponds
Eavesdropping on animals has
unexpected benefits
BY MAGIDA TABBARA

P
acific white-leg shrimp is recently stealing the spotlight as
top-most aquacultured species in the world with over 5.8
million tonnes produced in 2020. Driven by the increasing
demand for shrimp, worldwide shrimp production is ex-
pected to increase by 5.3 percent between 2022 and 2030.
Several factors played a role in improving shrimp production over the
years, from increasing the production areas to intensifying production
with supplemented aeration, in addition to providing the animals with
nutritionally adequate feed and having proper feed administration.
Shrimp is a very popular seafood commodity in the United States.
Average shrimp consumption per capita reached five pounds in 2020,
mainly due to the multiple health benefits that eating shrimp provides.
The increased demand for shrimp is surely driving the production up. Traditional vs modern shrimp feeding techniques
Nevertheless, multiple challenges impede further development. Feed and feeding activities account for the majority of aquaculture pro-
Shrimp is fairly easy to raise. However, the production cost is quite duction expenses. Traditionally, feed input in the ponds was estimated
expensive, mainly because of feeding activities and the labor associated by looking back at historical data from the same farm or using feed trays
with them. Thus, proper feed administration, with minimum wastage to assess feed consumption. Feed trays were proven to be beneficial in
and labor intervention, is therefore key for realizing good profit. reducing feed wastage. However, the labor involved in checking up on
the feed trays tends to outbalance the production benefits, especially in
countries like the U.S. where labor wages are expensive.
Recent studies suggest that increasing the number of feedings per
day helps increase shrimp size and yield, and hence economic returns.
It was proven that offering shrimp six feedings per day instead of the
traditional two feedings significantly increases growth. The idea is that
shrimp are slow bottom feeders with very short intestinal tracts. The
more feedings are provided, the more the shrimp can benefit from the
nutrients in the feed offered. As the feed pellets spend less time in the
water, less nutrients leach out, and the nutritional value of the feed is
conserved. Unfortunately, increasing the number of feedings per day
does not mitigate overfeeding and labor cost.
Automatic feeders were put into practice to allow the shrimp to
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possible, “eavesdropping” on the animals can be easily done. Passive
acoustic monitoring or PAM is a novel technology that allows for
monitoring wildlife using acoustic sensors and recording of sound
waves. The technique is non-invasive and relies mainly on dropping
a hydrophone in the water and recording audible signals. Shrimp are
sloppy eaters by nature and make noises while chewing their feed,
which makes it easy to use PAM to monitor their feeding behavior.
Shrimp work on reducing the size of the feed pellet through exter-
nal mastication using their mandibles on the feed particle prior to
ingesting it. Mandibular occlusion during feed mastication results
in the production of a “clicking” sound. With all of that occurring
in saltwater, acoustic signals from the “clicks” rapidly and efficiently
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
find their way to the hydrophones in the water. The “clicks” are then
converted to electrical signals, which can be processed instantan-
eously or even recorded for research purposes. Because the “clicks”
are a result of mastication activity, they directly correlate with feed
intake. Thus, hydrophones are linked to automated feeding systems
in ponds to provide the shrimp with feed “on-demand”.
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July/August 2023 21
“On-demand” feeding shows promising
production results
“On-demand” acoustic feeding in pond settings is showing prom-
ising production results. Research published in 2021 by a team of
researchers from Auburn University demonstrated that around 800
kg of shrimp were produced in a 0.1 hectare pond using on demand
acoustic feeding. The authors compared shrimp yield from those
ponds and from other ponds offered the same feed but using auto-
matic feeders and realized an increase in shrimp yield by 200 kg per
pond just by employing acoustic feeders! Shrimp produced in ponds
employing acoustic feeders were valued at nearly US$40,000 per
hectare, compared to US$27,000 to 32,000 per hectare for shrimp
in ponds relying on traditional automatic feeders.
The acoustic feeders enable the shrimp to have access to feed
24 hours a day, which serves the biological need of the shrimp for
multiple feedings a day. As to feed wastage concerns, data from the
same study indicated that FCR was very close to one, which implies
that all of the feed was efficiently used in growth. Feeders are filled
once or twice a day, so no additional labor is needed.
Feeding automation has helped aquaculture flourish in the past
two decades. “On-demand” acoustic feeders represent the future of
shrimp production in ponds for their multiple economic benefits.
Employment of this modern technology cuts back the duration of
the production cycle by inducing fast growth and bigger yield of
high value shrimp. Current use of acoustic feeders depends mainly
on passive acoustic monitoring. There is definitely potential for
employing artificial intelligence driven active acoustic feedings to
further improve shrimp production in the near future.
22 July/August 2023
OPINION BY MAGIDA TABBARA
B.C. salmon between
political bogs and
realistic solutions
C
anadians for sure do love their
salmon That, unfortunately, does
not cut it when it comes to saving
salmon farms from government
decisions. With the latest one concerning
Equipment and supplies for all your Aquaculture
needs. From aeration to complete RAS systems.
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Between politics and stakeholder
interests
The Canadian government’s decision is
based on the observed decline in wild salmon
populations and the necessity of protecting
the wildlife. Anti-aquaculture campaigns
are also supportive of the decision, blaming
farmers for the drop in wild salmon popula-
tion. However, science has shown that the
main driver behind this decline is actually
climate change, with overfishing and habitat
destruction in tow.
The stakeholders’ economic interest is
pushing salmon culture towards in-land. On
paper and in the laboratory, using land-based
flow-through or recirculating systems helps
minimize escapees, and the interaction
between wild and farmed salmon becomes
virtually non-existent, which prevents disease
transmission. It also becomes possible to in-
crease stocking densities with less feed input
and wastage in the enclosed system, which
not renewing permits for 15 salmon farms would result in higher economic returns.
in British Columbia, the market is now We’ve even seen hybrid systems before, with
expecting a rise in the price of salmon, es- salmon fry raised on land in recirculating
pecially that 97 percent of Canadian salmon systems. However, once they are 1 kg smolts,
is farmed. they’re moved to open-ocean nets as they
would otherwise require huge recirculating
systems for containment. In reality, on-land
salmon farming necessitates two key elements:
huge areas of land for culture, and an adaptive
geography that would allow supplying fresh-
and salt water and meeting the animals’ needs.
The in-land systems would need to be lo-
cated in areas close to the ocean so that fresh
ocean water is always at hand, in addition
to effective filtration systems for cleaning
the pumped water and, most importantly,
processing the systems’ effluents prior to
their disposal into the environment. A lot
of energy and non-renewable materials are
LIKE US ON
FACEBOOK needed for such an investment, and the
consequences for the environment are ac-
tually worse than those of open-net farming.
2023-04-03 2:21 PM
What is more, British Columbia has neither
the land nor the renewable energy to put
on-land salmon farming projects in effect.
Are there any realistic solutions?
PHOTO: © LUDMILA / ADOBE STOCK
There are two realistic and applicable/prac-
tical solutions that could solve the current
crisis: applying new management practices
in the already-established farms, and care-
fully consulting scientists and engineers
before establishing new in-ocean farms.
New scientifically based management
practices can help raise farmed salmon in
open-nets with no risk to wild populations.
It’s worth noting that farmed salmon is sort of
2023-03-31 8:22 AM
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 23

“domesticated” and does not pose a threat to
the wild stock, or even do particularly well in
the wild. And if the problem is that of disease
transmission, particularly sea lice, then the
solution is to culture cleaner fish in tandem
with the salmon in the nets. Cleaner fish are
mostly lumpfish and ballan wrasses and can
be cultured together to fight sea lice infesta-
tions. Introducing cleaner fish at a certain
ratio to the sea lice is a proven method to
help almost completely eradicate the para-
site and minimize outbreaks. Another good
management practice is preventing diseases
by vaccinating the cultured fish. This not
only protects the cultured population but
reduces the use of antibiotics as well, be-
sides helping decrease disease transmission.
Moreover, sustainability can be taken into
account at every step of the culture process.
That includes, but is not limited to, using
sustainable feed ingredients that use little
to no fishmeal, and applying new feeding
techniques that minimize feed wastage such
as the currently in-use cameras to observe
the fish feeding, and the novel hydroacoustic
monitoring technique.
other endangered species. Additionally, the
New scientifically maximum biomass that the net can withhold
based management should be determined in advance, so as not to
surpass the environment’s carrying capacity.
practices can help The use of steel or high-density polyethylene
raise farmed salmon in nets, specifically designed for long term dur-
ability in the face of strong ocean movements,
open nets with no risk ought to be enforced. Using these nets in the
to wild populations. past years has reduced the number of escapees
to almost zero. Moreover, we must ensure that
It’s worth noting that the salmon transferred from the hatcheries to
farmed salmon is sort of the nets are disease-free and vaccinated so as
“domesticated” and does to potentially reduce all possible disease trans-
mission from our fish to the wild populations.
not pose a threat to the And, last but not least, one must make sure that
wild stock. the facility is equipped with modern wastew-
ater and effluent-treating systems that sterilize
With respect to licensing new salmon the flow against any pathogens, in addition to
farms, adequate locations should be chosen removing chemicals and particulate matter.
and studied carefully. Before positioning Demand for salmon will continue to in-
the nets, scientists and stakeholders should crease in the coming years and is expected
work on modelling the location and making to increase by two million tonnes come
sure that the position is a sound one from 2027. It is vital to implement new effective
all aspects. This means positioning the nets and reasonable solutions to the open-net
away from wild salmon populations and the salmon farms in British Columbia if we are
streams they swim through, and away from to avert future economic losses and shortage
of supply.

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 SPONSORED CONTENT
Innovative Microfluidics Tech
Revolutionizes Pathogen Detection,
Genetic Research
T
here is a new, powerful tool in aquaculture that can efficiently
identify pathogens and genetic markers in fish and shellfish.
Microfluidics-based technology from Standard BioTools™
(formerly Fluidigm®) is capable of examining multiple samples
simultaneously, which can help professionals better understand disease
resistance and improve breeding programs.
“To use a fishing analogy, it’s not like casting the whole, wide net out and
trying to see what kind of data they get back,” said Phil Kilgas, Senior
Manager of Product Management at Standard BioTools™. “This is targeted.
I’m looking for this specific genotype, let’s see if this population has it.”
How it works
Microfluidics is the foundation for the integrated fluidic circuit (IFC),
which contains a network of microscopic channels that allow research-
ers to test fish samples for targeted pathogens or specific genetic
markers. What makes it unique is its ability to analyze samples, each
with multiple pathogens, concurrently on the same chip.
As an example, 96 samples can undergo interrogation with 96
pathogens or targets, in individual reactions. This ensures a thorough
analysis of any potential threats within the fish or shellfish specimens
without the challenges of multiplexing or contamination.
There are two main uses for this technology, according to Naveen
Ramalingam, Senior Director of Assay Development and Genomics R&D
at Standard BioTools™. The first is parentage.
Microfluidics precisely identifies genetic markers, which allows
breeders to accurately trace lineage, enabling more effective breeding
tactics and managing diversity.
“Second, most fish farmers, or even shrimp farmers, have the need for
pathogen identification tools. We offer a panel of pathogens that can be
tested using one sample.”
This results in faster identification of the pathogen causing infection,
and it eliminates the need to do multiple tests. “In one test, you can
detect the pathogen responsible for the infection,” said Ramalingam.
It’s more cost-effective because the amounts of DNA and reagents that
are required for this test are lower than for traditional tests. IFCs signifi-
cantly reduce reaction volumes by using nanoscale amounts for each
reaction, meaning they use less sample and reagents per test.
“In the past, you would test for a particular pathogen. If your first test
is negative, then you must run another test to see what else is there,” he
said. “But with microfluidics, you can detect multiple pathogens in one
test and get the answer right away.”
It’s also scalable. Sample and target options allow from 144 to 9,216
individual reactions per run without the need to change platforms.
Sustainable solution
Time and money aren’t the only advantages with microfluidics — the
technology enables a greener and more sustainable product.
“The amount of plastics that these labs could save is 200-fold,” said Kilgas.
 WATCH OUR WEBINAR ON MOLECULAR
Cast study: Alaska Department of Fish and Game TESTING IN AQUACULTURE USING OUR X9
Kilgas points to an example from the Alaska Department of Fish and
SYSTEM FROM THE 2023 AQUACULTURE
Game. It used 54 IFCs to do a batch of testing that would have required
1,300 plastic plates using older technology. TECHNOLOGY WEBINAR WEEK!
The agency is using microfluidics in the field for their work on https://www.aquaculturenorthamerica.com/
sustainable ocean fishing off the coast of Alaska.
webinars/standard-biotools/
In one study, they’re taking samples of salmon to determine what
percentage of a specific species is in the water.
“Using molecular markers, if they find a low percentage of a rare stock,
they can recommend that fisherman not fish in that particular location,
reducing the risk of overharvesting the limited stock,” said Ramalingam.
The agency’s use of the system is not typical for aquaculture, but
shows how powerful it can be in identifying species quickly and
efficiently. The field team even mounted a microfluidics system on a
boat for operation in the field, while in most cases the system would be
used in a stable lab environment, said Kilgas.

Use in breeding
Kilgas called out the beef industry as an example of how using genetics
can identify desirable traits in animals. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
“It’s like wagyu beef. If you find cows that have quality meat, you want https://www.standardbio.com/products/
more of that offspring,” he said. “The same can be true for the breeding
of different fish or shellfish. There are so many uses for molecular
technologies/microfluidics or
testing in aquaculture.” contact phillip.kilgas@standardbio.com.
26 July/August 2023
PODCAST
Steve Atkinson: ‘We’re not ready to transition’
Q&A with one of B.C.’s salmon farming veterans and RAS pioneer
BY MARI-LEN DE GUZMAN
B
ritish Columbia’s aquaculture sector
is at the cusp of a game-changing
future that can change the face of
salmon farming in the province.
Veteran fish farmer Steve Atkinson, founder
of Taste of BC Aquafarms, a land-based
producer of steelhead trout, was recently
interviewed in Aquaculture North America’s
podcast series, Salmon Farming: Inside and
Out, where he gave a no-holds-barred com-
mentary on the current and future landscape
of salmon aquaculture in B.C.
Following are excerpts from the interview
(edited for brevity and clarity).
Q: What was it like launching a
land-based farm in the early days?
A: To create an environment where fish can
grow and thrive, I liken it a lot to building
a space station. When they build a space
station, they have to create every aspect to
support life, everything. And we’re doing that
for the fish. What makes it even more com-
plicated is that fish are biological animals.
But our system, our aquaculture system, is
also a biological, living animal. So you have
to create an environment where everything
works together to create a life support system
where fish will grow and thrive. I’ve got to
say when I started this about 12 years ago, I
thought it was a lot easier. And we didn’t have
any concept of how much we did not know. In
fact, for the first 6, 7, 8 years, every time we’d
learned something, we learned about four
or five things we didn’t know and we had to
resolve them. So what a lot of people think is a
done deal – an easy, ‘let’s just switch and move
fish from the ocean on the land,’ – is much
more complicated than anybody out there
really has a comprehension, including a lot
of the people doing it. And you can see that
by the troubles that they’ve had, how much
longer it’s taken to get going.
Q: As complex as the technical
aspects of a RAS farm is the
business side of things. What was
the value proposition from an
economic perspective?
A: I traveled a lot. I had a smoked salmon
business for quite a number of years that
we operated in the ferry terminals, and
I exported a number of things. And that
business took me to China. And when we
Steve Atkinson
visited China, we realized that with the
growing economic state of countries like
China and India in particular, that food is
going to be a major issue. And aquaculture
in China has been the mainstay of feeding
China for 1,000 years, they eat more aqua-
culture produced products than the rest of
the world. And most of their fish is grown.
People (in China) were eating more, their
protein consumption was going up by leaps
and bounds. At that time, salmon was basic-
ally unknown in China. Farmed salmon,
especially, was unknown. And through
that… I realized that in British Columbia,
we have one of the greatest opportunities to
meet that need of protein in the world. And
at that time, the Government of Canada was
looking at building some model farms and
that kind of thing for land-based production.
And I thought, at that time, that in British
Columbia, we had the potential opportunity
for a land-based industry that would comple-
ment our net-pen-based industry and could
be equal in scope. So I was approached by
some guys in the DFO about the potential
of building a model farm… that was back in
2008. And it took me about four years to be
able to get DFO to put any money into it…
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
they helped fund it and that gave (way to)
the beginning of our road. We thought that
we would have a successful business within a
couple of years. We thought that it was going
to be a lot less of a science journey than it
was. We started in 2012, we built the farm,
and in 2013 we stocked it. And it took us
until 2021 before we approached anywhere
near making money, and we were marginally
successful, profitable.
When we first started, we were looking to
build a model for a family farm size of agricul-
ture operation. And then through the journey,
we learned that really, there is no possibility of
making that a profitable venture; there needs
to be a certain amount of scale. But again, this
whole issue of scale has been tossed around.
And I think I have a very different perspective
of what is the right scale. We’re now at the point
(where) we’ve got a proof of concept, and we’ve
got a way of taking that proof of concept. And
without having to relearn everything by scaling
up, we’ve got a plan of how we’re going to move
that scale up, and maintain operational integ-
rity with what we’ve got here now. And we see a
1,500-ton farm as a reasonable scale, maybe you
could have a number of them in one site. But
1,500 tonnes seems to be our sight. We have
100 tons here in the model farm.
Q: It took nearly 10 years
before you became moderately
profitable, what were the
growing pains over that decade?
A: There were a lot of them. You know, the
first year we thought we had it made, we start-
ed operating and our fish performed just per-
fectly the first year, we had fish out, they were
wonderful, and all of a sudden our fish stopped
growing, couldn’t get them to grow. And that
was a common issue, called the stall-out system
that RAS faced in those days. And it took us a
long while to get that resolved and we could get
them to grow. And then we faced issues with
early maturation, where 50 per cent of the fish
would mature early. And we had to resolve
those issues. There’s just been a myriad of care
issues, of making the fish happy so they grow.
It took us years, we had the farm in September
2020, and over a long weekend we lost 80 per
cent of our biomass. These big mass mortality
issues have been the death knell for most RAS
facilities. We had an issue where we thought it
was an ozone problem. In the end, it wound
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
up to be a common bacterial gill disease that
we misdiagnosed and didn’t respond quickly
enough. And with the action we took about
the ozone, just to accelerate the problem, we
lost 80 per cent of our biomass. So we actually
thought we were finished at that time. But
thankfully, we hadn’t buried ourselves in debt.
I had always maintained from the beginning to
only do what we can afford, and not be at risk
on debt all along.
One of our lenders actually came to us and
said, ‘Listen, we’re in for this for a penny, we’re
in for a pound. We think you got it figured out.
We’re behind you. And we’re going to help
you get through this,’ which was absolutely a
miracle, amazing thing. But we had enough of
our biomass that gave us a kickstart. And that
next year was our profitable year. It took us 12
months to get there, and we were profitable,
and we’ve had it figured out. And that attracted
investment from Blue Star (Foods). They were
looking around the world for successful RAS
and there weren’t any except us, so they came
on board. That hasn’t been a panacea. The stock
markets have been difficult the last few years
and being a public company brings additional
costs and additional issues, but they still plan to
do their expansion. I’ve decided to step aside.
I’m getting too old for this. I was a young man
when I started this and I’ve aged double. But
we produced some of the nicest fish I’ve ever
seen. Nobody else has been able to do it.
Q: What went into that decision
of what species to farm?
A: There’s a couple of things why I chose steel-
head as a species for RAS, and one of them was
that it was the most cultured fish in the world.
And I thought it was going to be easy, that
everything was known about growing rainbow
trout or steelhead, as we call them, properly sal-
mon. Number one, I didn’t see an opportunity
to compete with Atlantic salmon grown in net
(pens). You’ve got big multinational companies
that dominate and they learned the process of
growing these fish – and they do it well, and
they do it large. I didn’t see an opportunity to
compete. But then when you look at the sea-
food market, there’s always a need for another
species in the fresh fish case. And around the
world wild salmon takes about 25 per cent of
the market, and then farmed salmon is 50 per
cent and then steelhead – in Europe they call
it salmon trout, and some places it’s rainbow
trout, some places it’s steelhead – overall
has another 25 per cent market share. So the
steelhead was a great fit as a competitive issue.
I thought it was a great fit because it was a fish
that is grown in both salt and freshwater with
ease in traditional processes. And I thought it
was going to be an easier fish to learn. I still
think that even though it’s taken us 10 years.
But there have been people trying to grow At-
lantic salmon in RAS the same amount of time,
and nobody’s been successful. Nobody’s got it
figured out. And we’ve got this figured out. So
maybe it’s easier. And I think it’s a better species.
I think there are some biological aspects about
Atlantic salmon that make it very difficult for
growing in RAS.
The other thing is (there’s) a target market
size of somewhere in the two- to three-kilo
range for steelhead, which we figured we
could make that a 12-month cycle in RAS,
which is financially a better thing, where
Atlantic salmon is closer to a four kilo, and
you’re talking about a two year cycle in RAS.
Now we’ve been able to grow two-kilo fish
easily over the last couple of years now. And
Atlantic salmon, they’re nowhere near their
four kilo target.
Q: What are your thoughts on
the current dynamic in the BC
salmon farming sector, and the
government’s plans to phase out
net-pen farms across the province?
A: I have regular discussions with the (DFO)
minister and the minister’s office, and I have
been very clear to them that there is not an
opportunity at present to convert 100,000
tons of salmon production to land-based. I’m
friendly with both sides of the story… and
I’ve been on the committee for the (govern-
ment’s) transition plan… and consistently,
they’ve heard that we’re not ready to transi-
tion. The technology is not ready. But bigger
than that, we aren’t ready as a province to
transition. We’ve had a lot of trouble just
finding a site for our 1,500-ton facility that
has the required power. Now, there are
maybe three sites on Vancouver Island right
now that have power available to to power,
a 1,500-ton site, let alone you know, some
people have been pitching a 50,000-ton site
or 5,000-ton site. We need two megawatts of
electricity to power a 1,500-ton farm, that’s
an equivalent of about 2,500 homes. And
there simply is no power infrastructure on
Vancouver Island to support that, especially
with this target to move to electric vehicles.
And one of the dangers that I see in transi-
tioning too quickly, if they want to transition, is
we have a huge infrastructure network based on
the ocean net-pen salmon farms – distribution
channels, feed mills, technical support, engin-
eering, all of those things – that if they move
without an industry developed on land, then
they’re going to cut the legs off from beneath us.
And then there’s the other issue politically
July/August 2023 27
with the First Nations. You’ve got First Nations
set against First Nations now. And you’ve got
the First Nations who are involved in salmon
farming, saying, ‘We’re going to issue our own
licenses.’ And you’ve got.. others saying, ‘No,
you can’t do it.’ And I think they’re opening a
can of worms, that is going to be completely
outside of government control.
I would rather see (government) get be-
hind the land-based sector. It can thrive while
the net cages are there, if that’s really what’s
intended, and get a sector happening, and
then that’s going to take significant invest-
ment because of power and different things.
But it’s not going to happen in six months.
So much of the argument against ocean-
based salmon farming is based on long past
practices. You look at this industry (now)
and there is no greater sustainable, efficient
production of protein than salmon farming
– land or ocean. I’m now retired. So I’m old
enough that I’m on this side of the thing.
And I’ve watched the salmon farm industry
develop. If it was a scientific argument, there
would be no argument. I’m a land-based
farmer. I’m a proponent of land-based (farm-
ing), but I’m not an anti net-cage salmon
farm guy. So (with) politics and science,
you (will) have to play with science to tell a
negative story with salmon farming
Q: As part of the transition planning
consultations, what feedback are
you getting from them, as initial
public messaging has been to phase
out the net-pen farms and move
everything to land?
A: The key term that you hear now from
the government, from the minister, is ‘pre-
cautionary principle.’ And that precaution-
ary principle is a synonym for, ‘science
doesn’t matter.’ And our present minister, I
think she believes in what she’s doing. But
I’ve got to think there’s an awful lot of money
behind the environmental movement that is
swaying decisions at the Office of the Prime
Minister, and that’s where the decision is
being made. It is not being made, I believe, at
the Minister of Fisheries level. It’s a decision
of the PMO, and it’s a political decision. A
few years ago, I thought there was no way
the trend, the phasing out of net cage salmon
farms in British Columbia, would ever be a
serious topic. (Now) I think it’s a done deal.
You know, we’re only about a month or so
away from them publishing their plan. And
I think the government is going to phase out
the licences quickly. And it’s going to be in
the hands of First Nations. And I don’t know
what that’s going to look like.
 28 July/August 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM

SHOWCASE

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AKVA group has launched a
SmartEye Precision HD is an
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and simplification of the fish
farmer´s tasks is key. The
pan/tilt functionality provides
360-degree motion for a full
overview and the camera
comes with built-in depth and
temperature sensors. Combined
with one of our winch systems,
the SmartEye Precision HD
provides excellent insight into
the feeding response and the
HI_Aqua Ultraviolet_2023ADS_CSA.indd 1 2023-03-16
condition of the fish.
9:36 AM
Key features
• A high-quality lens and HD
provides excellent video
images even in deep and dark
pens
• Integration with AKVA
connect 4.0 provides a full
overview on monitor
• 360 degrees motion with
zoom and autofocus
• Gyro stabilizer
• Easy to use via web browser
• No external moving parts -
prevents leaks and reduces
the need for service
• Integrated depth and temper-
ature sensor
• Reusable camera housing
• Auto-adjusted color balance
• Adaptive noise reduction
• Day/night function
• Robust and waterproof
connection cable
www.akvagroup.com

Seattle Fish Co. shares Between 2015 and 2022 Seattle

with Mari-Len De Guzman,
Aquaculture Writer and Editor
and Ian Roberts,
Director of Communications
at MOWI Canada, Scotland, Ireland
Presented by
Sponsored by
AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON
APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PODCAST AND SPOTIFY
sustainability wins in Fish Co. has:
2022 Impact Report • Reduced electricity usage
per pound of production by
39 percent
• Reduced water usage per pound
Seattle Fish Co. measures their of production by 30 percent
overall impact based on pounds • Reduce trash to landfill per
of carbon dioxide (emitted both pound produced by 73 percent
within their own operation and in They estimate their total
their supply chain) in their public carbon intensity at 4.1lbs of CO2
2022 Impact Report. per lb of product they sell.
“Our annual Impact Report is a way “This report made our biggest
to reflect on progress made, track opportunities for progress clear,”
goals achieved, identify how we shares Chief Sustainability and
can make the biggest difference in development Officer Hamish
our carbon footprint in the year to Walker. “While efficiency or our
come and ultimately inspire others internal operations will always be
to do the same,” shares CEO and a focus, by far the largest parts of
former National Fisheries Institute our carbon footprint are from the
Chair Derek Figueroa. “We’re catching or farming of fish, and the
devoted to sustainable, big-picture freight to get it to us. By improving
best practices – from responsible efficiency and reducing emissions in
sourcing to 24/7 handling, to these areas, and providing infor-
reducing waste and energy use at mation to our customers to help
every opportunity, and striving to them make lower carbon choices,
educate and inform our employ- I feel confident we can make a real
ees, our customers and the public difference in the years to come.”
on why we do what we do.” www.seattlefish.com
 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM July/August 2023 29

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