AquaCulture Nov - Dec 2023

JULY/AUGUST
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
2023 || VOLUME
2023 || 14
VOLUME
|| ISSUE14
4 || ISSUE 6 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
SPOTLIGHT
A tribute to
aquaculture
pioneer, A.M.
(Arnie) Sutterlin
P. 10
SALMON
BCSFA comments
on the global pink
salmon boom
P. 12
NUTRITION
The future of
vegetarian fish
diets
SUSTAINABLE
A recent
Accomplishment
Report outlines USDA’s
GROWTH progress around plant-
based feed research
Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Blue becomes P. 22
a model for clean RAS P. 14
SHRIMP
Karlanea Brown:
Leading Indiana
shrimp production
for over a decade
P. 24
with Mari-Len De Guzman, and Ian Roberts,
Aquaculture Writer and Editor
Director of Communications
at MOWI Canada, Scotland, Ireland
Presented by
Sponsored by
AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON
APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PODCAST AND SPOTIFY
AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM November/December 2023 3
CONTENTS
Features
10 A tribute to
aquaculture pioneer A.M.
(Arnie) Sutterlin
By Cyr Couturier and
10
contributors
COVER STORY
14 Sustainable growth
Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Blue
becomes a model for clean RAS
for Washington State
By Lynn Fantom
18 A take of two
professionals
Q&A with aquaculture veteran,
Robin Muzzerall, and emerging 14
leader, Kirstyn Hallberg
By Mari-Len De Guzman
20 New fraction from

insect meal tested in
feed: Nofima study
GROW WITH US.

ANA_PRAQUA_MayJune23_MLD.indd 1 2023-03-29 2:22 PM
By Norwegian Institute of Food,
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Research
18
22 The future of
vegetarian fish diets
A recent Accomplishment
Report outlines USDA’s progress
around plant-based feed
research
By Ben Normand
24 Karlanea Brown: 20 permalon ®

Leading Indiana shrimp AQUACULTURE
production for over a
decade Griffolyn ® LINERS
By Magida Tabbara GREENHOUSE
COVERS
COVER PHOTO: SUSTAINABLE BLUE
UV stabilized • Resist puncture & tears

24 Lightweight • Custom fabrication • sizes up to an acre
Columns
5 From the Editor 800-231-6074 • REEFINDUSTRIES.COM
6 News
28 Showcase ©2023 Reef Industries, Inc.
Griffolyn & Permalon are registered trademarks of Reef Industries, Inc.
ANNOUNCING
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Abstract Submission Deadline October, 15 2023

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FROM THE EDITOR
JEAN KO DIN
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 6 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
Reader Service
Print and digital subscription inquiries
or changes, please contact customer service
Awkward transitions
I
Angelita Potal
Tel: (416) 510-5113 t has been another tumultous year for skilled workers to run these megafarms to its
Fax: (416) 510-6875 the salmon industry and, as interim fullest capacity.
Email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com editor of Aquaculture North America, I But Sustainable Blue CEO Kirk Havercroft
Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto,
ON M2H 3R1 still feel like I’m catching up. seems optimistic about the company’s own
The cover story, for example, is one that potential to find a new home in Washington
Editor Jean Ko Din I know will invoke mixed feelings for the State. Though it’s still much too early to
jkodin@annexbusinessmedia.com aquaculture industry in North America. In guarantee this project will break ground, this
437-788-8830
Associate Editor Seyitan Moritiwon the aftermath of traditional net pen farming technology also offers a lot of hope for the
smoritiwon@annexbusinessmedia.com bans in Washington State, this spotlight industry’s opportunities in this region.
Contributors Cyr Couturier, Mari-Len De on Sustainable Blue’s promise to bring its There are rumours of other RAS com-
Guzman, Lynn Fantom, Matt Jones, Ben
Normand, Magida Tabbara recirculating aquaculture model seems like panies eyeing locations in Washington State
Associate Publisher / Advertising Manager bittersweet news. for their own facilities. Could Washington
Jeremy Thain
jthain@annexbusinessmedia.com
In fact, it almost feels ironic to think that a State be a new hub for American RAS? We’ll
+1-250-474-3982 land-based, closed containment system that certainly be paying close attention.
Account Manager Morgen Balch touts zero wastewater discharge might offer We’ll also keep an eye on the developments
mbalch@annexbusinessmedia.com
+1-416-606-6964 a messy solution for the government’s effort of salmon aquaculture in British Columbia
Account Coordinator Catherine Giles to replace the net pen industry in the state. as we have in the past couple of years.
cgiles@annexbusinessmedia.com What I mean by this is, as editor of this As I fill these interim editor shoes, I’d love
Media Designer Svetlana Avrutin
savrutin@annexbusinessmedia.com
publication’s sister magazine, RAStech, I’ve to open my email inbox to you. What stories
Audience Development Manager Urszula Grzyb learned that recirculating aquaculture sys- should our pages be shedding light on? I’m
ugrzyb@annexbusinessmedia.com tems (RAS) is highly specialized work. North interested to know. Send me an email at
416-510-5180
Group Publisher Anne Beswick
America has seen new RAS projects popping jkodin@annexbusinessmedia.com.
abeswick@annexbusinessmedia.com up across the continent but it still remains to From all of us at Aquaculture North America,
416-410-5248 be seen whether there are enough available stay safe and well.
President/COO Scott Jamieson
sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com
Aquaculture North America’s Editorial Advisory Board:

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6 November/December 2023 AQUACULTURENORTHAMERICA.COM
NEWS
Cooke warns of scam job offers Newfoundland

Cooke Aquaculture has warned the public of researchers say climate
scammers impersonating Cooke employees change impacts haven’t
through fake offers of employment.
“Cooke has received several reports of
hit industry, but coming
persons falsely claiming to work for Cooke Memorial University’s
on social media and recruitment platforms Dr. Kurt Gamperl
such as LinkedIn and Indeed,” reads a news says while increased
release from the company. “The fraudsters PHOTO: COOKE AQUACULTURE INC. storm activity and
are offering employment positions and re- intensity is an
questing copies of government-issued I.D. cards, proof of address documents (ex: utility immediate concern,
bill, recent pay slip, bank statement, etc.), and cheque payment information such as a direct the impacts of rising
deposit form or void cheque.” ocean temperatures
The release also notes that the perpetrators of the fake offers have produced false docu- will be a long-term
ments such as a contract of employment to help convince potential victims that they are problem.
legitimate recruiters. PHOTO: KURT GAMPERI
“A lot of these frauds stem from an unsolicited contact, like a pop-up will appear in
somebody’s social media account,” says Nova Scotia RCMP H Division Public Information Professors from Memorial University of New-
Officer Andrew Joyce. “Other times, you see an ad that when you really think about it, seems foundland (MUN) are advising that climate
too good to be true. There’s 101 different iterations of how these scams are put forward.” change hasn’t significantly hit the province’s
Joyce recommends that job seekers do their research – look up the company that is aquaculture industry yet, but it will.
supposed to be offering the job and seek out their official channels for employment oppor- Dr. Paul Snelgrove, a MUN professor and
tunities. Cooke advised that official job postings are found at www.cookeseafood.com, www. associate scientific director of the Ocean
mycookecareer.com or the @mycookecareer Facebook page. Frontier Institute, was quoted by the CBC as
“Other times, there’s money involved there, they want the person to pay upfront for the saying that increasing ocean temperatures
job application or to move things along,” advises Joyce. “Honest employers never request will be the biggest challenge, as diseases
that anyone pay to get a job. That’s a sure sign of a scam.” spread more rapidly in warmer water.
Representatives for Cooke did not respond to specific inquiries regarding the fraudulent “Thinking about fishes and mussels,
job offers and directed us to their previous release. which are the main species that are grown
- Matt Jones around here, both are temperature-sensi-
tive, and growth rates will vary as a function
of temperatures,” said Snelgrove.
Snelgrove’s MUN colleague, Dr. Kurt
SAGE awarded $350K to promote gender equality Gamperl – a comparative physiologist with
The David and Lucile Packard a focus on how environmental and physio-
Foundation has awarded a non- logical variation affects fish biology – agrees,
profit US$350,000 to advance though he notes that the impacts of ocean
its mission of promoting gender temperature changes on the aquaculture
equality in the seafood sector. industry will be a problem in the long term,
The Seafood and Gender not in the short term. In the immediate fu-
Equality, or SAGE, has been ture, the increased frequency and intensity
promoting gender equality in of storms will be the more pressing concern.
the seafood sector since 2020 PHOTO: SEAFOOD AND GENDER EQUALITY “That is going to be a challenge for the
and the two-year grant its key programs including the Gender Equality Dialogues, the aquaculture industry going forward,” says
Bloom Networking Community, and the Conch Podcast. Gamperl. “They’ll need to work on differ-
“SAGE is extremely thankful to the Packard Foundation for this grant to bolster our ent net designs, different infrastructure to
efforts at building the seafood sector of the future, one that values and benefits people ensure that their cages and everything else
of all genders found at all levels of production, trade, and conservation,” said SAGE can withstand that extra storm activity and
founder, Julie Kuchepatov. intensity.”
The Bloom comprises more than 85 members who share their knowledge, insights, Looking at the long-term ocean temper-
and stories to empower and support each other throughout their careers. The recently ature impacts, Gamperl says that selecting
launched GED is pioneering the development of a roadmap of how seafood companies fish for improved performance in warmer
can work towards a more equitable and inclusive seafood industry. The Conch Podcast temperatures will be beneficial.
features interviews with people in the seafood sector. “They’re going to have to look at devel-
“The Foundation recently rearticulated its vision for a more just and equitable world oping fish that will perform better at high
where both people and nature flourish. We have been an ardent supporter of SAGE since temperatures,” says Gamperl. “The temper-
its beginning and this new grant is not only an acknowledgement of SAGE’s incredible atures aren’t going to become lethal, but
progress and impact, but an investment towards achieving our new vision,” said Sarah they may become sub-optimal during parts
Hogan, program officer at the Packard Foundation. of the year.”
- Matt Jones
Nova Scotia aquaculture receives

financial support post-wildfires
ODO RTU
This year Nova Scotia saw the TM
largest recorded wildfires in

ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA
provincial history, including the

Barrington Lake fire in Shelburne
DO monitoring on your terms
PHOTO: AQUACULTURE
County, which covered 230

square kilometres at its height.
In response to the wildfires, Modbus communication integrates directly
the Nova Scotia Department of to the PLC or data logger you already have
Fisheries and Aquaculture (NS- without additional software
DFA) announced in August that
the province would be providing
a one-time grant of $2,500 to licensed aquaculture operators, har-
vesting businesses fishing under an official license and licensed fish
© 2023 Xylem Inc.

buyers and processors which were directly impacted by the wildfires.
They thrive
“I’ve visited the Shelburne area since the wildfires and heard first-
with YSI optical
hand from operators about the impact on our seafood businesses,”
DO monitoring
Steve Craig, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, was quoted as
saying in the initial news release. “My department will continue to
work with the industry to provide support and respond to needs.”
The funding offer has mostly been accepted by capture fisheries
and processors, however, as there is limited aquaculture activity in
the areas most affected by the wildfires. YSI.com/ODORTU
A representative for the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia +1.937.767.7241
noted that they were unaware of any aquaculture businesses applying info@ysi.com
for the grant and only knew of one aquaculture business that had
been affected by the wildfires – Kelly Cove Salmon, a Cooke Aqua-
culture subsidiary in Clark’s Harbour, which is in Shelburne County.
Even in that case, they had simply lost access to the farm for aANA_YSI_MayJune23_CSA.indd
few 1 2023-03-24 8:51 AM
days and had no significant impacts.
A spokesperson for the NSDFA confirmed to Aquaculture North
America that as of Oct. 4, the department had received 59 applica-
tions to date – 51 from harvesting enterprises, six buyers/processors
and two aquaculture operators.
Prior to this NSDFA program, 21 seafood companies had applied
for and received assistance through the Small Business Wildfire
Relief Program, which was administered through the Department
of Economic Development.
- Matt Jones
Florida’s aquaculture sees $34.1M loss

after Hurricane Idalia
Shellfish farmers at Two Docks Shellfish in Ruskin, Fla., are saying
they’re tight on clam supply.
According to a report from ABC Action News, Aaron Welch,
president of Two Docks Shellfish, said the enormous storm surge
following Hurricane Idalia wiped out millions more clams in hard-hit
Cedar Key where he does business with clam growers.
With aquaculture being the primary industry in Cedar Key, the
state estimates that shellfish processors and others in the aquaculture
industry have lost over US$34.1 million from Hurricane Idalia.
Shellfish farming infrastructure and materials also suffered
significant damage. “With the sales that we weren’t able to do for
about two weeks because of us being shut down, the bags, material,
everything. I’d say close to US$2 million,” said Timothy Solano, Cedar
Key Aquaculture Association board member.
HI_Aqua Ultraviolet_2023ADS_CSA.indd 3 2023-03-16 9:37 AM

NEWS
Ocean’s Balance to
expand seaweed
products with Aqua
Veggies
Aqua Veggies dries its dulse in the sun.

PHOTO: AQUA VEGGIES
Researchers take a digital photo of brook trout to collect health data from a stream. Two seaweed companies are joining
PHOTO: UVA SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE forces to expand their product offerings.
Maine-based seaweed processor,
Virginia scientists testing AI to track brook trout health Ocean’s Balance, has partnered with New
Researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify individual fish, with the goal of Brunswick’s Aqua Veggies Ltd., a supplier
building population models that track trout health and habitat changes. of seaweed to expand product offerings
The research, with a focus on brook trout, is a collaboration between data scientists at the while being responsible stewards of the
University of Virginia and the U.S. Geological Survey. The aim is to create a more efficient ocean.
and accurate way to track trout by using “Fish-ial Recognition” software. Aqua Veggies is one of North Amer-
Previously, scientists had to track fish using markers or injections to identify individual ica’s suppliers of dulse, a red seaweed
fish, but some of these methods did not work well for small fish. that grows in very few parts of the world.
“The new frontier is individual recognition using AI technology,” said Nathaniel Hitt, a According to a company statement, the
research fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in a University of Virginia article. partnership was completed in August
The project originated during work at Shenandoah National Park by researchers from with the goal of expanding product offer-
the U.S. Geological Survey’s Ecological Science Center in West Virginia. “We were using ings while maintaining a longstanding
video sampling in stream pools to estimate the abundance of brook trout. We would take tradition of responsible stewardship of
underwater video and have human observers count fish,” said Hitt. the ocean.
So, they thought of using AI and applications like facial recognition software to count fish “For 25 years, we’ve been working to
and are using brook trout since the species have unique identifying markings. extol seaweed’s unique and extraordinary
Researchers are classifying fish in both controlled and natural environments in West benefits not just for the health of humans
Virginia and Massachusetts, building a unique database that could potentially save taxpayers and pets, but for the ecological health of
money and advance protective measures for trout and streams. the planet,” said Pam Young, co-founder
They hope to involve anglers in the project by creating an interactive application where of Aqua Veggies. “While we are incred-
they can upload images of fish and participate in protecting the health of brook trout and ibly proud to have built a successful
preserving their natural environment. seaweed business from the ground up,
“Using images, we can create individual fish ID and could monitor population trajec- we are excited to partner with Ocean’s
tories,” said Hitt, “but this also changes the relationship between anglers and these natural Balance, which has advanced milling
resources. It fosters a deeper sense of stewardship and connection to the streams and rivers.” and blending capabilities and can help
us take Aqua Veggies to the next level.”
The announcement comes four
Hawai’i sector pushes for support amid sales growth months after Ocean’s Balance announced
For the second consecutive year, Hawai’i achieved significant heights in aquaculture, yet its purchase of a dehydrator for the
local industry maintains that its full potential remains largely unexplored. drying and milling of farmed kelp on an
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2022, local industrial scale.
aquaculture sales were US$89.6 million, up from US$80 million in sales in 2021. “We are honored that Aqua Veggies,
“This is a moment when we could be catalyzing a lot of growth in agriculture technology a company with 25 years of sustainable
and aquaculture technology to really become a leader in the space of producing food in a seaweed experience, has chosen to join
more sustainable way,” said Neil Sims, co-founder of the Hawai’i-based mariculture company, forces with us,” said Ocean’s Balance
Ocean Era, for Hawaii Public Radio. CEO Mitch Lench. “This company has
The two promising areas are algae cultivation and off-shore fish farming. The aquaculture made a name for itself for wild-crafted
experts said they need more support, especially from Hawai’i government agencies and sea vegetables that are 100 percent or-
lawmakers for growth. Sims endorses a legislation proposing tax credits for aquaculture ganic, harvested by hand, and dried to
technologies, drawing a parallel to the 2001 state law Act 221, which was designed to foster preserve their dense nutrient content.”
the expansion and advancement of high-technology sectors.
Connecticut university gets $600K grant for aquaculture projects

The University of Connecticut said it received gaps,” said Tessa Getchis, UConn Extension
two federal grants worth about US$600,000 senior extension educator.
towards aquaculture initiatives. Alysa Mullen, fish lab director and aqua-
The first grant from the National culture educator of the Sound School in New
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Haven, cited data that showed the majority
(NOAA)’s Sea Grant program will provide of students who graduate from high school
US$398,896 for a two-year project to assess aquaculture programs leave the state for
workforce development needs. It was one secondary education and do not return.
of 10 nationwide projects announced on “There are several high schools like the
Aug. 15 by the Sea Grant that together will Sound School in Connecticut teaching
receive a total of US$3.3 million for seafood Michael Gilman shows an oyster dredge to aquaculture in a hands-on setting, but no
industry workforce support. students in the “Foundations of Shellfish post-secondary education programs,” she
The second grant of US$200,000 was Farming” class at UConn Avery Point last spring. said. “We are losing the students to states
provided by the U.S. Agricultural Research PHOTO: JUDY BENSON, CONNECTICUT SEA GRANT like Rhode Island and Maine that have these
Service to purchase and outfit a trailer that opportunities for students after graduation.”
will be used as a mobile laboratory. The Nancy Balcom, associate director, Con-
mobile lab will be designed to conduct on- “Sea Grant program will necticut Sea Grant said the two projects
field research on the production challenges provide $398,896 for a demonstrate how Sea Grant directly re-
of kelp aquaculture. The trailer could also be sponds to identified needs.
used for training seaweed farmers and other two-year project to assess “We look at who is being affected, who
interested sectors. workforce development needs to be at the table in order to help solve
Some of the funds will also pay for the needs. the problem, and what resources are required,”
creation of a publicly accessible manual and Balcom said. “By securing those resources and
video about kelp nursery set-up and oper- “We want to align what’s being taught facilitating that involvement, we help ensure
ations for small-scale farms. with the needs of industry, and fill in the that collective action leads to shared benefits.”
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SPOTLIGHT
A tribute to aquaculture pioneer,

A.M. (Arnie) Sutterlin
BY CYR COUTURIER fish physiologist with scientist several years. Working with his
(WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY T. BENFEY, G. FLETCHER, Dr. Dick Saunders, and then Dir- technician Gene Henderson and
B. GLEBE, D. STEVENS, D. RUNIGHAN, A. MACKAY) ector Dr. John Anderson. Arnie’s Art, they were able to produce
main job was to find ways to allow Canada’s first ocean-raised At-
the restocking program operated lantic salmon by the late 1970s,
by the International Atlantic and so it began.
Salmon Foundation (IASF; now Arnie was offered a pos-
the Atlantic Salmon Federation) ition as scientist at Memorial
to improve returns to Bay of University’s Marine Science
Fundy rivers. Afterall, the newly Research Laboratory (MSRL)
constructed dams in Mactaquac in the late 1970s to help develop
and nearby rivers were causing finfish and shellfish aquaculture
some distress in wild fish popu- there. A place where he could
lations, and hatcheries were built apply his craft and curiosity to
for enhancement purposes. developing finfish aquaculture
Throughout the ’70s Arnie and in Newfoundland (he hired me
colleagues experimented with in 1981 to take over the duties for
various salmonid hybrids, better shellfish development).
ways to promote smoltification, Before leaving Memorial
and basic protocols for growing in 1984, to be with family and
salmonids. The Norwegians had work for DFO Ottawa, Arnie had
been working with Saunders at demonstrated with his graduate
SABS on smolt physiology in students and the Miawpukek
the 1960s and began to develop First Nations that Atlantic
salmon farming in the 1970s. So, salmon could be grown and
naturally Arnie spent some time overwintered on the south coast
teaching and researching aqua- of the island of Newfoundland, a
culture in Norway from 1976- place with unique oceanographic
1978 on an exchange program, conditions.
where he learned a little more During this same time at the
With Arnie, it was always about the fish, shown here proudly holding about this new activity, salmon MSRL, Arnie began developing
a large female rainbow trout ready to spawn. net pen farming. sterilization techniques for
PHOTO: D. RUNIGHAN Arnie returned to the SABS trout and salmon with his MSc
in the late 1970s and transferred student T. Benfey leading those
D
r. A.M. Sutterlin passed confided that he spent some some of the excess smolts efforts, developed the first RAS
away peacefully in time in reform school during from the government stocking system using ozone in Canada
July 2023 at his home his formative years for being program to Deer Island where for raising salmonids, developed
in Souris, P.E.I., just “too inquisitive”, but that did not a young local biologist, Art artificial baits for cod longlining,
shy of his 85th birthday. He is deter him from pursuing a PhD MacKay, had secured a grow-out conducted experiments on
survived by his wife Melitta (of and postdoctoral fellowship in location for the fish and had improving fry diets with a post-
Bay d’Espoir NL) and daughter, fish physiology in the 1960s and been advocating for farming for doc (L. Clarke), and so on.
Nancy (Sutterlin) Clements and feeding his curiosity further.
grandchildren, Cape Breton, N.S. The true essence of Arnie was to
Arnie, as he preferred to be drive that curiosity with passion
called, was a true pioneer in the towards finding solutions to grow
Canadian aquaculture scene. fish and support the people who
He will be remembered for his grow them. He had come to love
curiosity, wit, intellect, and by the coast and nearby oceans dur-
most, for that impish look in his ing his early days in Maine, USA.
eyes with pending humorous He began his fish career in the
outcomes to follow. early 1970s at the St. Andrews
His curiosity is what drove Biological Station (SABS), then
him, in my view. It occasionally part of the Fisheries Research First net pen of salmon for growth trials off Deer Island, N.B., in 1978.
got him into trouble, as he once Board of Canada, working as a PHOTO: A. MACKAY
At about the same time in this, he did a stint in Indonesia he spent some time on the Board
the early 1980s, Arnie was still and Southeast Asia before being of Directors of the Aquaculture
concerned about growing salmon recruited to A/F Protein Inc. in Association of Canada in the
in the cold waters of Newfound- the early 1990s by Dr. Fletcher, the 1990s, was a founding member
land, and thereby encouraged patent holder on AquAdvantage of the Aquaculture Association of
MSRL colleagues Garth Fletcher transgenic Atlantic salmon, con- Newfoundland (AANF 1987) and
and Choy Hew to undertake the taining a Pacific salmon growth was recognized in the early 2000s
world’s first gene transfer of winter hormone gene in its genome. as the Atlantic Canada Aqua-
flounder antifreeze protein gene Arnie moved to PEI to assist culturist of the Year. Arnie once
into the Atlantic salmon genome. in the research and development told me he had little patience for
The lure of development of A/F Protein’s broodstock, “no-can-do attitudes and bureau-
brought Arnie back to Newfound- development of all-female trip- cracy”, and just to get on with it.
land in 1986 to begin construction loids, and further developing His efforts certainly show how
of the first salmon hatchery at RAS technology for land-based he excelled with this attitude;
Camp Boggy next to the Bay salmon farming. A/F Protein Inc. one many aspire to emulate. His
d’Espoir hydro plant, near St. eventually traded as AquaBounty Arnie with male broodstock at exceptional development skills
Alban’s, N.L., the thought being Farms in the early 2000s and the original Bay d’Espoir hatchery and willingness to go beyond
the warmer spill water could in- later to AquaBounty Technol- in Camp Boggy, St. Alban’s, N.L. the confines of the ordinary, as
crease growth of the fish to smolt ogies to begin the long arduous PHOTO: T. BENFEY well as his curiosity, made for an
size. John Holder was hired by process of seeking approval to inventive and productive career
Arnie to construct the hatchery farm GM salmon for food with Cook) at the facility, as well as in Canadian aquaculture. Arnie
and become its first manager. the U.S. Food and Drug Admin- staff, working on husbandry will be missed by all those who
Meanwhile Arnie continued istration (FDA) and with Health improvements for the fish and knew him, and I am sure we
to assist local entrepreneurs in Canada and Canadian Food In- developing improved methods will miss that twinkle in his eyes
developing net-pen technology as spection Agency. All the while, for farming overall. when coming up with a new idea
well as hatchery-nursery technol- Arnie was involved in mentoring Arnie was a true pioneer in fin- or solution or concept to feed his
ogy through the 1980s. Following graduate students (Cogswell and fish aquaculture in Canada, and curiosity.
HI_Arvotec_MayJune23_CSA.indd 1 2023-03-22
HI_RK2_UVSolution_two_MayJune23_MLD.indd
10:49 AM 1 2023-03-16 9:16 AM
SALMON NEWS
Kvarøy Arctic
appoints new
CEO in the U.S.
K
varøy Arctic, a family-owned Norwe-
gian salmon farming company, has
appointed Rune Mikalsen as chief
executive officer (CEO) in the U.S. to
expand its presence in the American market.
Mikalsen has over two decades of ex-
perience in the seafood industry and is the
former chief finance officer (CFO) of Kvarøy
Fiskeoppdrett AS.
PHOTO: © MARK A. MCCAFFREY / ADOBE STOCK
BCSFA comments on the global

pink salmon boom
A
ccording to the B.C. Salmon Farm- offshore ecosystem of the North Pacific and Rune Mikalsen has been appointed as Chief
ers Association, since records have Bering Sea,” said Dr. Greg Ruggerone, lead Executive Officer Kvarøy Arctic in the U.S.
been kept, the Pacific Ocean has researcher of a 2018 study on salmon abun- PHOTO: KVARØY ARCTIC
never hosted as many salmon as dance in the North Pacific Ocean.
today. The pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gor- Additional researchers, such as Dr. Dick “I am thrilled to join Kvarøy Arctic and
buscha), one of the five main Pacific salmon Beamish, state that high pink salmon returns have the opportunity to lead the expansion
species, has thrived as climate change pushes one year usually mean low sockeye returns in the USA,” said Mikalsen. “Kvarøy Arctic’s
water temperatures to record highs. the next and that due to climate change, the commitment to sustainable aquaculture,
As most other salmon species venture carrying capacity of the ocean is changing, product excellence, and environmental stew-
further into the northern hemisphere seek- meaning salmon are migrating to areas where ardship aligns perfectly with my own values.
ing cooler waters and food, pink salmon they are not typically found, and where the I look forward to working closely with the
dominate many rivers to the south. Pinks ocean conditions are more favourable. talented team at Kvarøy Arctic to bring the
have begun to expand their range into the For B.C. salmon farmers, adapting to a exceptional taste and quality of Norwegian
Atlantic Ocean, with hundreds of thousands changing environment brought about by salmon to even more American consumers.”
being captured in Norway and many more climate change has been key to the sector’s “(Mikalsen’s) extensive experience in the
appearing on the United Kingdom and New- success over its 40-year history in B.C., seafood industry and his passion for sustain-
foundland coastlines. and it will be equally important for future able practices make him the ideal leader to
“The success of pink salmon is due to resilience. drive our growth and strengthen our position
global ocean conditions favouring them. It is known that large populations of adult in the American market,” said Alf-Gøran
While this news can be viewed as a positive pink salmon are a potential source of sea lice Knutsen, CEO at Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett AS.
for wild salmon populations, researchers on farm-raised salmon when they return to “We are confident that under Rune’s guid-
are raising concern about the pink salmon’s natal rivers each autumn. In response to this ance, Kvarøy Arctic will continue to excel and
dominance.” challenge, B.C. salmon farmers will remain bring the best of Norwegian salmon to even
“While it is good that abundance of sock- vigilant in monitoring and managing sea more consumers.”
eye, chum, and pink salmon is high, there is lice levels on their salmon to the low levels Kvarøy Arctic has also added a new Midwest-
growing evidence that this high abundance, established by regulatory authorities. ern sales manager Arnie Dzelkalns and promot-
especially pink salmon, is impacting the - Maryam Farag ed Freddy Olcese to chief financial officer.
“Their investment provides

LocalCoho
This is the second major investment
for LocalCoho in the past year. LocalCoho capital to advance our vision
secures
received significant funding in November
2022 from seafood industry veteran Rodg- allowing us to get one step
closer to expansion,”
funding from
er May of Peter Pan Seafood to increase
harvest capacity and continue to improve
investment firm
husbandry practices. The company also LocalCoho is seeking to raise an additional
received a US$500,00 grant from New US$4 million by the end of 2023 to fund its
Cuna del Mar

York State Development in 2022 to help next growth phase.
commercialize its business. - Nestor Arellano
PHOTO: LOCALCOHO SALMON
N
ew York-based recirculation
aquaculture system (RAS) com-
pany LocalCoho is now closer to
its goal of raising US$4 million by
the end of 2023. LocalCoho said it secured
a “significant new investment” from impact
investment firm Cuna del Mar.
LocalCoho’s salmon are grown in the
Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The
company is focused on growing premium
coho salmon.
“We were impressed by the LocalCoho
business plan, management team, and
their approach to building supply of a great
tasting fish close to market,” said Robert
Orr, managing director of Cuna del Mar.
“The intent of our investment is to enable
them to properly prepare for full scale up
and commercialization.”
Cuna del Mar explores, supports and
develops open ocean aquaculture methods
and other enabling technologies that are
economically viable as well as environ-
mentally and socially responsible. The in-
vestment firm did not mention how much
funding it is providing LocalCoho.
However, a joint press release said the
“multi-million-dollar investment will allow
LocalCoho to prepare for expansion of its
pilot facility in the Finger Lakes region of
upstate New York and start mapping a plan
for growth in other regions of the U.S., with
a farm eyed for the Midwest.”
“Their investment provides capital to ad-
vance our vision allowing us to get one step
closer to expansion,” said Michael Fabbro,
chief executive officer of LocalCoho.
ANA_Elanco_half_MayJune23_CSA.indd 1 2023-04-05 8:32 AM

COVER SALMON
Sustainable Blue’s operation in
Sustainable
Nova Scotia began as a pilot in 2010.
Sustainable Blue CEO Kirk

Havercroft signed a letter of intent in
growth
March 2023 with Hilary Franz,
Commissioner of Public Lands, to
“explore opportunities for an
alternative aquaculture model within
Washington State.”
Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Blue becomes Washington state following a breakthrough

a model for clean RAS deal last spring with Commissioner of Public
Lands Hilary Franz, who had banned com-
W
mercial finfish net pen aquaculture in state
hen Sustainable Blue CEO Valley might be averse to a recirculating waters in November 2022.
Kirk Havercroft drives aquaculture system (RAS) with even a small According to Max Showalter, policy ad-
home from the company’s amount of nitrate-laden discharge. But, in visor at the Washington State Department
facility in Nova Scotia, the case of Sustainable Blue, there isn’t any. of Natural Resources (DNR), “Sustainable
just a half mile (800 me- The creator of this proprietary technology Blue’s zero-discharge recirculating aquacul-
ters) from the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin, Dr. Jeremy Lee introduced it to Nova Scotia ture system (zRAS) makes it a sustainable
PHOTOS: SUSTAINABLE BLUE
he passes cow pastures, a red-roofed com- in 2007 from the United Kingdom, where he alternative for salmon aquaculture in Wash-
munity center, barns and siloes, feed mills, had developed water treatment systems for ington by eliminating opportunity for escape
farm stands that sell blueberries and corn in both aquaculture and the country’s largest and minimizing pathogenic threats to fish.”
season, vineyards, and white farm houses. aquarium. In an email, he emphasized, “The success
It’s the type of place where people want to He and Havercroft launched a pilot plant of Sustainable Blue’s facility in Nova Scotia
protect the land and water. in Centre Burlington in 2010. Now, after demonstrates their commitment to raising
Dependent upon agricultural, fishing, and more than a decade of refining and scaling, healthy, nutritious salmon with minimal
tourism, this part of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis the company is scouting for a new site in environmental impact.”
The saltwater grow-out facility produces 40,000 lbs. of salmon each week.
The agreement has raised some eyebrows,

however. The Northwest Aquaculture
Alliance, a membership organization, told
Aquaculture North America, “The entire aqua-
culture industry is baffled at how one small
tank fish farming company from Nova Scotia
was secretly handed an exclusive business
partnership agreement for state-owned pub-
lic lands by Commissioner Franz. There was
no public call for proposals issued by the DNR
and Commissioner Franz.”
No discharge – how?
Havercroft does not detail how the company
is able to recirculate 100 percent of its water,
with no discharge into the environment, ex- The water from tanks growing Atlantic salmon is complete recirculated, producing zero
cept to say that the “technology is based on discharge back into the ocean. The company calls it zRAS.
a process which is unique in its application
to land-based aquaculture.” The company deliberately opted not to hatcheries. He currently has a 75 percent
He did add that “a new theory of RAS patent it to avoid putting the concept into stake in UK-based Blue Tech Systems
filtration” — as opposed to conventional the public domain and having to defend its International, which provides technology
RAS which, in part, typically removes solids rights. In addition, “fairly robust” non-dis- expertise to Sustainable Blue.
with mechanical screen filtration — “forced closure agreements are part of employment In May, Lee told Sustainability Magazine
the company down the route of designing, contracts for the 27 full-time staff, Haver- that, going back to 2016, the company had
engineering, and constructing its own treat- croft said. begun preparing the system to manage risk
ment system to deliver this newly applied as it scaled. To develop a “control solution”
process at the heart of the filtration system. Gearing up the technology that could be “self-sustaining,” Blue Tech
“Nobody was doing that at the time that Prior to Sustainable Blue, Lee had extensive tapped UK-based system integrator Fairfield
this early research began and nobody’s do- experience in developing, manufacturing, Control Systems, along with Intelligent
ing it now,” he continued. “Our process is a and installing water treatment systems Motor Control technology from Rockwell
closely guarded secret.” for marine and freshwater fish farms and Automation.
COVER SALMON
With refining and scaling, the Nova Scotia

facility produces 1,000 metric tons of new for RAS producers seeking to build in
Atlantic salmon annually. the US. In Maine, for example, Nordic Aqua-
farms countered strong local opposition by
positioning its proposed US$500 million
Looking at an aerial view of Sustainable facility in the context of what the leadership
Blue’s facility today, one can also see the team had learned operating three facilities
company’s incremental approach to growth in Europe and then emphasizing that the
over time. “We literally pushed that pilot Maine facility would be built in stages.
plant facility to its limits, pulling out all of “Scaling is achieved by replicating in-
the very best ideas and making improve- dependent modular systems over several
ments for the second generation. The third phases of expansion,” the company said in a
generation was to scale all of that up to a 2019 statement.
commercially sized module that can be risky. “Now with future investors, as we con- Ultimately, though, the greatest challenges
repeated as we go forward and contemplate template our hopefully significant expansion to Nordic Aquafarms hinged on effluence:
building 5,000 and 10,000 metric ton sal- and growth phase, we can go to them and say, its perceived threat to water quality and its
mon farms,” Havercroft said. ‘We’re not introducing any more technology inability to run pipes through intertidal land
or engineering risk into the profile. All after a complex series of lawsuits.
Under the radar screen we’re doing is scaling something that we’ve And here Havercroft said that he hopes
The saltwater grow-out facility that is now already built, costed, and operated to its full Sustainable Blue has “a credible, established,
producing 40,000 pounds of salmon each biological design load,” Havercroft said. and proven project with a very unique stra-
week (that is, a capacity of roughly 1,000 As if on cue to help propel this commer- tegic advantage potentially over other more
metric tons) is “essentially the final scale of cial take-off, in October, Sustainable Blue conventional RAS farms that have to deal
production module that we will ever build. received C$500,000 (US$367,200) in fund- with the waste discharge component.”
And any future Sustainable Blue fish farms ing from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities But Northwest Aquaculture Alliance is not
will be multiples of these modules strung Agency (ACOA), a governmental program convinced. “While we commend the Nova
together,” he said. designed to help businesses and other insti- Scotia company for cleaning its wastewater
Purposely keeping the company small, tutions in the region. Among its programs, and returning it back to the facility, effluent
the leadership team also decided, “Let’s not the ACOA supports businesses “with an discharge is not a huge environmental chal-
talk about what we think we will be able to R&D element with a strong possibility for lenge,” said spokesperson Jeanne McKnight.
achieve. Let’s wait until we get there. Let’s commercialization,” according to its website. “Multiple wastewater treatment processes,
prove it,” he said. from municipal sewers to agriculture
This know-before-you-grow approach A strategic advantage systems to freshwater hatcheries, are used
was based on the belief that investors find But an approach based on increasing the globally to turn all kinds of effluent waste
land-based aquaculture to be interesting, but number of proven modules is not totally into safely dischargeable water.”
backed by Yvon Chouinard,” McKnight asserted, tying the Washing-

ton commissioner to the investor-philanthropist.
Whoever and however the road from Nova Scotia to Washington
has been paved, Sustainable Blue is now working with the DNR to
explore potential parcels from among the portfolio of state-owned
lands it manages, which includes 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands.
If Sustainable Blue finds land that meets its criteria, it will begin
“the standard leasing process,” during which the DNR will review
any competing applications to lease the same parcel, according to
Showalter. (“Any group is welcome to express interest to lease parcels
from DNR as part of the standard leasing process by submitting an
application,” he added.) Depending upon the parcel, lease revenue
could go to school construction, state institutions, counties, or local
fire districts.
After that, the process begins for Sustainable Blue to obtain
permits for construction and operation from the DNR and other
regulatory or management agencies.
For now, though, Sustainable Blue is still in the site evaluation
phase, ranking, prioritizing, and visiting parcels of land. “We’d like
to have at least a dozen options on the list before we actually pick
one,” said Havercroft, noting that the criteria include proximity to
the ocean, soil that can be dug for underground pipework, and three-
phase electrical power.
But one goal has already been met: “It’s such a tremendous part-
nership opportunity because we get to locate in a jurisdiction which
Sustainable Blue received C$500,000 (US$367,200) in funding publicly values conservation,” he said.
from Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Still, as the Environmental Protection Agency notes, nutrient

pollution has impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal
waters for the past several decades, resulting in some serious en-
vironmental and human health issues. Those impacts have not faded
from the public consciousness. Nets, Custom Seines, Service,
Paul Richer of Fathom Fish & Seafood, Sustainable Blue’s distribu-
tor in Canada, thinks this is the case. Citing the fact that the farm has
HDPE Cages, Moorings and Shellfish Gear
no discharge permits, he said this technology appeals to “consumers
who care about sustainably raised salmon with zero impact or very
minimal impact on the environment compared to alternatives and Now Available Chasing M2 Pro MAX!
who want an option free of any therapeutics.”
On the other hand, NWAA, whose membership spans the gamut
of aquaculture producers, points out, “The most significant environ-
mental concern around using RAS methods for shore-based finfish
farming is the much larger amount of electricity required to grow
fish to harvestable size. Unfortunately, as it stands today, twice the Easier, More Depth, More Power
number of GhGs are emitted growing salmon in a RAS system vs. Priced Under CAD $10K
ocean-based salmon farming, which is well-documented as having
the lowest carbon footprint of any form of farmed animal protein.
For RAS operations based in Nova Scotia, this is even more of a
challenge, where 43 percent of electricity is generated by coal-fired
plants, according to the Nova Scotia Power utility Emera.”
Washington bound
One person who does endorse land-based aquaculture is environ-
mentalist Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, which has
produced films denouncing salmon farming in the ocean. And,
according to a story published by Forbes in 2019, Chouinard is an DELIVERING THE DIFFERENCE ™
investor in Sustainable Blue.
“We do know that Franz is arm-in-arm with the 501c3 nonprofit www.AffordableROV.com www.morenot.ca
organization, the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC), which is financially
ANA_MORENOT_MAYJUNE_LAZ.indd 1 2023-04-03 9:21 AM

SALMON FARMING: INSIDE & OUT
A tale of two professionals

Q&A with aquaculture veteran Robin Muzzerall and emerging leader
Kirstyn Hallberg BY MARI-LEN DE GUZMAN
R
obin Muzzerall and Kirstyn Hallberg What would you consider a good
are in completely different stages of day and a bad day at work?
their aquaculture careers; they even RM: For me, a good day at work is when we,
live and work in opposite sides of as a team, we’ve worked on a project and
the country. But if there is one thing they we’ve had success getting it done. And that
have in common it’s their passion for their could be maybe removing smolts, maybe
profession. we’re spawning fish, maybe we’re receiving
Muzzerall is the freshwater production eggs or first-feeding fish or starting up a new
manager for Kelly Cove Salmon, the Can- system that we’ve never started up before,
adian salmon farming division of Cooke and learning a new skill. So if we go in that
Aquaculture. Her career in aquaculture day, or that week, saying this is what we’re
began as a technician at a hatchery in New going to accomplish, and on that day that we
Brunswick. She came into the role thinking execute that project, we get it done, we see
she would stay for a year or two and move on the start, we see the finish. And that feels
to pursue a career in the science field. But so good.
she never left. In fact, in the 36 years that A bad day... (would be hearing) some
Muzzerall has worked in aquaculture, she negative comments and reports about what
has seen the industry significantly evolve. we’re doing in aquaculture. And as a team,
“It has changed a lot in the 30-some years. we hear that on the news and that gets us all Robin Muzzerall
In the early days… the focus was very much feeling kind of low.
physical – just get out, get the job done,” KH: I am truly a glass half-full kind of sell; even beyond that – to sales to market-
Muzzerall recalls. “The big evolution is that person. So I try to see the bright side of ing, as these fish are going to restaurants and
science and technology have really become everything. For me, there are no bad days. stuff like that. Every step of the way there
the forefront of the industry.” Don’t get me wrong. There are definitely are specialists working, and everything is
It’s at this point of the evolution of the challenging days. But I like to think of those planned out years in advance. And it’s really
industry that Hallberg is starting to build as a learning opportunity. And not so much a incredible.
her career. As the environmental specialist bad day. The thing that I love most about my RM: The eye opening part is that change is
at Grieg Seafood in British Columbia, Hall- role is that every day is completely different. inevitable. And I’m saying that in a positive
berg’s foray into aquaculture was not unlike And no two days are alike: one day I can be way. In aquaculture we are evolving quickly.
Muzzerall’s, starting out as a sea site techni- in the lab, analyzing samples; the next few Things are going to change at times (and
cian only days after writing her final exam days, I can be staying on the sea site taking we have) to learn to embrace that. I came
to complete her degree in marine biology measurements conducting the study; some in young and naive enough thinking that
and oceanography. In a span of four years, days, I even go into the office planning to everything just stays the same, and nothing
Hallberg transitioned from a site technician have an office day, catch up on some samples, ever changes. That’s what makes it exciting.
to a manager, and then to her current role as some emails, and then something comes up
environmental specialist. and all of a sudden, I am in a truck driving Beyond technical knowledge,
She can’t wait to see what the industry will to the site. So the diversity really helps keep what are some of the soft skills
look like 30 years from now. everyday exciting. Great days for me are aquaculture professionals should
“I know that the industry in 30 years is any days that I get to spend in the farming have to thrive in this industry?
going to be unrecognizable compared to regions. There’s something about coastal RM: One of the many things people should
what it’s like right now,” she says. “There’s British Columbia that is so incredibly special look at is people management skills, even
constant improvements, technological to me, and it truly feels like home when I’m conflict resolution, learning how people
advancements. I’ve been here for over four out there. will think and work. Understanding that we
years now. And even the amount of change in all don’t communicate the same way… and
this short period of time has been incredible.” What are some of your most eye- having some understanding that we think
Muzzerall and Hallberg shared their career opening experiences in your job? differently, but we’re all working for the
experiences and lessons learned in a recent KH: I think the biggest eye opening experi- same goal. So those would be the soft skills
episode of the podcast, Salmon Farming: ence for myself, since joining this industry, that I would say.
Inside & Out. Following are excerpts from has just been how much thought, prepara- KH: The most important soft skill that
the conversation and insight into these two tion, expertise go into every single aspect you need to have to thrive in this industry
women’s journey as aquaculture profession- of every single step of the chain. Everything is adaptability. Growing livestock in an
als and their views on career challenges and from brood, before we even have the eggs, unpredictable ocean environment can be
opportunities and the future of the industry. and all the way up to growth, to harvest, to incredibly challenging at times. And I know
on sites, we have sites where the entire crew But things are slowly changing. I’ve had good
of technicians is all females, we do see them experiences in this industry, I’ve never felt
from every step, from the hatchery, the site like my gender has played a negative role in
technicians all the way up to our manag- my movement, or any of my positions.
ing directors here. Two of the managing
directors of the big companies in British
Columbia are females. So we do have quite a Listen to the full podcast episode on
bit of representation throughout the whole
www.aquaculturenorthamerica.com/
chain. During my time on site, I was actually
the only female on the site management topic/sfio-podcast/
team, which was a very cool title to wear.
Sustainable fish health

management from Phibro
BIAL | REC OM
RO M
IC E
M
Kirstyn Hallberg
N
TI
DE
AN
DD
N | RI GHT
OSE | RECO
we’re talking about planning and these things
are planned years in advance, but you can
T IO
plan all you want, and things will change,

TA
and they will never go according to plan. So
MM
RO
EN
being able to be flexible and quick on your R
LA DT
DE
IME | R E GU
feet is a huge asset; as well as communica-
tion and teamwork and problem solving.
All of those tying in together, everyone is
working towards the same goal of growing
happy, healthy fish.
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RM: I started in the industry, when it was
Why Rotate?
very much a male-dominant industry…
There were very few women who were in The right thing to do Any questions?
leadership roles. So when I started as a mid
20-year-old female manager, working for a Maintains efficacy Talk with our Experts on
company at the time that had many, many 888.403.0074
years of men being the managers, I had to Better for the environment
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out there a little bit more in your daily work.
Now there are a lot of women in high-pro-
Phibro is a one stop shop to manage
file roles, which is wonderful. I really am
thankful and appreciative of the people that antimicrobial resistance through
I have worked with. Even though the genders responsible product rotational strategies
were different, (you have to) put yourself out
there and ask questions and talk respectfully.
MA033223CAN ©2023 Phibro Animal Health Corporation. Phibro, Phibro logo design, PAQ Flor and Terramycin
KH: There’s definitely quite a bit of females are trademarks owned by or licensed to Phibro Animal Health Corporation or its affiliates.
in more of those supporting roles. Look,

don’t get me wrong; we have lots of females
ANA_Phibro_Animal_Nov23.indd 1 2023-10-05 5:20 PM

FEEDING & NUTRITION
New fraction from insect meal

tested in feed: Nofima study
BY NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE OF FOOD, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
I
nsects are a natural part of tested in feed for juvenile fish.
the diets of wild salmon when The meal is rich in protein, and
they are in rivers. Insects are stickwater is thought to be rich
also making their way into in bioactive components. The
the diets of farmed salmon. properties these fractions have in
When Norwegian scientists fish meal are already well known.
at the Norwegian Institute of From a bioeconomic perspective,
Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture it is therefore desirable to test and
Research (Nofima) wanted to test utilize this resource from insects
the species of insect called black in salmon feed.
soldier fly in salmon feed, it was, Nofima scientists and a mas-
therefore, natural to measure the ter’s student at Norwegian Uni-
effects on salmon parr, which are versity of Life Sciences (NMBU)
young, freshwater salmon. measured the effect on digestion
Insects are towards the bottom and growth in juvenile fish
of the food chain and require little during the growth phase from
area to thrive and are therefore an approximately 20-85 grams.
attractive type of feed ingredient At Nofima in Bergen, Norway,
to investigate in the search for feed technologists produced trial
more sustainable fish feed. The feed in which they added 10 Black soldier fly larvae are processed into the three fractions for
species of insect investigated in percent insect meal and different feed: oil, meal and stickwater. PHOTO: INNOVAFEED
this trial was the black soldier levels of stickwater from insects.
fly. It is produced at the factory The insect ingredient was com- “The growth results
of insect producer, Innovafeed, in pared in feed with similar protein pave the way for the
France and processed for use in content and replaced half of the
feed during its larval stage. fish meal in a control diet. The widespread use of
feeds were given to salmon parr insect protein in the
Using the whole insect held in trial tanks at Nofima’s salmon industry, as a
in feed Sunndalsøra research station.
Currently, not all of the insect The goal was to find any differ- sustainable, traceable,
is used in feed. The larvae are ences in digestion and growth in and performing
processed into the three fractions fish that were fed feed based on Senior Scientist André Sture ingredient.”
of oil, meal and stickwater. It is insects with an increasing con- Bogevik at Nofima
the latter two fractions that were tent of stickwater. PHOTO: HELGE SKODVIN, NOFIMA
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Grew just as well protein in the salmon industry,

The trials showed that salmon as a sustainable, traceable, and
grew just as well and had just performing ingredient.”
as good digestion when their
diet contained stickwater from Research on low-trophic
insects. With 10 percent insect raw materials
meal in the feed, the fish also The research was conducted in
grew just as well as fish that the Millennial Salmon project,
received the control feed. which is funded by the Research
“The trial shows that there is Council of Norway. The research
no problem in salmon having at is published in the Master’s
least 10% insect meal in their thesis of Erika Marie Hanson at
feed. Based on the positive effects NMBU in 2022 entitled, “Effects
of the stickwater fraction from Nofima’s trials show that salmon parr like feed that contains insect on growth and welfare of Atlan-
fish meal, we cannot rule out that meal, and grow just as well with stickwater in the feed as without. tic salmon parr, feed diets with
this fraction from insects would Parr is the stage between fry and smolt. PHOTO: TERJE AAMODT, NOFIMA 10% BSFL meal, with different
have had a positive effect under inclusions of BSFL stickwater.”
other conditions. In any case, it is of manganese in the finished or have a negative impact on Nofima senior scientist, Kat-
an important side stream to safe- feed for farmed fish, and insects growth. erina Kousoulaki, is the project
guard for the optimal utilisation contain naturally high levels of “We are delighted to observe manager for the Millennial
of insects as feed for fish”, says this. The trial showed that the results aligned with the internal Salmon project, which focuses
Nofima’s Andre Sture Bogevik. fish excrete the mineral and do research we have carried for the on optimizing and using hetero-
In the project, the level of not absorb more in the body than past years at Innovafeed,” said In- trophic microalgae and insect
the mineral manganese was if the meal did not contain high novafeed director, Elin Kvamme. meal as replacements for large
also investigated. The EU has levels of manganese. Nor did the “The growth results pave the way parts of fish oil and soy in salmon
threshold values for the content mineral lead to any deformities for the widespread use of insect feed.
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FEEDING & NUTRITION
PHOTO: BIGC STUDIO/ADOBE STOCK

The future of vegetarian fish diets
A recent Accomplishment Report outlines USDA’s progress around
plant-based feed research BY BEN NORMAND
A
major criticism of the salmonid One solution to address environmental additives in feed can provide farmers with
aquaculture industry is that despite and price concerns surrounding the use of more versatility.
its ability to reliably provide farmed wild-sourced fish meal and oil in salmonid “We could see a growing trend toward
fish, thereby diverting consumer feeds is the incorporation of plant-based feed increasing the number of ingredients in diets
demand for wild-caught fish, the industry additives and concentrates to supplement or and more flexibility to change diets as the
is ironically traditionally heavily dependent replace fish meal and oil. price of ingredients changes. This is done all
on wild-sourced fish meal and oil in its feed This approach to decreasing the environ- the time in terrestrial animal feed,” he said.
production. In addition to environmental mental impact and cost of animal feed is not Further highlighting the promise of
concerns, the status of wild fishery stocks, as new or unproven. Dr. Rick Barrows, a former plants, Dr. Ken Overturf, a research geneti-
well as the nature of wild fishing, mean that fish nutritionist with the U.S. Department of cist with the USDA, was quoted in the same
wild-sourced fish meal and oil prices have Agriculture (USDA), told Global Seafood Al- article as saying, “It’s worth noting that they
been increasingly high and volatile. liance in 2019 that introducing plant-based are produced at much greater levels than
fishmeal… With higher volumes, the price
can be kept lower and won’t shift as much as
it does for rarer commodities.”
72nd Annual
One reality, however, that seemingly
NW Fish Culture Concepts stands in the way of the widespread use of
December 5-7, 2023 • Boise, Idaho a plant-based diets is the fact that salmonids
Hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Fish Culture are naturally carnivorous. Rainbow trout, for
Section of the American Fisheries Society, this year’s NW Fish Culture
Concepts will take place at the Riverside Hotel 2900 West Chinden
example, have typically exhibited a tendency
Boulevard Boise, Idaho 83714
Hosted By:
to develop enteritis when they are fed largely
Conference information: Contact Beau Gunter at 208-287-2712 plant-based diets. Sound research is needed
Trade show/Vendor information: Contact Bob Becker at 208-634-2690
to support a transition into these compos-
itions so that it is done in such a way that
Hotel Information: Call 208-343-1871
production efficiency and animal welfare are
https://fishculture.fisheries.org/northwest-fish-culture-concepts/upcoming-nwfcc-workshop either not impacted, or are improved, and
that does not create costs that are unbearable
for producers.
HI_IDAHOFISH_SEPTOCT23_JLR.indd 1 2023-07-27 11:53 AM

“The concentration from these selected lines. The company plant-based diets and plant-based friendly
methods are there, the is marketing these eggs as hardier and has Salmonid strains have not become the in-
demonstrated their improved growth rates dustrial norm remains. Dr. Wendy Sealey,
commercialization is where under different environmental conditions a fish research physiologist with the USDA,
we’re still struggling a Researchers in Aberdeen, Idaho developed speculated on the cause.
little bit in the plant-based two methods for measuring trypsin inhibitors “The concentration methods are there,
(TI) in soybean products. TIs are anti-nutri- the commercialization is where we’re still
world.” tional and can cause digestive and metabolic struggling a little bit in the plant-based
diseases and slow growth in animals. world,” she said. “What we need are cheaper
The USDA’s Agriculture Research Service methods for producing these concentrates.
(USDA-ARS) has been conducting extensive 2020 They are physiologically, nutritionally sound
and impactful research in this space through Researchers in Hagerman, Idaho, developed products.”
the execution of National Program 106: an improved method for simpler and more When looking to the future though, Sea-
Aquaculture. As per the USDA-ARS web- accurate measurement of total starch and ley pointed out that this may shift soon, as
site, the mission “is to conduct research and gelatinized starch in situ for wet and dried complementary processing infrastructure is
deliver technologies that improve domestic products. coming online across the United States.
aquaculture production efficiency and prod- “There is a huge number of soy crushers
uct quality while minimizing impacts on 2022 in the U.S. We’ve never had this many be-
natural resources.” Feeds that substitute plant-based proteins fore, and this is in response to some of the
This year, the USDA-ARS published an for fishmeal can compound effluent-based bio-fuel initiatives and so that’s going to shift
Accomplishment Report for Program 106, problems, such as algal blooms because these the ingredient market more,” said Sealey. “I
which covered research conducted through feeds can reduce fecal stability, increase fecal think there are a lot of things that are going
2018-2022. As it pertains to the reduction fine particles, and add nutrients to the water. to happen in the near future that are going
of the need for fish meal and oil in Salmonid Researchers in Hagerman, Idaho, and to continue to increase plant utilization in
production, research efforts and accomplish- Bozeman, Mo., determined that rainbow fish and a lot of them have nothing to do
ments by year can be summarized as: trout feeds comprised of a mixture of poultry with how well the nutrition matches with
byproduct meal, corn protein concentrate, the fish.”
2018 and soy protein concentrate with guar gum Sealey added that the thing that gets her
Researchers in Aberdeen, Idaho assessed binder produced more stable feces charac- excited about the future of plant-based fish
the feasibility of using various processes to terized by larger fecal particles and fewer feeds is the possibilities to learn more about
increase the protein enrichment of com- fine fecal particles, compared to standard the classes and different products.
mercial high-protein rice flour (HPRF) and fishmeal-based and commercial feeds. “A lot of that does carry over between the
showed that these processes increased pro- “There are big producers, not just niche different plant products, and how we can use
tein levels more than seven-fold. However, producers, that are willing to make significant them carries over so that we’re all getting
the inclusion of this enriched HPRF causes changes, putting these fish into widespread better at how to formulate feeds… Everyone
animals to excrete excess phosphorous due production,” said Overturf, when asked to is learning to use them better,” she said.
to high phytate levels. reflect on the successes in selective breed-
The researchers also developed a wet ing for plant-based diets in rainbow trout to
method to process barley and oats into frac- date. “Right now, the germplasm from our Readers who wish
tions enriched with protein, beta-glucan, selection group makes up the majority of the to learn more
starch, and other carbohydrates. This meth- rainbow trout in the U.S. … The fish are out about the USDA
od secured a U.S. patent and was licensed to there, and the potential is there.” ARS Program 106
a U.S. startup company. With the benefits of a plant-based can scan here:
transition apparent, the question of why
2019
Researchers selected rainbow trout for
increased growth on aquaculture feeds in
WHAT’S
which plant proteins have completely re-
placed dietary fishmeal. Unlike non-selected
fish, which develop enteritis on these diets,
these fish do not develop enteritis and they THE BIG Maine Aquaculture
demonstrate improved performance, as
compared to conventional commercial trout
IDEA? Business Incubators
strains fed fishmeal-based diets. What’s species are We provide entrepreneurs and business startups
you considering? professional support and world class facilities to develop
In 2019, the third largest Rainbow Trout their aquaculture ideas.
RAS or open water
producer in the U.S. stocked one million of system? Contact us today to see how we can help turn your aquaculture
these selected fish. Will you need a idea into a reality.
The second largest trout egg retailer in grant or funding? Chris Davis
Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center • 193 Clarks Cove Road, Walpole, ME 04573
the U.S. (Riverence) obtained germplasm Phone: (207) 832-1075 • cdavis@midcoast.com
from the USDA-ARS and is now selling eggs
ANA_Maine Aquaculture Innov_MayJune23_MLD.indd 1 2023-04-10 2:14 PM

WOMEN IN NORTH AMERICAN AQUACULTURE
Karlanea Brown physically inspecting the tank and checking up

on the shrimp as part of the daily maintenance routine.
PHOTO: KARLANEA BROWN
Karlanea Brown: Leading Indiana shrimp

production for over a decade
BY MAGIDA TABBARA
T
he beauty of aquaculture, as any other husbandry From fashion designer to shrimp farmer
activity, lies in the act and knowledge that you are “My degree is in fashion design, and the closest I came to aquaculture
providing people with healthy and affordable animal was that my son won two goldfish in a county fair,” said Brown.
protein, all while “culturing life”. Like in any other Brown married Darryl, who comes from a hog farming family, in
sector of production, men and women here share tasks 1991. During that time, hog farming was no longer profitable, so the
and contributions. family’s interest shifted towards aquaculture. They spent the next 15
In aquaculture, women make up roughly half of the workforce years learning how to raise tilapia, while Brown was doing her own
throughout the entire value chain, from pre- to post-harvest. Ma- work and focusing on raising their son.
jority of those women only participate in post-harvest activities, For her, tilapia was neither the most interesting animal to farm
and a small minority participates in the entire production process. nor the most delicious food. “Shrimp is my favorite seafood to eat”,
Data on women in aquaculture in the U.S. is scarce, and a lot of she said, and the animals seemed more intriguing to her than tilapia.
the aquaculture/fisheries facilities do not even collect gender data. After deciding to shift to shrimp farming, production tanks need-
Moreover, due to policies and regulations, a lot of the aquaculture ed some preparation to receive the shrimp. Brown’s husband spent
facilities in the U.S. are large-scale operations. This means that over five hours testing water quality in a single tank prior to receiving
women find themselves out of the game as most of their participa- shrimp “babies”.
tion effort takes place in small-scale production facilities. At the time, the facility had six production and two nursery tanks,
But that is not Karlanea Brown. She’s a shrimp farmer, a business- and the water needs to be tested in all of these. “I’m a woman, I multi-
woman, and an occasional lecturer on aquaculture topics. Together task, I’ll teach you how to multitask,” she said. That was Brown’s first
with her husband, Darryl Brown, she owns RDM Shrimp, an indoor intervention on the farm. “I never thought that would be something
shrimp farming facility in Fowler, Ind., where they raise the animals I absolutely love, getting up every morning to do this. I’m here (in
all the way from larvae to market-size adults. the farm) seven days a week.”
“I never thought that would be

something I absolutely love,
getting up every morning to do
this. I’m here (in the farm) seven
days a week.”
up on the shrimp is done on a daily basis. “If I see shrimp with short
antennae, I know there must be something about to happen. The
shrimp give me an idea about what’s going on in the tank,” she said.
The earlier the mistake is caught, the faster the problems are
resolved, which most of the time ends up being some excess feed or
an alkalinity problem that’s easily fixed with little baking soda.
RDM shrimp is the third privately-owned shrimp farm in the
United States. With Brown’s contributions, the farm is able to pro-
duce over 220 kg of shrimp per month, and that’s in the middle of
Fowler, Indiana! Fowler is a small town in the northwest of Indiana,
with no access to ocean or lake water. The only possible way to raise
shrimp in this area is to wisely employ well water.
Thanks to Brown’s efforts, shrimp survival in the facility quickly
rose from 20 to 96 percent with proper water quality management
and supplementing the water with probiotics to help improve water
quality and shrimp health. The farm produces shrimp under intensive
culture conditions, with a stocking density of around 270 shrimp/m2.
Indoor picture of RDM Shrimp facility. PHOTO CREDIT: KARLANEA BROWN.
The adventure that is farming the shrimp and marketing them

began then, with lots of ups and downs, successes and failures, trials,
and mistakes. Her success did not stop at shrimp however. With
time, the farm was also raising some crayfish and tilapia. Today,
RDM shrimp is also experimenting with oyster culture and will
hopefully be able to market some in the near future.
“It’s not mainly the shrimp, it’s the water”

Brown’s typical day at the farm is spent between checking up on the
animals, testing water quality, marketing the product, getting the
orders ready for customers, and finishing paperwork. She enjoys
every aspect of her work, but the office book work is for sure the
least favorite.
“I love to read murder mysteries, I try to solve them by the second
chapter and to me the tanks are a mystery, I need to figure them out
every day,” she said.
Her clientele is very special, and she enjoys the marketing side
of aquaculture because it brings out her creative side. Brown also
emphasizes the importance of water quality testing, to the point of
making it the farm’s everyday routine maintenance duty.
“I get criticized a lot, testing for nine different water quality
parameters every single day in each tank and physically checking
up on the shrimp to see how they’re doing.”
However, Brown believes that the key to success is making sure
water quality parameters are ideal for the animals and that checking
ANA_HexcylSystems_MayJune23_MLD.indd 1 2023-04-03 8:55 AM

WOMEN IN NORTH AMERICAN AQUACULTURE
Aerial view of RDM facility in Fowler, Indiana. PHOTO: RDM FACEBOOK PAGE
“We’ve maintained above 90 percent survival in our tanks for Reality is, founding a shrimp farm in Indiana and getting it to
the past 11 years,” which is considered a great challenge in shrimpsucceed was so full of trials and errors that it gained Brown enough
farming, especially in inland facilities with no access to ocean water.
experience to be on par with the professionals in the field.
The best thing about the facility is that the shrimp are grown in a “Now I can easily carry a conversation with professors and pro-
biofloc system, or heterotrophic bacteria-based water, which is an fessionals. A lot of people consult me, wanting to become shrimp
eco-friendly culture system with almost zero water exchange. farmers and they’ve done their homework. I can tell them their
methods would work or not because we’ve tried them all,” she said.
Nothing stops me Brown occasionally lectures in Purdue University and receives
As a woman working in aquaculture, Brown did not face a lot of a lot of phone calls afterwards from students’ parents wanting to
challenges. “The main thing is not having many letters behind my become shrimp farmers. “Farming is hard work but it’s the most
name. Just because I don’t have a degree in aquaculture, sometimes rewarding job ever. I believe in aquaculture, men and women can
my ideas get passed over,” she said. have the same jobs.”
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Biofloc system used to raise the shrimp in an eco-friendly manner.
PHOTO: KARLANEA BROWN
Brown considers her biggest

achievement in aquaculture is
getting the farm to last for more
than two years. Two years is
considered a breakpoint at which
the facility is deemed to either
succeed or fail. “I absolutely hate
it when people tell me I can’t do
it,” she said.
The first year the farm lost a riverdale.com
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Shrimp. PHOTO: KARLANEA BROWN. have a degree in biology or chem-

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By the farm’s fourth year, enough changes were made for the
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We need more women to help “culture” life

“If you don’t mind getting wet and dirty, go for it,” advised Brown.
Women play an important role in aquaculture, despite most of STOP KILLING YOUR OYSTERS!
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Aquaculture is very rewarding, and it’s possible to farm in water
almost anywhere. “The ocean needs a break, so bring aquaculture
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More women are needed in aquaculture, especially in the primary
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SHOWCASE
PHOTO CREDIT: INNOVASEA

Canadian sensor company
bags Aqua Nor 2023 Innovation
Award
PHOTO CREDIT: AQUA NOR

MARIN X Inc. Sensor Globe, a Nova
Scotia-based company that has developed
a platform for monitoring fish welfare, has
won the Aqua Nor 2023 Innovation Award.
The winning project is a real-time
decision-making tool that was developed
Innovasea announces new acoustic telemetry system to reduce mortality and revolutionize fish
Technologically aquatic solutions company, Innovasea has announced that its new welfare during processing operations. The
NexTrak R1 acoustic telemetry receiver is now available for pre-order. flexible sensor from Sensor Globe measures
The R1 is the first product in Innovasea’s new NexTrak line, an acoustic telemetry system external factors such as temperature,
that aims to usher in “a new era of science, collaboration and discovery for aquatic animal oxygen levels, and physical impact.
researchers.” Using Sensor Globe’s IoT (Internet of
The press release from the company states that the product has done well in early field Things) welfare platform, fish farmers can
testing and given aquatic animal researchers a 40 percent greater range and double the access key indicators and water quality
detections compared to the previous technology. parameters at all depths, which are critical
“NexTrak was designed to provide researchers with deeper data sets so they could tackle to fish welfare.
new types of questions about animal behaviour,” said Mark Jollymore, president of Other finalists for the award included
Innovasea. “We’ve been really pleased with how well the R1 receiver has performed in EVONTA Technology GmbH from Dresden
early deployments.” and EasyX AS, Bergen.
www.innovasea.com www.sensorglobe.no
PHOTO CREDIT: ACE AQUATEC
ScaleAQ launches light- PHOTO CREDIT: SCALEAQ

sensitive camera version
Aquaculture innovation, technology
company ScaleAQ has launched Orbit FHD,
Ace Aquatec launches new biomass camera at Aqua Nor 2023 a light-sensitive camera, said to be four
Aquaculture technology company, Ace Aquatec has a new product, A-BIOMASS™ – an times more light-sensitive than the previous
automated AI camera system for biomass data capture for fish farmers worldwide. version.
The camera which was revealed at Aqua Nor 2023 on Aug. 22 is small and easy to deploy The company says “It uses on average
weighing 8.5kg. half as much bandwidth as previous
“Our biomass camera has been five years in development, incorporating expertise and cameras, despite its higher resolution. New
knowledge from scientists and partners around the world. We’ve done extensive field testing sensors with more accurate depth sensor,
and data collection to create a system that truly measures biomass and fits in with fish farmers’ oxygen sensor and salinity sensor.”
daily processes and operations,” said Keith Davidson, chief technology officer at Ace Aquatec. It has dynamic bandwidth, better colour
“We wanted to develop a product that was not only market-leading but one that would rendering for better contrast on fish and
become the fish farmer’s friend, supporting them with a system that is easy to deploy, pellets, built-in pellet detection, camera
manage and monitor,” said Nathan Pyne-Carter, CEO at Ace Aquatec. presets and new sensors.
www.aceaquatec.com www.scaleaq.com
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Maine association publishes
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financial manual for fish
producers
By Nestor Arellano
The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) is
offering aquaculture operators a handy tool
that will give them information on how to
access “everything” from loans and grants
to economic development funds and tax
incentives.
The MAA represents Maine’s diverse
aquaculture sector which includes small,
medium and large businesses involved in
land-based aquaculture, sea-based fish
farms, commercial shellfish, fin fish, and
sea vegetable farms. The organization said
its Maine Aquaculture Financing Resources
Manual, developed by Christian Brayden
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2023-03-31 8:22 AM
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Poultry
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By-Product Meal
as a PROTEIN SOURCE
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Cooke warns of scam job offers Newfoundland

Nova Scotia aquaculture receives

largest recorded wildfires in

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Florida’s aquaculture sees $34.1M loss

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Aqua Veggies dries its dulse in the sun.

Connecticut university gets $600K grant for aquaculture projects

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Sustainable Blue’s operation in

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Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Blue becomes Washington state following a breakthrough

The agreement has raised some eyebrows,

With refining and scaling, the Nova Scotia

backed by Yvon Chouinard,” McKnight asserted, tying the Washing-

Still, as the Environmental Protection Agency notes, nutrient

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SALMON FARMING: INSIDE & OUT

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Sustainable fish health

plan all you want, and things will change,

and they will never go according to plan. So

in more of those supporting roles. Look,

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FEEDING & NUTRITION

New fraction from insect meal

S4000 nursery trays

Oyster Trays stacked with quality

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Grew just as well protein in the salmon industry,

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