May, June 2017

US will miss ‘aquaculture revolution’ without

skilled manpower, say experts

Efforts needed to attract and retain the young to the industry

BY AARON ORLOWSKI

he US aquaculture industry faces numerous hurdles: a negative image, a difficult regulatory environment and, crucially, a shortage of educated, skilled workers.

F PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

New study finds farmed salmon has fewer environmental pollutants than wild salmon

Low level of pollutants in farmed salmon due to changes in fish-feed content

That lack of professionals, in turn, threatens to hold back the industry even as demand for farmed seafood and fish is rising and Americans grow increasingly aware of the origin of the food on their plates.

Well-trained workers with the necessary skills are hard to come by, Michael Schwarz, a past president of both the World and United States Aquaculture Societies, told Aquaculture North America (ANA). In the 25 years he’s been in the industry, Schwarz has seen only attrition.

“As soon as you start looking for experience

on page 22

Wisconsin’s new Atlantic salmon and trout RAS expects first harvest in 2018

Aquaponics facility will yield 120,000 lbs of salmon and 40,000 lbs of trout annually and 4,500 lbs of leafy greens per day

BY TOM WALKER

he first commercial scale indoor Atlantic salmon RAS facility in the US is up and running in Northfield, Wisconsin.

“Our initial cohort of year-old Atlantics are moving through the system,” says Superior Fresh COO Brandon Gottsacker. “We expect to harvest them in the second quarter of 2018 at a target weight of 4-5 kilograms.” Next door is a standalone glass greenhouse, where the company has just completed planting their first batch of leafy greens.

armed salmon contains less environmental pollutants than its wild counterpart, according to a Norwegian study that’s been described as the biggest research of its kind so far. The study involved 100 samples of wild salmon caught in the sea in Northern Norway, and 100 samples of farmed salmon.

“It was previously widely thought that farmed salmon contained more environmental pollutants than wild salmon, but this proves not to be the case,” Anne-Katrine Lundebye, study co-author and senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), said in a NIFES article.

Lundebye explained that the differences between wild and farmed were due to their diets. “Fish are what they eat, both in terms of environmental pollutants and nutrients. This can be controlled in farmed fish, while what fish eat in the wild varies,” Lundebye was quoted as saying.

The relatively low level of organic pollutants in farmed salmon has been attributed to changes in the composition of fish feed, among others. Today’s fish feed contains less fish oil, which was previously the main source of many of the undesirable substances in the feed, said the NIFES report.

The study, Lower levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants, metals and the marine Omega 3-fatty acid DHA in farmed compared to wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), demonstrated that the concentrations of dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, dieldrin, lindane, chlordane, Mirex, toxaphene and

Students at Virginia Seafood and Agricultural Research and Extension Center. New generations of aquaculture professionals are needed to replace retiring ‘boomers’ and fill professional positions, a study says

The study involved 100 samples of wild salmon caught in the sea in Northern Norway, and 100 samples of farmed salmon

Nick Zaccaria, Aquaculture Facility Manager, and Eric Brandt, Aquaculture Technician, stock Superior Fresh’s first group of Atlantic salmon into tanks. The facility also expects to harvest 40,000 lbs of trout annually

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Production plant for algal oil planned in the United States

Acommercial facility for producing omega-3 fatty acid products from natural marine algae for salmon aquaculture is being planned in the US.

A new company, called Veramaris, formed out of a joint venture between Royal DSM and Evonik Industries, will build the facility.

The joint-venture company will be based in the Netherlands but the facility will be built at Evonik’s existing site in the US. It is expected to start producing omega-3 fatty acid products in 2019. The initial annual production capacity will meet roughly 15 percent of the total current annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry, the companies said.

The firms claim that their alternative omega-3 source is the first to offer both EPA and DHA and will be aimed at initial applications in salmon aquaculture and pet food.

“The algal oil from DSM and Evonik means that the vision of salmon farming without using fish-based resources is, for the first time, becoming realistic. By replacing fish oil in salmon feed with this EPA- and DHA-rich alternative, the fish-in-fish-out ratio could be reduced significantly. This alternative will enable the aquaculture industry to continue to grow sustainably,” they said in a statement.

Leonardo DiCaprio invests in farmed-seafood company

LoveTheWild, a Colorado-based company that offers farm-raised readyto-cook seafood kits, says AcademyAward winner and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in the company and will also join its advisory board.

“Proud to invest in @LoveTheWildCo who are pioneering responsible aquaculture as a sustainable solution to feeding our growing population,” DiCaprio tweeted days after the announcement.

“Seafood is a primary source of protein for nearly a billion people – but climate change, acidification and over fishing are putting increased pressure on our oceans’ natural stability,” DiCaprio said in a statement. He believes that LoveTheWild’s “approach to sustainable, responsible aquaculture is promoting the development of a secure and environmentally-conscious solution” to feeding the planet.

The company’s gourmet, frozen seafood products utilize traceable, farm-raised fish sourced from wellmanaged aquaculture facilities, said the company.

Earlier, the Netherlands-based aquaculture investment firm Aqua-Spark also invested in the company (See ANA, March/April 2017, page 25).

TVote allows Kuterra’s sale process to advance

he Namgis First Nation, sole owner of Kuterra, on April 6 voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of pursuing a process to look for outside investment in the company to maximize its value, the company tells Aquaculture North America (ANA)

The land-based Atlantic salmon farm on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia is looking to break even this year, but the “Namgis are no longer in a position carry the financial risk of the venture, and are keen to see other investors share in the development of Kuterra,” the company said in March.

(L to R) Gerry Alfred and Richard Smith at a weekly harvest of Kuterra salmon. Kuterra is in talks with potential investors

The vote on April 6 is a “key element” of the process to look for a buyer or partner to pursue the company’s development. “Because Kuterra is on reserve land, there are very special rules and federal regulations covering what can and can’t be done with reserve land in Canada. So the Namgis members had to vote on whether they could designate a parcel of their reserve for lease purposes,” spokeswoman Josephine Mrozewski tells ANA

Mrozewski says the result of the vote is crucial. “It is allowing Kuterra to undertake a sale process because it will offer security to any potential buyer or investor,” she says. Kuterra is now waiting for approval of the leasing process by the Federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in Ottawa. “The timing of that process is, to a large extent, controlled by the Federal Government and we will just wait for that to play out,” says Mrozewski.

She adds that Kuterra’s team continues to talk with potential investors; however, a sale cannot be made until the ministerial approval of the lease process is obtained.

Omega-3 fatty acid products derived from marine algae will make salmon aquaculture more sustainable

NEWS AND NOTES

Still no takers for offshore fish farming permits in Gulf of Mexico

BY LIZA MAYER

The permitting process allowing commercial fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico has been in place for a little over a year now but no one has applied for a permit, acknowledged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently.

Harlon Pearce, chairman of the Gulf Seafood Institute and owner of Lousiana Fish & Seafood, raised the issue at the Federal Town Hall Meeting held at Aquaculture America in San Antonio, Texas in February. “Nobody wants to be the guinea pig. We’ve lost lots of people to Panama and Mexico already. They couldn’t go through this supposedly simplified permitting process [in the Gulf of Mexico] because it is not simple,” Pearce later told Aquaculture North America (ANA) at the sidelines of the conference.

Michael Rubino, director of the Office of Aquaculture at NOAA and a panelist at the Town Hall Meeting, said the lawsuit that the agency is facing is “delaying people from applying.” The plaintiffs, comprised of fishing and public interest groups, argue that NOAA exceeded its authority to regulate fishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Act by including offshore aquaculture as “fishing” activity (see ANA May/June 2016, page 5).

“So that [lawsuit] has to be settled in the courts. It doesn’t mean someone cannot apply for a permit now but I think it has dampened the desire to apply for a permit so far,” said Rubino.

FEAR FACTORS

Neil Sims, President of the Ocean Stewards Institute and co-founder and co-CEO of Kampachi Farms, told the crowd that as a potential investor, he is “intimidated” by two things: the “strident opposition from fishermen” that would be displaced by the buffer zones around the facilities where fishermen can’t go, and the “convoluted, multilayered permitting process” involving six agencies. “No-one has done this before, and so everyone is fearful of getting tied up in an expensive process with no clear pathway to an end point,” Sims told ANA

Speaking to the Town Hall crowd, he said: “I don’t think the lawsuit is really what is scaring people away because there is plenty of legal precedent there; decisions have been made that define pretty clearly that aquaculture is fishing, and it is my belief that it would be almost incomprehensible that a judge would overturn that at this stage.

“As a potential investor who would [consider a] move to the Gulf of Mexico, the lawsuit doesn’t scare me. What scares me is the opposition from the fishermen that will be displaced because the current rules exclude all fishing from around the permit area. And the permit area has to be twice as large as the actual farm structure. Fishermen will feel rightly feel that access is being denied to them, and for no good or apparent reason. We have talked about this at length before and I’ve pointed out that the problem is it makes it really intimidating for a project proponent. Are there moves at the Gulf of Mexico to change that, and if not, what has to happen to make that part of the rules change?” Sims asked.

Rubino said there is room to modify the regulations for fish farming. “We have come as far as we can under the direction of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on this, but we can go back to the council to make so-called framework adjustments or even make changes to the rule. But that takes going to the council and working with the council,” he said.

On the issue of the permitting process, Sims wondered whether a “fomento” permit, which allows for up to 12 months of exploratory aquaculture, might be considered in

“So that [lawsuit] has to be settled in the courts. It doesn’t mean someone cannot apply for a permit now but I think it has dampened the desire to apply for a permit so far.”

— Michael Rubino

Scuba diver swims near net pen in an offshore fish farm. The permitting process is now in place in the Gulf of Mexico but no one has applied so far

this case. “It is a permit that lets you go out there for 12 months and have a go at it. There’s ample science out there that shows that even if you did badly, if you pull out the offending pen out of the water after 12 months, everything reverts back to its original state. And so is there some way that we can get that established as a rule, or is that something that has to come from legislation?”

Rubino said such fomento permits are issued in the state of Maine. “It would have been great if we had thought about that back in 2000 when we were putting

together this fishery management plan,” he acknowledged. But he said this is something that can be considered through a framework action.

He added that NOAA has a “wish list” of things that it would like to work on with the council going forward. “There are imperfections in the system that need to go back to the Gulf council at some point to fix them. But that program is ready to go. It’s not perfect but it’s a good start. We are ready to work with the permit applicant,” he said.

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Tilapia skin shows promise as ‘bandage’ for burn patients

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Clinical trials show tilapia treatment cuts down healing time and reduces the use of pain medication

reliminary results of clinical trials in Brazil show tilapia skin has the potential to someday replace the conventional gauze-and-cream dressing used to treat burn patients.

Analysis of tilapia skin showed it is abundant in types 1 and 3 collagen proteins — even more than in human skin and other skins — which are very important for scarring, reported STAT, a publication specializing on health, medicine, and scientific discovery.

Researchers, led by Dr Edmar Maciel, a plastic surgeon and burn specialist, noted that its use as “bandage” cuts down healing time and reduces the use of pain medication. They also discovered that “the amount of tension, of resistance in tilapia skin is much greater than inhuman skin,” as well as the amount of moisture.

Burn patients treated with the conventional gauze-and-silver-sulfadiazine cream combination need to have the bandages changed every day, which Maciel noted is a painful process. Trials using sterilized tilapia skin as bandage helped patients avoid this pain because the tilapia skin stays on and doctors leave it on until the patient scars naturally, said the report. It noted, however, that for deep second-degree burns, the tilapia bandages must be changed a few times over several weeks of treatment, but still far less often than the gauze with cream.

The use of animal skin in the treatment of burns is not new in developed countries, said the report, but Brazil lacks the human skin, pig skin, and artificial alternatives that are widely available in the US. This inspired researchers to study the potential of using the skin of tilapia, a fish that is abundant in the country, it added.

Salmon prices fluctuate following supply drop

While delivering Marine Harvest’s fourth-quarter 2016 financial results, CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog confirmed that the global supply of farmed salmon had fallen by 10.5 percent. The reduced supply caused prices of Norwegian salmon to rise earlier this year to $9.44 (€8.68) per kg before bouncing between €6 and €7 in March. Norway is the world’s top salmon exporter.

Reports have linked the decrease in supply to sea lice issues which have been exacerbated by climate change. In February, Norway’s Food Safety Authority (FSA) advised Marine Harvest that they would cut the company’s biomass quota — or how much fish is held in a fish farm — at their Bukkholmen salmon farm for two years due to sea lice. Reuters quoted the FSA as saying that the company has been too slow in implementing measures to reduce sea lice, and the effect of measures has not been satisfactory in several cases.

Though prices are beginning to return to normal, it is still a challenging market. A seafood exporter told Reuters on condition of anonymity, “It’s a poor market. We have lost a lot of sales due to high prices in recent months.”

While the rise in prices was challenging for many in the industry, Marine Harvest themselves reported a 133-percent increase in sales year-on-year in “consumer products,” which includes salmon products. The increase was attributed to operational improvements and adjusting their sale prices to reflect the increased salmon costs.

Analysis of tilapia skin shows it is abundant in collagen proteins that are vital in scarring

Credit: Nadia

Sussman/STAT

Credit: Marine Harvest Canada

Research looks at developing “designer tilapia” to cater to changing consumer behaviors

“Excellent” fatty acid composition could command premium price

BY RUBY GONZALEZ

Good news for tilapia aficionados: tilapia has always been good for you.

A study showed tilapia’s Omega-6 to Omega-3 (n6:n3) ratios is relatively low compared to normal US diets. This disproves the “worse than bacon” allegation made in 2008 that was based on a study conducted by a research team that exaggerated its interpretation of how tilapia’s n6:n3 ratios were bad for the health.

An even better development is that, with customized feeds, tilapia can be developed into a premium product with specifically designed lipid content and/or fatty acid composition (FAC) profile (see side bar.)

“Consumers have shown high interest in these premium value-added products, and tilapia has huge potential in valueadded segment of the marketplace,” cited Hyun Sik S. Chu et al in the abstract of 21st Century consumer behaviors - Why we are interested in value-added “Gucci” tilapia.

The research team is from the Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg.

Changing consumer behaviors

With a healthy fatty acid composition, the so-called “designer” tilapia will cater to consumers, millennials included, shifting to healthier, less processed, and more sustainable products.

“We are seeing changes in consumer behavior. Interesting patterns are coming up,” Chu said during his presentation at Aquaculture America 2017 held in February in San Antonio, Texas. “People want transparency in products. That means people want to know what goes into the product.”

In wanting to “feel safe” in eating the product, the consumers check out the information label to check if the ingredients are safe and the products, less processed. They even consider if the packaging materials are earth-friendly.

Chu said that in terms of fresh fish, consumers are starting to prefer the whole fish, not fillets. “They also want more sustainable product, they look at the producer and want to know if it has sustainable practices.”

People usually buy fish for the taste and assumed health benefits, compared to other meat proteins. Wild-caught fish is preferred and considered as a premium product. Aquaculture products, however, are starting to be viewed favorably as a sustainable alternative.

Consumers’ “willingness to buy” is steadily increasing, he said, due to

the entry of millennials in the market, changing consumer patterns, and producers’ educational and marketing efforts.

“Producers are getting the word out that it is a sustainable alternative: it involves controlled feed, water. So people believe in these things now,” he said.

The millennials

During his presentation, Chu profiled the millennials, or those born in the 1980s to early 2000s, who are entering the workforce and becoming economically independent. “These are the people raised on information or know how to get the information. Albeit they are not necessarily getting the factual information, but they know how and where to get some sort of information,” he said.

Designer tilapia, or what he fondly referred to as “Gucci” tilapia, offers a healthier fish product to the consumer and bigger profits for the farmer.

“Tilapia is a cheap product. Where I am from, it is $5 per lb for fresh fillet. It is lower compared to salmon and tuna. With the value-added tilapia, the tilapia industry can get into that market in terms of price.

“People are willing to pay extra for a premium product. However, I haven’t seen any such premium product from the tilapia industry yet. Why not try to create it, right?” he said.

It could command a high price, based on the amount being paid for premium products, like GMO-free corn and red beans, and antibiotics-free chicken. These are two to three times the amount of their regular counterparts, Chu said.

The team analyzed the FAC of tilapia fillets in US supermarkets in order to understand the claims about poor lipid quality of tilapia. Although samples from different countries of origin showed high variations in FACs, the market study indicated healthy FAC in tilapia fillet lipids.

Acknowledging that there is a need for more premium products, the researchers conducted growth trials to improve FAC through enhanced diets.

Enhanced diets

The effective customized diet has “excellent n-6 to n-3 ratios, especially compared to the current American diet of 10:1.” It is composed of algae oil, fish oil, high oleic sunflower oil and soybean oils at various concentrations.

Someone from the audience asked Chu: “Why not just inject the healthy fatty acid in tilapia fillet?”

Chu replied that consumer perception plays a big factor. “If you go to the consumer and say, ‘I injected oil into this fillet,’ would you want to eat it? A big

Consumers checking out seafood at the Pike Place Public Market in Seattle. With customized feeds, tilapia can be developed into a premium product with healthier fatty acid composition that would appeal to consumers’ changing purchasing patterns, say researchers

Credit: Liza Mayer

problem for the food industry now is we have to worry about what the consumer is thinking of us. It’s across the whole food industry,” he said, using Subway as an example. Subway had to change a bread ingredient when consumers found out that it is the same item used in making yoga mats.

“Consumer perception plays a big factor. Less-processed, wholesome products — people pay extra for these things,” he said.

Tilapia ranks fifth among the most eaten seafood in the US, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Its image, however, suffered from the “worse than bacon” backlash in 2008. The comment was based on study conducted by a research team in Wake Forest that exaggerated how tilapia’s n6:n3 ratio was bad for the health.

Enhancing fatty acids in tilapia

To create the value-added product, Hyun Sik Chu and his team focused on enhancing the fatty acid composition of fish by feeding it customized feed. The researchers outlined the types of fatty acids they wanted to increase or reduce:

Omega-3. Improve Omega 3 fatty acid because it is an extremely important part of human diet, especially in young children. It has antiinflammatory characteristics.

Omega-6. Minimize the impact of Omega 6. Too much Omega-6 fatty acid exacerbates health problems: atherosclerosis, which causes cardio-vascular diseases, the leading cause of death for most ethnicities in the US.

Omega-9. Increase the impact of Omega-9 fatty acid. It has been known to reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

COVER

Wisconsin RAS continued from cover

While the middle of Wisconsin may seem a strange place to be raising salmon, trout and lettuce, it makes sense when you consider Gottsacker’s background.

“I attended the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point (UWSP) focusing on Biology and Aquaculture,” says Gottsacker. “I was intrigued by both the challenges and opportunities aquaculture presented.” Shortly after college he received an internship opportunity at the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute (FWI) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The Freshwater Institute is known for their work with RAS systems for salmonids. FWI’s team designed the Superior Fresh facilities and they, and UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, continue to consult on the project.

Superior Fresh sits on 720 acres of family property that is being restored and managed as a native vegetation habitat. The 40,000-square-foot “fish house” was completed in late 2016 and the 123,000-square-foot greenhouse, in early in 2017.

Gottsacker says their original business plan was for a 1,000-metric-tonne walleye farm. “We realized that it would be very costly to deal with the phosphorus in the

discharge,” he says. “We would have had to construct a waste water treatment plant.” The greenhouse solves that problem and creates an additional revenue stream for the company.

Two wells on the property provide 10C water, which is UV-treated. Currently, the company is sourcing all-female Atlantic salmon eggs from Stofnfiskur in Iceland. Superior Fresh received their first shipment of salmon eggs in January 2016 and expect the trout eggs to arrive in the next couple of months. They have incubation systems onsite and plan to keep the fish, from egg through to processing.

PRODUCTION TARGETS

In full production, the company aims for 120,000 lbs of salmon and 40,000 lbs of trout a year, within their 500,000-gallon capacity. They expect to begin harvesting 1-kg trout by the second quarter of 2018.

They aim to produce a wild fish in, farmed fish out ratio of zero, as defined by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. “To keep the diet sustainable, we are sourcing fishmeal and fish oil from trimmings collected from sustainable fisheries for the protein portion

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of our feed,” explains Gottsacker. “In addition, all major ingredients are sourced from North America.”

Feed is the largest expense in an aquaculture operation, Gottsacker points out. “Some producers look to cut costs on the important ingredients and you start to see the Omega-3s drop out, or the color of the fillets drop out,” he says. “That lessens the quality of the fish.”

“We are working with a couple of different feed companies to develop specific recipes for our fish and plants,” says Gottsacker. He expects a feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1:1. “Our timetable of two years — from growout to market-size — will be much shorter than other types of salmon farming.”

GREENHOUSE

“We have about 350,000 gallons of water in our largest grow-out system in eight different grow-out tanks, each around 22,000 gallons,” Gottsacker explains. The salmon and trout systems are completely separate, due to biosecurity. “We expect these systems will slightly differ in operations and water qualities.”

3 YEAR WARRANTY ON

or

Butterhead lettuce from Superior Fresh’s greenhouse. The company expects to harvest 4,500 lbs of leafy greens and herbs per day

Atlantic salmon smolt. It is a part of the first cohort of fish to be raised by Superior Fresh

Superior Fresh’ nearly 3-acre greenhouse in Wisconsin that will grow fresh, local, leafy greens for the Midwest year-round

Superior Fresh COO Brandon Gottsacker’s goal is to grow the best, healthiest food in the world and make it affordable for everyone

Dr Brunno Cerozi (left), Production Manager and Adam Shinners, Head Grower, harvest Superior Fresh’s first group of baby salad greens

Right: Brandon Gottsacker and Nick Zaccaria, Aquaculture Manager, receive Superior Fresh’s first cohort of Atlantic Salmon

Aquaculture and hydroponics is how Gottsacker describes the decoupled system. “We recycle a small amount of water between the two facilities. We don’t have to worry about heating or cooling water as much,” he says. “It is really modeled after a commercial aquaculture facility and a commercial hydroponic facility.”

Not only are the fish and greenhouse systems in separate buildings, but fish production is not limited to the capacity of the greenhouse to accept waste. “Any additional waste that is generated from our farm is either land applied or composted for later use on conventional agriculture land,” Gottsacker says. “Nothing is wasted.”

“Our hydroponics greenhouse is a deep-water culture growing application, with nearly 100,000 ft2 of growing space,” says Gottsacker. “The greenhouse temperature is maintained with an advanced hydronic heating system and 1,100 LED’s provide the lighting.” The European greenhouse design is intended for northern climates. “We are looking to maintain a year round growing environment of 65-75’F.”

“Our anticipated production of about 4,500 lbs of leafy greens and herbs a day will reach out to approximately 700 grocery stores between Minneapolis and Chicago,” says Gottsacker. “We plan to harvest between 16-40-day-old plants depending on the variety.”

“Today, there are not very many options in this part of the country to purchase fresh, local, healthy produce, especially this time of year,” Gottsacker says. “Superior Fresh also plans to pursue USDA organic certification for all its leafy greens.”

RECEPTIVE CHEFS

Aquaculture North America (ANA) spoke to Gottsacker during a break from his presentations at the recent Vegas Food Expo. He was showcasing Springhill Atlantic salmon raised at the Freshwater Institute’s research facilities, while he is waiting for his own fish to reach market size. “The chefs are in love with it,” says Gottsacker.

“We are raising the most premium salmon in the world. The pristine water and the absence of antibiotics or pesticides, is something today’s consumers are demanding,” says Gottsacker. “Today, our prices will reflect those husbandry practices, although the goal is to grow the best, healthiest food in the world and make it affordable for everyone.”

environmental pollutants continued from cover

mercury in wild Atlantic salmon were higher than in farmed Atlantic salmon.

The same findings also applied to the levels of the essential elements selenium, copper, zinc and iron, and the marine Omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are kinds of Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in certain fish.

“The PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), endosulfan, pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, cadmium and lead levels were low and comparable in both wild and farmed fish and there was no significant difference in the EPA concentration,” said the study.

PBDEs organobromine compounds are used as flame retardant. PCBs are a group of manmade chemicals that are either oily liquids or solids, clear to yellow in color, with no smell or taste.

BOTH ARE SAFE TO EAT

“The total fat content was significantly higher in farmed than wild salmon due to a higher content of both saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as a higher content of Omega-6 fatty acids. The Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acid ratio was considerably lower in farmed than wild salmon due to the high level of Omega-6 fatty acids,” it said.

Analyses indicated that the contaminant concentrations in wild, escaped and farmed salmon are well below maximum levels applicable in the European Union. This makes Atlantic salmon – regardless of origin – safe for

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consumption and a good source of EPA and DHA. A 200-gram portion per week contributes 3.2 grams of EPA or 2.8 grams of DHA, almost double the intake considered adequate by the European Food Safety Authority.

Fish samples of wild, escaped farmed and farmed salmon, caught in Norway, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDE), pesticides and metals. Homogenized samples were extracted for total lipid determination.

“Total arsenic levels were higher in wild Atlantic salmon than in farmed salmon in the present study, in contrast to higher arsenic concentrations found by Foran et al (2004) in farmed Atlantic salmon compared to wild salmon,” the researchers said.

Despite the different levels of nutrients and environmental pollutants in Norwegian farmed and wild salmon, Lundebye recommends both types of salmon to consumers.

“Consumers have nothing to worry about because both types are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and do not contain alarming levels of environmental pollutants. We can safely say that they are both healthy,” Lundebye said in the NIFE report.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s (NFSA) monitoring program for directive 96/23 on farmed fish. The analysis of scale samples was funded by the European Union, through the Kolarctic Salmon ENPI CBC project.

— Ruby Gonzalez

®

FLOATERS & SINKERS

BY JOHN G. NICKUM

Two-Track Education and Training for Aquaculture

hould a young person preparing for a career in aquaculture pursue a broad-based, biologyfocused education program, or a highly specialized vocational training program in aquaculture? What about an older individual who wants to, or has to, change careers? There has been a lot of discussion within the aquaculture community about these questions. I am not aware of a consensus on these questions and I doubt there will be one; so much depends on individual interests and circumstances.

I suspect that opinions about “the best option,” including my own, are influenced by the path the speaker/writer followed for their career. My first experience with fish propagation involved rearing rainbow trout for a local restaurant 55 years ago when I was a graduate student. My education had been strictly academic, but my training in fish propagation was all “O-J-T” (on-the-job training). I like to claim that I have some experience with both training and education as it pertains to aquaculture, based on my own experience as a university teacher and career as a manager with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I must acknowledge, however, I identify more strongly as an educator.

Although the terms “education” and “training” are frequently used interchangeably, they are different; at least in the mind of this “old professor.” Training a student is typically focused on developing a specific set of skills that are needed to do a specific job, or jobs, efficiently. Training is job-focused. Education typically takes a broader approach, including greater emphasis on critical thinking. An education program may enable students to acquire many of the same skills taught in training programs, but it usually is less job-focused. Education programs attempt to provide broad foundations that will be useful in many occupations, not just a few targeted jobs. Broadbased education programs typically include an array of formal courses to provide the background necessary for understanding principles behind the myriad aspects of propagating aquatic animals, or, increasingly, plants. I probably am somewhat biased toward programs based

Students use math and chemistry principles learned in the classroom to calculate salinity levels and analyze water quality in grow-out tanks. Without learning the “how to do it” skills, students’ “book learning” may leave them ill-equipped to meet the demands of their employment, believes this columnist

on a broad foundation of academic coursework, followed by training in specific skills; that was the path I followed. I think a college education should be just that… an education; specialization comes later. Most young people in the age range of 18 to 20/21 really don’t know yet what they want in terms of employment; therefore, they need a broad background. When I entered college, I was trying to decide whether to be a high school football-baseball coach, or a nuclear physicist. It was only after being exposed to courses in math, physics, chemistry, and biology that I learned my real interests were in vertebrate zoology, ecology, and ultimately aquaculture and fish health. A broad educational program equips students, and workers, to deal with the ever-changing demands within specific jobs, as well as evolving job markets. An aquaculturist with experience in the methods used in 1900, or even 1950, would experience a very steep learning curve if placed in a present day aquaculture production facility,

especially if that person had only hands-on skills she/he had learned on the job. A combination of “book learning” and O-J-T would make the individual much more adaptable to dynamic job requirements.

I suggest the first step for most students preparing for a career in aquaculture, whether their career goal is rearing fish, or shellfish, or crustaceans should start with basic coursework in biology. Biology provides the foundation for later specialization; however, becoming a competent biologist in today’s world requires more than just biology. Modern biology requires a foundation in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, as well as biology. Additional basic courses, such as animal physiology, vertebrate anatomy, embryology, genetics, and ecology strengthen the foundation before specializing in ichthyology, fisheries ecology, limnology, invertebrate zoology, algalogy/aquatic plants, marine ecology, and other courses pertaining to aquatic animals. Basic microbiology and pathogenic microbiology, plus, parasitology are needed to equip the student for solving disease problems. Inasmuch as feeds and feeding are typically the most expensive aspects of aquaculture production, at least one course in animal nutrition would be very useful. An argument can be made that the program I envision would require an undergraduate major in biology/zoology followed by a Master’s degree in some aspect of aquaculture.

Training programs typically do not require a long list of courses, but emphasize working environments in which the student learns about measuring and maintaining essential water quality parameters, spawning, recognizing early signs of disease conditions, normal feeding behavior, proper feed storage, signs of environmental stress; as well as, how to maintain and repair the mechanical and electrical systems of the facility.

Whichever path a student follows, a few fundamental concepts must be central to his/her education and/or training: “Know your fish; or shellfish; or crustacean.” Also, “know the system/environment in which you are rearing them;” and “clean water equals few problems, but dirty water and stressful environments equals endless problems.” Whether an individual is trained, or educated, she/he must understand these basic concepts. Broad-based education programs help workers understand the “why” factors of their jobs, but without learning the “how to do it” skills, their “book learning” may leave them ill-equipped to meet the demands of their employment, and their employer. Aquaculture is not a career for the ill-prepared.

Credit: Florida Sea Grant

Stakeholders fear Trump’s budget cuts would kill Sea Grant program

Move would ‘immeasurably hurt the domestic aquaculture industry’

BY ERICH LUENING

quaculture researchers and other stakeholders are worried that US President Donald Trump’s recently released fiscal 2018 budget proposal will cut funding to marine agencies and completely eliminate the national Sea Grant program, which acts as the federal extension and research service to fisheries, including shellfish and finfish farming.

The proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the Sea Grant program, would also eliminate funding for a variety of smaller programs including external research, coastal management, estuary reserves and “coastal resilience,” which seeks to bolster the ability of coastal areas to withstand major storms and rising seas.

According to a leaked memo from the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), first reported by the Washington Post, the budget plan would slash funding for a number of federal agencies, including NOAA, the US Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The memo reportedly cites the Trump administration’s goal of redirecting the funding for rebuilding the US military.

NOAA would face the steepest cuts, including $513 million from its Satellite and Information Service, and $126 million from its Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. The $73-million Sea Grant Program would be eliminated entirely.

NOAA doesn’t comment on legislature of any kind and recommended contacting the Department of Commerce for further information. There’s been no response to several calls and emails sent to the public affairs office.

Sea Grant offices receive federal funds and tries to match it with private and state investment for research. But without a federal commitment, the program would be finished, MaryAnn Wagner, a spokesperson for Washington Sea Grant, told the online reader-supported news service grist.com

Robert Rheault, the executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association (ECSGA) and longtime advocate for domestic aquaculture of all types, says the proposed elimination of the Sea Grant program would immeasurably hurt the domestic aquaculture industry in the US.

“I suppose the industry would continue to grow without the assistance of Sea Grant, but it would certainly slow the process, and states would be challenged to replace the educational outreach and research capacity that Sea Grant brings to the table,” Rheault tells Aquaculture North America (ANA). “I view the proposed cuts to Sea Grant as job killers.”

He says his members rely on Sea Grant support in several ways.

Sea Grant supports 33 college programs and dozens of aquaculture extension agents around the country, he explains.

Sebastian Bell, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association says he’s concerned about the cuts. “It does not make a lot of sense to cut something that creates jobs,” he says. “The Sea Grant program has been important to the aquaculture industry across the country particularly on the shellfish aquaculture side. It’s not just the jobs part. There’s the research side as well. And Sea Grant research has been integral in building sustainable aquaculture in the US.”

Rheault agrees. “Especially now, as new entrants are jumping into oyster farming, we need extension agents to

In-Situ Ad – Aquaculture North America Size: 6.84” x 5” print: 4-color / CMYK SCD# 16INST206 / Date: November 2016

Students at Port of Los Angeles High School measure and weigh juvenile white seabass before putting them into a new aquaculture tank in their classroom. Sea Grant supports 33 college programs and dozens of aquaculture extension agents around the country and its elimination would constrain the growth of fisheries and aquaculture

Credit: Holly Rindge, USC Sea Grant

help these folks navigate the permit process and establish viable farms — just like county agricultural agents help start-up farmers in square states,” he says. “If we really want to create jobs we should double our extension capacity instead of eliminating it.”

The Sea Grant research program is a largely industrydriven request for proposals that funds work to solve key issues that constrain the growth of fisheries and aquaculture, explains Rheault.

The Sea Grant program cuts are part of a huge budget proposal by the Trump White House, but they are far from being in a final budget that has to go through Congress, where representatives from the 33 states that rely on the program have a final vote.

After concluding a long week in Washington DC where Rheault and some of his ECSGA members met with over 40 members of Congress, he is hopeful that the Sea Grant program will stay afloat in the final budget.

Sea

Grant competitions aim to

address barriers to aquaculture growth

Under the threat of serious budget cuts, the US federal Sea Grant program in February announced a 2017 aquaculture initiative worth $15 million for research proposals targeting barriers to aquaculture development and domestic aquaculture production for the next couple of years.

If proposed cuts to financing the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant program is stopped in Congress, the funding will be available for a few more years, according to the agency.

Depending on appropriations, NOAA Sea Grant expects to have available a total of $10 million to $12 million between fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 for a national initiative to increase aquaculture production in the short-term (two to four years).

continued on page 13

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Big grain moves on fish oil substitutes

Products for aquaculture sector become an increasingly viable market for large

BY MATT JONES

s aquaculture continues to produce an increasingly larger portion of seafood consumed in the world, it also becomes a larger and more lucrative market. In recent years that market has attracted the attention of a variety of big grain trading companies that have sought to diversify their products. Companies such as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Bunge Ltd and Terra Via shared with Aquaculture North America (ANA) why they wanted to become a part of the aquaculture market.

“ADM has both the production scalability and a global supply chain well-positioned to service many of the requirements of the aquaculture industry and took this as opportunity to help producers with this challenge,” says Alex Anderson, sales manager for ADM

grain traders

Animal Nutrition. “With demographic trends driving rapid demand and growth, aquaculture represents one of the fastest growing segments of the feed industry.

Feed costs, across all species, represent over 50 percent of all production costs. As feed prices increase, producers will continue to look for alternative feed and feed ingredients.”

ADM offers “customer-focused initiatives” in the areas of complex proteins, fish meal and fish oil replacements, as well as health, wellness and nutrition solutions. One of their most notable products is DHA NATUR, which is dried algal biomass, and a highly concentrated, Omega-3 fatty acid and vegetarian source of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), produced by a heterotrophic process at their facility in Clinton, Iowa.

Bunge Ltd’s foray into the aquaculture sector came as a result of their partnership with Terra Via.

“I think it becomes a logical path to explore what you can do with the material you already have,” says Miguel Oliveira, the company’s vice-president of Global Innovation. “Pretty much everything we introduce ends up feeding animals across the world. In a way, finding higher value applications for feed in the fish segment is one of our strategic drivers. It quickly became apparent that the capability the technology affords would allow you to play in that market too.”

From Terra Via’s perspective, Walter Rakitsky, senior vice-president of Emerging Business, says that the company has long sought opportunities to expand the use of their technology platform, spanning everything from pharmaceuticals to fuels to chemical food ingredients.

“I would say in the last three to five years, we’ve started to emphasize more human and animal nutrition and looking for opportunities to create real value out of products with our technology platform and with the assets that we co-own with Bunge in Brazil,” says Rakitsky. “We’ve always looked at our micro algae technology platform as having the ability to address many different markets. We saw a real need as well as an opportunity in the Omega-3 space to create the capacity that we have now to deliver these Omega-3s.”

REI NVESTI NG IN R&D MAKES TH E

Bunge and Terra Via’s joint partnership developed the feed ingredient AlgaPrime DHA (See ANA July/August 2016, page 27).

says Alex Anderson, sales manager for ADM Animal Nutrition

Oliveira says that their partnership was very beneficial – with Terra Via supplying their technological muscle, there were few infrastructure investments needed to be made on Bunge’s side. He also notes one of their biggest advantages is that they have a product that’s already on-sale as opposed to developing an idea that will still need to be produced into a working form.

“I think that helps significantly to introduce it in the marketplace,” says Oliveira.

Bunge Ltd’s foray into aquaculture came as a result of their partnership with Terra Via. ‘I think it becomes a logical path to explore what you can do with the material you already have,’ says Miguel Oliveira, Bunge Ltd’s vicepresident of Global Innovation

Walter Rakitsky, senior vice-president, Emerging Business, TerraVia: “the industry was surprised when we showed up with something that’s ready now at a relevant scale that makes sense”

As feed prices increase, producers will continue to look for alternative feed and feed ingredients,

Sea Grant competitions aim to address barriers to aquaculture growth continued

from page 11

The competition is designed to boost expansion of sustainable US marine, coastal, and Great Lakes aquaculture. Successful applications must outline integrated projects that clearly address major constraints, barriers, or hurdles limiting US aquaculture production.

The first Federal Funding Opportunity provides information for applications requesting between $100,000 and $1 million in total federal funding for a two- to three-year period. Non-federal matching funds of at least 50 percent are required (for example, a project receiving $1 million in federal funding must include at least $500,000 in matching funds, for a total project budget of $1.5 million).

All project applications must focus on expanding domestic aquaculture in the US.

SECOND COMPETITION

The second funding opportunity under the Sea Grant aquaculture initiative calls for applications for projects that specifically explore impediments to the expansion of domestic aquaculture in the US.

Depending on appropriations, NOAA Sea Grant expects to have available a total of $3 million between fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for a national initiative focused on answering key questions impeding the development and expansion of sustainable US marine, coastal, and Great Lakes aquaculture.

Successful applications must outline small scale projects, business plans, workshops, etc, that seek to address key questions, barriers, or hurdles impeding the advancement of new or developing aquaculture initiatives that will contribute to the continuing growth of US aquaculture production.

Applications for the first funding opportunity were due May 9 while the applications for the second funding offer addressing obstacles to domestic aquaculture were due April 18.

— Erich Luening

Credit: Innovasea

The cash infusion will help Innovasea’s R&D efforts

InnovaSea bags $15M in funding

InnovaSea Systems Inc has received $15 million in funding from private equity fund Cuna del Mar.

The Boston-based company designs and develops open-ocean fish pens, including the “Aquapod” spehericalgeodesic fish pens, which are used year-round in demanding marine environments.

“The financing was part of a planned strategy to support the continued investment in making the farm platform,” said David Kelly, the CEO and chief technology officer of InnovaSea, told Boston Business Journal.

Cuna Del Mar invests in early stage private companies and is backed by Walmart founders, the Walton family, say reports.

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Industry players see rosy future for offshore fish farming

But hurdles are in the way

he opportunities for offshore aquaculture are huge in America and around the world, but there are challenges in the way to tapping its full potential, according to speakers at the 7th Offshore Mariculture Conference held in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, in March.

They acknowledged that the bottom line is that the world will need more protein, and aquaculture plays a key role in answering that need. Shifting aquaculture offshore ticks all the right boxes in terms of efficiency and environment, they noted, but there are still barriers.

“Growth is going to come from aquaculture,” said Omar Alfi, managing director at Pacifico Aquaculture. “This business is a lot harder than we expected… It’s a game about quality and price, and constant production is critical.”

Robert Orr, CEO and managing director of Cuna Del Mar, said that for aquaculture to grow, the Norwegian model is the ideal, with its alignment between the private sector, government and academia. These sectors need to

come together for that to become reality. “There are massive opportunities for Mexico, and for the US and Canada if regulatory issues can be solved,” he said. He cited some figures illustrating how far China has gone in this direction, with 6,000 cages offshore already and a 200,000gt former tanker operating as a floating fish farm village. He noted that cobia alone has the potential to be 20 times the size of the salmon industry. “Access to finance and government policy are the two big challenges,” he said. “It’s not a 50,000-tonne issue – it’s a 50-million tonne issue.”

OFFSHORE FISH FARMING

In a session on “Offshore Aquaculture in the Americas,” Neil Sims, co-Founder and co-CEO of Kampachi Farms LC and founding president of the Ocean Stewards Institute, reflected that offshore mariculture is pushing the boundaries, literally. “The industry needs to show investors success and scale. Offshore aquaculture works

Speakers at the 7th Offshore Mariculture Conference. They acknowledged the bottom line is that the world will need more protein, and aquaculture plays a key role in answering that need

— and works really well. It has improved performance, excellent parasite control and minimal environmental impact,” he said, adding that less stressed fish in better health are great for the bottom line. It was also clear from the presentations that the market needs some education in terms of quality and responsible production. Buyers are still reluctant to accept that farmed fish is as good as wildcaught fish, even though it has much in its favor, including control over production, proper handling and is killed and processed properly.

Rex Ito, owner of Prime Time Seafood Inc, commented: “Logistics can make the difference between making and losing money.” He also said that handling can be the difference between a shelf life of weeks and just days. “Quality product and repeat performance is what we’re looking for.”

Victor Pak, CEO of JJWV Marketing Corporation, stressed that supply must be constant. There is no option to not supply. “If there’s a war, there’s a war. But you still have to supply that fish,” he said.

Bluefin tuna feeding at Pacifico Aquaculture in Baja California, Mexico. Shifting aquaculture offshore ticks all the right boxes in terms of efficiency and environment, but there are still barriers, said speakers at the 7th Offshore Mariculture Conference

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Marine Harvest builds third processing plant in BC

arine Harvest’s new salmon processing plant in Surrey, British Columbia will start operations in July, and process approximately 12,000 tonnes of salmon annually, said the company.

The value-added processing facility is the third plant operated by Marine Harvest in the province and will serve customers in Western Canada and North West USA.

Vincent Erenst, Managing Director at MHC, said there is an increasing demand in the North American market for healthy, tasty and convenient food. “With the new plant we can provide customers with delicious and easy-to-prepare meal options made from high-quality, fresh salmon,” he said.

Marine Harvest’s business expansion will increase its employee base of 530 by up to 75 full-time positions.

Marine Harvest’s new facility in BC will process 12,000 tonnes of salmon annually

Credit: Marine Harvest

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The technology has ‘dirty secrets’ that the public needs to know about, says expert

BY RUBY GONZALEZ

Educating the public about recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in a “balanced and comprehensive perspective” could push this production technology further, according to a presentation made at Aquaculture America 2017 held in February at San Antonio, Texas.

With the many benefits it offers, RAS has been described as the “future of fish production.” But it has another side, too, that the public must know about.

“The community of aquaculture professionals needs to be responsible to investors, environmentalists and the general public in describing the advantages and disadvantages of RAS technology. A balanced and comprehensive perspective about what RAS can and cannot do can foster a realistic outlook and, thereby, serve to promote further commercial applications of this promising production technology,” Dr. John Hargreaves cited in the abstract, Finding the proper place for recirculating aquaculture.

Hargreaves is an independent consultant with Aquaculture Assessments LLC and an aquaculture expert with over 35 years of experience.

RAS may provide the solution to many of the negative impacts of aquaculture in open systems, he said, but only to a certain extent.

NOT THE ANSWER TO ALL ISSUES

“One of the main misconceptions is that RAS represents the solution to many of the negative impacts of aquaculture in open systems. This is true, but only to a certain extent. Production of fish in every aquaculture system has impacts, but all impacts must be seen not in absolute terms but in the context of the limiting factors of the environment in which they are embedded,” he told Aquaculture North America (ANA) in an email correspondence.

“Another misconception is the equation of the control over production that occurs in RAS with product quality. Aquaculture in RAS has some dirty secrets, including off-flavor and disease,” he continued.

RAS has been described as having “low water footprint.” Its carbon footprint, however, is another thing.

“The environmental NGO community considers the RAS approach to be ‘“ecofriendly” ’ aquaculture. This myopic view is based on the capacity of RAS to address certain environmental impacts associated with shrimp or salmon farming. However, RAS is very energy- intensive, resulting in increased carbon footprint per unit production relative to most other production systems,” he cited in the abstract.

The eco-friendly characteristics of RAS appeal very much to environmental NGOs.

“In the view of the environmental NGO community, RAS solves a lot of the problems of net pens, especially escapes, sea lice treatment, and waste discharge. However, this view is only part of the story,” Hargreaves said.

Citing impacts on salmon farming such as waste discharge issue, he explained how it is a local and short-term problem that can be solved through site fallowing or rotation to allow recovery of the sediment.“.”

“What the environmental NGO community selectively ignores is the greater carbon footprint of fish production in RAS, associated with the greater direct energy requirement. It seems that the environmental NGO community would rather advocate for solving short-term, local problems with RAS, rather than the global-scale problem of climate change, and are willing to accept the greater energy cost per unit protein production in RAS,” he said.

PROPER PLACE FOR RAS

There is no single solution for aquaculture to meet the growing demand for seafood in a sustainable way, Robert Jones, Global Aquaculture Lead at The Nature Conservancy, told ANA

“We need to advance a variety of production methods to improve aquaculture’s triple bottom line and create sustained growth. Depending on the circumstance, certain production methods may be preferable to others when taking into account environmental, economic, and social conditions. Globally, there is an important role for all production methods to play – RAS systems, ponds, and near and offshore pens,” Jones said.

So what is the proper place for RAS? Hargreaves said these would be hatchery and nursery settings, where control over water quality and the ability to hold fish at high densities are advantageous.

RAS, he added, would also do well in hobby aquaculture and in primary and secondary education.

The latter would serve a good venue, where RAS could serve as “an excellent tool to teach ecology, nutrient recycling and using waste as a resource.”

In using RAS for grow-out, he said a location-specific set of conditions must be considered.

“In many cases, RAS-based operations target specialty or local niche markets because they cannot compete with lowcost commodity producers. Furthermore, isolated and dispersed RAS facilities make it difficult to achieve economies-of-scale with respect to other parts of the value chain, such as feed supply and processing.

Regional production from multiple RAS facilities is needed for successful sector development. Initiatives are underway for land-based grow-out of Atlantic salmon in RAS,” he said in the abstract.

High-value fish in and scale of growout operations are important because of the high capital investment requirements of RAS.

“One of the key issues for the success of any commercial fish grow-out operation in RAS is scale. Most operations are simply too small to be successful, unless there is a high-value niche market to supply. To

compete with net-pen production, where capital investment costs are much less, of a commodity fish like salmon, the scale of production operations must be large to achieve economies of scale.  The prevailing view is that RAS production of salmon can be profitable at production levels of 5,000 tons per year,” he said.

Although investments in RAS technology for grow-out continue, he concluded that the business success of companies using it for this “is rather dismal.”

RAS facility. The community of aquaculture professionals needs to be responsible to investors, environmentalists and the general public in describing the advantages and disadvantages of RAS technology, says Dr John Hargreaves

Credit: Wikimedia

CAIA names new executive director

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) has named Tim Kennedy as its new executive director. Kennedy assumed leadership of the organization on April 1. He succeeded Ruth Salmon, who held the role for a decade.

“We are very pleased that Tim has accepted this important leadership position with CAIA as we set a new strategic direction for the future,” says Cyr Couturier, CAIA President. “Tim is a seasoned and versatile government relations and public affairs executive. He brings experience leading large-scale coalitions to successfully address regulatory and legislative concerns. His sound understanding of federal government inner

workings and approaches to driving regulatory change will ensure a smooth transition.”

“At the same time, CAIA expresses its deep appreciation to Ruth Salmon, the outgoing Executive Director who led the association for ten years as a dedicated advocate for Canada’s aquaculture sector. The Board acknowledges her reputation as a consensus builder with a deep understanding of the complexity of the industry and the variety of issues that are important to each region.”

CAIA is the national association that speaks for Canada’s seafood farmers, representing their interests in Ottawa to regulators, policy makers and political leaders.

Consumers check out fresh seafood at a public market in Vancouver, BC. Cermaq expects the seafood category to grow significantly in North America as consumers change their diets to focus more on health

Cermaq’s new focus addresses consumers’ need for transparency

Salmon farming giant switches attention away from price and supply

he world’s second largest salmon company said it is shifting its focus away from price and supply and moving towards growing consumption and sustainable farming practices.

TThe Norwegian salmon farming giant, Cermaq, expects the seafood category to grow significantly in North America as consumers change their diets to focus more on health as well as taste. This will require the whole value chain to evaluate what is required in order to meet consumer requirements for important issues such as transparency, nutrition and sustainability, it said in a statement.

Cermaq said it is committed to forging stronger partnerships with processors, distribution centers and retailers in order to change the focus from price and supply to growing consumption and sustainable farming practices.

“Our strategy is to work closer with our customers from now on to contribute and share in their success,” said CEO Geir Molvik. To strengthen client relationships and meet their needs, the company is investing in communication strategy — something that Molvik said the industry, including Cermaq, has underestimated greatly.

“We are proud to present our product honestly and without filter. Cermaq has until now, acted like we had very little to say or promote. This will change,” he said.

The company defined transparency in the supply chain as not just being upfront about technical facts, “but also about being able to tell how we do what we do in a clear and simple professional way so that those who do not know the industry will have a much greater understanding of it going forward.”

Molvik added: “There is an increasing demand from consumers who focus on health that want to know where food comes from and how it has been produced. If the seafood industry is to take part in the expected growth, this issue needs to be addressed, and we will work through proactive partnerships as a way to help customers develop their business.”

Credit: Liza Mayer

Norovirus outbreak threatens BC shellfish industry

Nine farms ordered closed so far

BY LIZA MAYER

The livelihoods of oyster farmers in British Columbia, Canada are at risk from a norovirus outbreak that has sickened hundreds in three provinces and forced the closure of nine shell sh farms as of April.

e investigation into the cause or causes of the contamination is ongoing and complex, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

A number of shell sh farms have ceased operations either under orders from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) or voluntarily, until the issue is resolved.

“Nine shell sh farms where oysters are harvested in British Columbia have been ordered closed by DFO on recommendations from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and health authorities. ose recommendations are based on sample results, epi-assessments and consultation,” Darlene Winterburn,

executive director of the BC Shell sh Growers Association (BCSGA), told Aquaculture North America (ANA).

THREAT REMAINS

While the potential economic impact is di cult to gauge, it presents real threat to BC’s shell sh industry.

A number of employees have been laidoff and some are working reduced hours as oyster farms wait out the situation

“Whether voluntary or not, farmers who do not harvest do not generate income; the work that is farming must continue to care for the animals and to ensure they are ready to harvest when the time comes. ere have been layo s and reduction of hours and there will be more,” she said.

BC’s shell sh industry in 2015 harvested 9,100 tonnes of oysters, fetching farm gate value of $10.8 million (C$14.4 million) and wholesale value of $30.6 million (C$40.7 million), according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Tilapia producer donates 5,000 lbs of tilapia for hunger relief efforts

Tilapia farmer Regal Springs says it has reached its goal to donate 5,000 lbs of tilapia to SeaShare, a non-pro t dedicated to supporting hunger relief e orts in the United States.

Regal Springs reached its target after serving over 1,000 ‘tilapia power bowls’ at Seafood Expo North America in March.

“ e Tilapia Power Bowls were a huge hit! Every person who came by our booth was happy to help us reach our goal,” said Francis Yupangco, head of global marketing at Regal Springs.

In addition to helping in hunger relief efforts, guests at the expo had the opportunity to take a 360-degree virtual reality tour of Regal Springs’ lake-farms, facilities and communities in Chiapas, Mexico

“Since the beginning, Regal Springs has been committed to providing a healthy, sustainable source of protein while helping those in need. We were honored to be able to showcase the two key pillars of our brand at this year’s event and meet people who share our enthusiasm for supporting such great organizations like SeaShare.”

e company is a long-time supporting SeaShare and has donated more than 200,000 servings of premium tilapia to help ght hunger in the US. Guests at the expo also had the

opportunity to take a 360-degree virtual reality tour of Regal Springs’ lake-farms, facilities and communities in Chiapas, Mexico. “We wanted to provide the full sensorial experience, so guests could see and taste the sh rst-hand, but also see exactly where it comes from. Tilapia has been getting a bad rap in recent years, but it’s important for people to understand that not all tilapia are raised the same way or adhere to the same standards,” added Yupangco.

Some shell sh farms have the ability to harvest other species, but sales in Canada have slowed tremendously or stopped completely for many of the members of the BCSGA, noted Winterburn.

“ ere is also the possibility of future impact on sales in that this type of a scenario will make some restaurants and retailers hesitant to sell oysters in the future. ere is a blemish on the product caused by something completely outside the control of industry. Of course, people who love oysters really love oysters and

they are waiting patiently for this to pass.”

For now, the industry is working with regulators and government to provide samples, share information, brainstorm possible sources, initiate research and, generally, work through the problem, Winterburn added.

“We meet regularly and provide input into possible solutions. We have reached out to provincial and federal government. BC is exploring options that may help industry through this crisis.”

Sales in Canada have slowed tremendously or stopped completely for many members, says the BC Shellfish Growers Association

Credit: BCSGA

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Employers need to go the extra mile to attract the young

450 unfilled positions mean an 11-percent vacancy rate in Canadian aquaculture

BY MATT JONES

APROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

recent report issued by the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council (CAHRC) indicates that the Canadian aquaculture industry is suffering from a labour shortage. With approximately 4,000 people working full-time in the industry, there are 450 unfilled positions, which translate to an 11-percent vacancy rate, and millions of dollars in lost revenue. There are a variety of causes for the shortage, which experts say will only get worse as aquaculture becomes a more important source of protein going forward.

The report was compiled through analysis of Logistics Canada information,

including the Census and the Labour Force Survey. CAHRC also conducted a large-scale survey of over 1,000 respondents across agriculture and aquaculture, interviewed 80 key opinion leaders, conducted six focus groups and seven commodity-specific webinars. This information has gleaned key insights into the Canadian aquaculture labour shortage.

“Part of it is that aquaculture businesses are in rural and remote areas and people are leaving rural areas, so it’s difficult to get people to come to smaller rural areas,” Debra Hauer, project manager with CAHRC, told Aquaculture North America (ANA)

This has been a pressing concern for the industry, notes Susan Farquharson, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA).

“Our members continue to be challenged with accessing a sustainable workforce,” says Farquharson. “Our industry is based in rural, coastal communities in Atlantic Canada where there is a population deficit, and we have a limited workforce. In our region, people often have to travel longer distances to get to work and to access training, so recruiting, retention and retraining staff can be tough.”

“It’s not always easy to keep them,” says Cyr Couturier, president of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), of

workers in rural areas. “That may be related to the fact that they don’t have access to other things like internet or whatever. A young person coming into aquaculture, you typically want to be able to have access to recreational services, internet, otherwise you’re not going to be happy. There are still areas in the country where we don’t even have basic internet access.”

In some cases, Couturier notes, companies and even the government have made investments in that type of infrastructure to make working in rural areas more palatable to young potential employees.

“The companies have gone the extra mile and made sure they put boosters in and things like that so they could have broadband access. Companies have invested a lot to try and keep people satisfied in their employment.”

The industry and government have also taken some other approaches to bring potential workers into these communities, says Hauer. In some cases, it has involved bringing the workers to the community before they even have the job.

“There have been a couple of instances, one in Quebec and one in Alberta – in one case it was an employer, and in another case it was the government – arranged for buses

or vans of people to come out and actually see an operation. They have both had great success. They can see school where their kids will go and understand that there is a community with activities. They can see that it’s not moving to a rural community for the job only, but it’s also for the way of life. There have been successes in that regard, where bus tours that involve visiting not only the place of employment, but also the town, have led to people accepting job offers.”

SEASONAL WORKERS

Another major contributor, the report says, is that aquaculture is not on the National Commodities List, which grants employers access to the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

“That is a program designed for agriculture, for workers that are seasonal in nature,” says Hauer of the SAWP. “Aquaculture is not considered to be seasonal in nature.”

Hauer says that access to workers through such streams would be helpful, based on the experience of agriculturists. For instance, while there were 26,400 vacancies in agriculture across the country, producers in other industries allowed to make use of foreign workers reported a lower number of vacancies.

“In terms of foreign labour, or programs, aquaculture does have access to some of those, particularly for processing programs,” said Couturier of the CAIA.

Julia Sullivan, chief of media relations for Employment and Social Development Canada, however, disputes this aspect of the report. She said there’s no stopping fish farmers from hiring foreign workers under the two programs.

“There are no program barriers to aquaculture employers being considered for an LMIA (labour market impact assessment),” says Sullivan. “Any employer can submit an application for an LMIA and can receive a positive assessment provided they meet program criteria and can demonstrate a legitimate need for a temporary foreign worker. If the industry

continued on page 21

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Susan Farquharson, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, says that the association’s members have felt the impacts of the labour shortage and have made investments to help improve the situation

Debra Hauer, project manager with the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council, was part of a research effort examining the labour shortage in Canadian aquaculture

Special Feature On Training And Education PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

RAS and aquaponics workshop attracts big turnout

resh from the success of its workshop on indoor tilapia and shrimp RAS, and aquaponics in March, the Kentucky State University-Division of Aquaculture held a follow-up session, featuring outdoor production systems, in April at KSU’s Aquaculture Research Center.

continued from page 20

understands there to be barriers to applying to the TFW program, departmental officials are available to make necessary clarification on program rules and the application process.”

Couturier says, however, that the foreign-worker aspect is a secondary concern.

Special Feature On Training And Education

The March event concluded on a high note, with over 70 people attending the event. The participants came from the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa.

The workshop is aimed at helping producers better understand all aspects of indoor recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Presentations from industry experts ranged from production technologies, water quality monitoring, proper nutrition, to marketing strategies.

Participants were also provided tours of the Aquaculture Research

Center, including its new Aquaculture Production Technologies Laboratory, which houses a state-of-the-art genetics lab, replicated aquaponics research, biofloc marine production systems, and other indoor RAS. Tours of commercial aquaponics facilities in the area were also offered.

The goal of the program was to update current and prospective aquaculture producers on developing indoor production technologies and to enhance their ability to market their products.

Hands-on experience just one part of the learning process

Idaho is the nation’s largest commercial producer of rainbow trout and is central to the recovery of many endangered and threatened fish stocks. The University of Idaho believes it is therefore in a uniquely position as a destination institution for student training and research opportunities in Aquaculture and Fisheries.

The Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Idaho is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading institution that provides academic and research training in all areas of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are linked to Fisheries and Aquatic studies within various colleges and departments including Fish and Wildlife Sciences, Biology, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, etc. This creates exciting opportunities for students seeking careers in Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences, says the school.

There are four fisheries laboratories (three on campus and one in Southern Idaho) that set the university’s programs apart from other peer institutions. Such unique facilities allow hands-on training for students at the University of Idaho and expand capacity to address the research needs of state and federal agencies, private industry, and Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Current strengths and specific areas of expertise of associated

faculty are focused in many areas of research, including:

• Fish Nutrition

• Fish Health/Immunology

• Fish Ecology

• Fisheries Management

• Fish Reproductive Biology

• Fish Genetics

• Fish Physiology

• Limnology

• Water Resources/Hydrology

“That’s part of the solution, but it’s not a long-term solution,” says Couturier. “If aquaculture is going to grow in this country, it’s only going to be exacerbated if we cannot recruit and retain Canadians in the longer term. It’s a perennial problem that has to be resolved. We’re working on recruitment and retention. That includes industry communications about the benefits of farming and employment in farming.”

LOOKING AHEAD

One potential solution Couturier says is being explored is to emphasize the inclusion of First Nations people, people with disabilities and other underrepresented members of the potential workforce.

“I’m sure the industry will take advantage of those opportunities to try to solve the labour shortage,” says Couturier.

“The next couple of years will be exciting to see the strategies and actions that are taken, trying to resolve the shortage.”

Farquharson says that ACFFA’s members are investing in technology in their plants and on farms that would help address some labour needs. Some companies have in-house training programs.

“We needed a program that was more responsive to our evolving sector and would support the attraction, training and retention of a labour force in remote locations,” says Farquharson. “As a result, we are investing in training programs in partnership with universities and colleges and are targeting co-op and university/ college students and graduates to expose young people to the career opportunities in aquaculture.”

CAHRC is currently developing a series of industry-validated National Occupational Standards (NOS) in order to define the skills required across the sector, which will be available by fall of 2017. CAHRC also offers an online interactive career path tool and a database of agriculture and aquaculture training programs offered by educational institutes and associations across Canada.

Dr Andrew Ray shows participants the biofloc shrimp tanks during a tour of the Aquaculture Research Center

The University of Idaho’s four fisheries laboratories allow hands-on training for students

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

in fish culture and fish hatcheries, biosecurity, we’re not getting the next generation jumping in,” said Schwarz, who is also the director of Virginia Tech’s Virginia Seafood and Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

Even though investors are beginning to funnel money into domestic aquaculture projects and customers are demanding more fish and seafood, qualified employees aren’t there to fill skilled jobs.

The problem stems, in part, from a general apathy among young people about the sources of their food, Schwarz said. An indoors culture and urban-centric society disconnects young people from the food they eat.

“We’re going through a generation where they don’t think much about food, where it comes from, how we get it, how we grow it,” Schwarz said. And that affects the types of jobs they’re pursuing.

Guest workers fill key role in seafood industry

uest workers in the US on limited visas fill many seasonal and temporary jobs, and the seafood industry is no exception.

The H2-B workers are shared among industries, with 40 percent going to gardening, 12 percent going to hospitality and 20 percent going to meat and seafood.

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

“With the current folks that are in college or going into college, they’re looking at IT jobs, they’re looking at computer skills. There’s not many going into agriculture, and aquaculture is a sector of agriculture,” Schwarz said. “We have less farms, we have fewer children of farmers willing to work the farms. They’re going to the cities. They’re getting computer jobs, office and business jobs.”

Many millennials are growing more interested in ensuring their food is sustainably harvested and grown, and Schwarz sees some hope in the younger generation, especially kids in grade school now. These young people seem to be more interested in where their food comes from and where it’s grown. A slightly older generation accustomed to popping open soda cans and scarfing down potato chips is giving way to a generation concerned more about nutrition and the origin of the food on the table.

“We’re getting more young students that are coming back to: where does food come

continued on page 23

But a hard cap on the number of workers allowed under the H2-B visa program threatens the seafood industry, which already has low-profit margins.

Special Feature On Training And Education

Michael Schwarz, a past president of both the US and World Aquaculture Societies, says that finding skilled workers with expertise in biosecurity, fish culture and fish hatcheries is difficult. Young people are not replacing a retiring generation of aquaculturists

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“Industries like seafood processing that are very low margin industries, where profit margins are everything –those industries can be very vulnerable,” Matthew Fannin, a professor at Louisiana State University who specializes in rural economics, told Aquaculture North America (ANA) Rural areas, especially, lack a deep labor pool. Other industries, with larger profit margins, such as construction, can absorb increased labor costs more easily, Fannin said. In contrast, many seafood businesses are family owned. “They’re not large business corporations,” Fannin said. H-2A visas apply to agricultural production workers, while H2-B visas apply to post-agricultural production workers. Only 66,000 workers can come to the US on H2-B visas, while H2-A visas aren’t capped. The workers can stay for 10 months per year in the US for three years, returning to their home country in between each stint.

“Every year, 66,000 workers can come to the US and so many industries are competing for these workers,” said Rajib Hasan, a PhD student at Louisiana State University, who is studying the H2-B visa program.

“Industries like seafood processing that are very low margin industries, where profit margins are everything – those industries can be very vulnerable.”

– Matthew Fannin, Louisiana State University

H2-B workers fill the gap when local workers can’t, and people in the seafood industry worry that 66,000 workers isn’t enough to meet demand. But raising the cap would take an act of Congress.

“Sometimes they tell you it’s hard to find employees when they need them,” Maria Bampasidou, an assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness at Louisiana State University, told ANA

Different seafood products have different seasonal needs – some require labor year-round, while others are more intermittent. Seasonal jobs often deter potential workers. “They want to find a full-time job or look for an industry that will be there next year,” Bampasidou said.

The three researchers are studying the impacts of labor policy changes on the Louisiana seafood processing and production sectors, and have been awarded a grant to do so through 2018. So far, they only have anecdotal evidence about the need for guest workers in Louisiana. They’re seeking more quantitative evidence.

They also want to find out how frequently the Louisiana seafood industry uses guest workers, and what will happen to the industry if labor shortages occur, and if wages rise. The researchers are also going to study why seafood producers and processors hire guest workers, and how much those workers cost.

Foreign guest workers provide crucial labor for Louisiana seafood producers and processors, but the federal government only issues a limited number of visas every year. The number of guest workers has reportedly been in short supply, according to the researchers.

Retaining a seafood economy doesn’t just benefit the workers; some towns’ and cities’ identities are based on seafood. New Orleans, for instance, has an economy based largely on tourism, which in turn is based on a culture rooted in seafood.

“As you slowly erode the availability of these products, it makes it difficult over time to maintain that cultural identity,” Fannin said.

— Aaron Orlowski

Where Water Drives Innovation.

Special Feature On Training And Education

continued from page 22

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Special Feature On Training And Education

from? Why do we grow it? Why is it important?” Schwarz said.

But even as interest in aquaculture grows, educational institutions haven’t caught up. Programs to train potential workers are still declining.

Educational institutions will have to change course to make aquaculture programs strong again, Schwarz said. That will require increasing grant funding or attracting new students – the two sources of stability and growth at educational institutions. But with grant funding for aquaculture limited, colleges and training programs will have to make more efforts to attract more students, Schwarz said.

TRENDS

the study authors wrote in their paper, titled “National Assessment of Aquaculture Education at Postsecondary Institutions in the United States.”

Professors that started aquaculture programs in the 1970s and 1980s are retiring, and the faculty that are replacing them are professors that do other types of science, said Jesse Trushenski, the president-elect of the American Fisheries Society.

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PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Special Feature On Training And Education

Already, foreign students are filling that gap – coming to the US for high-tech aquaculture education and training at US institutions.

Three quarters of the interns Schwarz helps place in jobs in the US come from abroad with rapidly growing aquaculture sectors, such as the Middle East, India, Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. These students then return to their home countries to help expand those aquaculture industries.

“We need this same interest from US students to help drive expansion of our domestic industry,” Schwarz said.

People are needed to fill technical jobs as extension specialists, government regulators and experts, scientists and business owners, according to a 2015 study outlining the status of aquaculture education in the US.

Compared to terrestrial agriculture and capture fisheries, aquaculture as an industry is a newer field of science, blending several scientific fields with technical skills.

Before the 1970s, few colleges or universities offered aquaculture training. Since then, many universities, vocational schools and community colleges have developed programs.

The need for aquaculture jobs rose from the 1970s to 1990s, with most early programs focused on freshwater systems, while marine systems came later. Today, emerging science fields have superseded some historically strong aquaculture programs, the study said.

A 2003 United States Department of Agriculture and National Sea Grant study found the average aquaculture extension educators were in their 50s. Now, the current coterie is in their 60s and is aging out.

“New generations of aquaculture professionals are needed to replace retiring ‘boomers’ and fill professional positions,”

Some university administrators seem to favor basic science programs, believing they’re better at securing grants and publishing papers, Trushenski told ANA Programs that once provided training in fisheries management and aquaculture now offer programs in evolutionary research or physiological ecology. Though basic research helps advance scientific knowledge, it doesn’t offer the expertise that is more often needed by state agencies and the private sector, Trushenski said.

“Public fish hatcheries and private fish farms have an increasingly tough time finding and hiring people with appropriate education and, especially, hands-on experience in raising fish and other aquatic species,” said Trushenski, who is also the supervisor of the Eagle Fish Health Laboratory in Idaho. “Sourcing talent is an ongoing challenge.”

The existing cohort of aquaculture professionals in both the public and private sectors is approaching retirement. “We are all wondering about workforce readiness and whether the next generations of aquaculturists will be adequately prepared to assume the positions vacated by the ‘old guard,’” Trushenski said.

The United States has been a leader in aquaculture research and development, if not industry growth. “Because growth of the aquaculture industry has been relatively slow in the US compared to other parts of the world, we tend to be a net exporter of aquaculture advances and talent,” Trushenski said.

To raise interest in aquaculture careers, the industry must first improve its image by educating people on ability to meet food security needs and aid in the conservation of wild aquatic species.

The demand is there. Increasingly, restaurants are advertising farm-raised fish and customers are asking for it. Seafood prices are rising, and high-intensity cultivation systems should be able to aid the industry, as well as large, turnkey systems that can produce significant volumes of seafood, Schwarz said.

“We are in an aquaculture revolution. It’s just this country is missing it,” Schwarz said.

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PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

West Coast fish farming companies address need for skills training, better living standards for workers

Demand for workers rises along with market demand for seafood

nticipating future labor shortages based on current population trends, the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) is working to increase skills training to ensure that they have the best-trained workers in the world. “It’s really a requirement in a sophisticated modern aquaculture,” BCSFA executive director, Jeremy Dunn, told Aquaculture North America (ANA)

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

“A wide range of opportunities exists for highly skilled staff in coastal locations around BC, from veterinarians, to biologists to engineers. With these opportunities come the challenge for salmon farming companies to find and retain such talent,” he said.

Special Feature On Training And Education

“Over the past 30 years, the industry has seen exponential advancements in technological innovations to bring fish from egg to plate and meet market demand. With this increase in innovation has been the demand for more highly trained and technical staff,” Dunn noted in the abstract of his presentation, West Coast perspective on aquaculture labor challenges and programs to address these gaps, at Aquaculture Canada and Cold Harvest 2016 held last September in St John’s, Newfoundland.

For solutions, they are looking at education and skills training, and employee retention and community development. Enhancing education and skills training will strengthen aquaculture as an industry with a long-term future in BC. The companies are also working with colleges and universities to promote a culture of learning among their staff.

There is a small community-focus among the companies’ activities that is First Nations-specific. “As of July 2016, BCSFA members have engaged in 20 social and economic partnerships with coastal First Nations, and are working towards

BCSFA members are working on building desirable rural communities for staff as incentive to attract and retain workers

many more. According to the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association, 78 percent of the salmon raised in the province of British Columbia is done in partnership with First Nations,” BCSFA said in a press statement.

ROBUST AQUACULTURE ENROLMENT

Interest in fisheries and aquaculture programs in the West Coast is robust, according to the Vancouver Island University (VIU).

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has over 80 students in their fisheries and aquaculture program. “Our program is fully subscribed and we have a waiting list. The interest in our program –both nationally and internationally - and the number of applicants has increased dramatically over the past few years. In terms of numbers and quality of applicants, this is our most successful year to date,” Jean McGarrigle, Communications Officer of Communications and Public Engagement, told ANA.

programs to encourage living in smaller communities and ensure that industry benefits go back to farming areas.

“Our members are working to make the communities they operate, and their staff live in, better places. Cermaq Canada is investing $75,000 (C$100,000) in to help improve recreational facilities in Campbell River, and Marine Harvest has committed $188,000 (C$250,000) to help build a new aquatic center in Port Hardy,” Dunn said.

Last year, he said two of BCSFA members were awarded a prestigious award recognizing their commitment to their employees.

Employers put emphasis on incentives and benefits. Such practices have been nationally recognized. “Our members are all very focused on ensuring they are providing fantastic places for career employment with an emphasis on having a healthy and safe workplace,” he said.

On the average, BC’s salmon farming sector provides stable year-round employment that pays 30 percent above the provincial median income.

The latest batch of graduates was practically employed even before they applied for jobs. “Last year we had more jobs than students. The range of employment opportunities is great and our graduates are well-trained, enthusiastic, diverse, professional and sought-after,” McGarrigle said.

BC’s farm-raised salmon farms contributed $825.73 million (C$1.1 billion) to the provincial economy in 2014, with produce totaling $356.57 million (C$475) million in landed value, according to Economic impact study 2014.

To address employee retention and community development, BCSFA members will work on building desirable rural communities for staff, develop

Of the 109 salmon farms, 60 to 70 are active at any given time. These provide 2,400 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect and induced fulltime jobs in six regions around coastal BC

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PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Special Feature On Training And Education

(Left to right) AVC students Adele Doucet, Tyson Hay and Kris Valerio will spend the summer working on research projects related to aquaculture health through the College’s new VetSRA program

AVC launches new program on aquaculture health research

The Atlantic Veterinary College has expanded opportunities for its students to gain valuable experience in research, including in the field of aquaculture health.

Recognizing the importance of a solid foundation in research for veterinary students, AVC has established a new program called VetSRA (veterinary student research awards). The program enhances the engagement of veterinary students in research and complements several other research-oriented opportunities for students, including the long-established NSERC-USRA (undergraduate student research awards) program.

Under the VetSRA program, students will work with faculty members on a variety of research projects, including salmon aquaculture.

Adele Doucet (Class of 2019) will work with Dr Larry Hammell, professor and AVC Associate Dean of Research, to assess the different transport media to culture Renibacterium salmoninarum, which causes BKD (bacterial kidney disease) in Atlantic salmon. Using samples taken from the kidneys of harvested fish with BKD, Doucet will investigate the optimal survival of bacteria cultured under different transport conditions.

Under the supervision of Dr Mark Fast, associate professor of fish health, Tyson Hay (Class of 2020) will participate in a study to determine whether therapeutic feeds are effective in controlling multiple infections in Atlantic salmon. He will examine therapeutic diets for salmon that have been exposed to sea lice and co-infected with ISAv, and investigate host immune responses under different conditions of use.

Working with Dr Sophie St-Hilaire, Canada Research Chair in Integrated Health Research for Sustainable Aquaculture, Kris Valerio (Class of 2020) will examine antibiotic treatment efficacy against ulcer disease in Atlantic salmon raised in net pens. Valerio will help StHilaire and her team assess treatment responses and whether certain factors were associated with success or failure. She will also work with an aquaculture company in British Columbia for several weeks.

AVC students also have other opportunities to work on research projects in terrestrial and aquatic animal health supported by faculty research programs and organizations such as NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and Merial.

Newfoundland enhances efforts to reel in future workforce

Aquaculture DIVER Training Specialists

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Recruitment and retention strategy for the aquaculture industry in the works

Based on demographic forecasts, it will become increasingly difficult for Newfoundland’s aquaculture industry to meet its labor requirements, said Keith Rideout, instructor at Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University.

Rideout presented An educator’s perspective on addressing labor market needs in the Newfoundland aquaculture industry at Aquaculture Canada and Cold Harvest 2016 in St John’s, Newfoundland.

Special Feature On Training And Education

Potential solutions, he said, include recruiting from overseas, offering competitive wage-and-benefit packages as well as ongoing training and education. Rideout said the latter has be developed in conjunction with the industry and informed by the most up-to-date labor market information available.

The Marine Institute, based in that province, is one of the industry partners of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA).

“Currently, the Newfoundland and Labrador aquaculture industry is conducting a Labor Market Study and an international Training Capacity Review in partnership with the provincial and federal governments. Ultimately, the findings of these initiatives will enable the association to develop a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan for the aquaculture industry,” NAIA Executive Director Mark Lane told Aquaculture North America (ANA)

Lane continued, “To ensure that secondary school students are aware of the wide array of career opportunities in the aquaculture industry, we continue to promote these opportunities through public outreach. We are currently developing a proposal to incorporate an aquaculture module in the formal educational curriculum of all schools in the province. As well, we are refining a program called Aquaculture in the Classroom that will educate primary, elementary and high school students about the industry and the career opportunities that exist within it.”

Lane was also at Cold Harvest, where he presented East Coast perspective on aquaculture labor challenges and initiatives to recruit and retain a skilled workforce for the future.

For post-secondary education programs, NAIA has gone into partnership with the industry and several organizations and has developed two comprehensive training programs: Technical Certificate in

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Aquaculture and Certificate in Aquaculture Management. All courses were developed from the national occupational standard validated by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) and the Canadian aquaculture industry.

In addition to the Marine Institute, NAIA’s other partners are Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“In the provision of this training today, we are investing in a skilled workforce and its leaders of the future. A skilled workforce further enables future development, expansion and growth of the aquaculture industry; providing high quality jobs to rural coastal communities and premium seafood to the world,” he said.

NL’s aquaculture industry has grown from approximately $225.2 million (C$3 million) in 1995 to a commercial industry worth more than $275 million in 2016.

The rural coastal sites of the aquaculture farms are usually not appealing for potential workers from outside of the area. Finfish farms are on the South Coast, whereas shellfish farms are primarily on the North Coast of the Island. Both areas are about 600 to 700 km from the city of St John’s.

“In some cases, the amenities for families in terms of health and recreation are limited and, thus, makes it more difficult to attract young people from outside the area,” said Lane.

But those who came indicated that they are happy with the decision to move in a rural area and the perks that go with it, such as a sense of community, natural areas, appreciation of environment and outdoor recreation opportunities, he said. Ruby Gonzalez

Credit: NAIA

Through public outreach activities, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association hopes to increase awareness of career opportunities in the industry

Special Feature On Training And Education

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Stirling celebrates its community’s diversity and graduate employability

he Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling says its reputation as a leading international centre of expertise for aquaculture research and education attracts postgraduate students from all around the world.

The Institute brings together worldclass researchers from a variety of disciplines to address the challenges faced as aquaculture grows to meet global demand. Research focuses on critical questions, such as how to develop strategies for sustainable aquaculture and aquatic food security for both rural and urban communities in the contexts of advancing technology, globalising trade and uneven economic development. Core areas of research cover breeding, genetic selection and genomics, health and welfare nutrition, production systems, environments, markets, and social and economic impacts in aquatic animals.

$12.5 million (£10 million). The Institute is set in 300 acres at the foot of the Ochil Hills. In addition to extensive on-campus facilities, the Institute has separate off-site large-scale freshwater and marine research systems on the west coast of Scotland, and collaborates extensively with other research organisations in the UK, Europe, and globally.

and communication skills that are highly valued by employers. The aim is to help all students to realise their full potential and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise need to succeed in their chosen career path.

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Edwards,

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Special Feature On Training And Education

The Institute has grown steadily since its formation in 1971 and now has over 180 staff and postgraduate students and an annual operating budget of approximately

There are around 90 postgraduate students at any time coming from all over the world, divided approximately equally between one-year taught Masters programmes and four-years research-based Doctoral studies; creating a vibrant and multicultural environment. The Institute also runs undergraduate programmes in Aquaculture and Marine Biology and offers short continuing professional development courses for people wishing to extend their knowledge in specialist areas.

Studying aquaculture at the University of Stirling can be challenging, but also great fun as programmes are intensive and engaging with plenty of collaborative exercises that help consolidate knowledge, build confidence and foster interpersonal

Study Aquaculture/Fisheries with us

The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) provides undergraduate and graduate students with research experience and hands on fish culture experience at facilities on-campus and in the heart of the Idaho aquaculture industry.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries with an Aquaculture minor is offered through the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences in the College of Natural Resources.

As a University, Stirling is positioned 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for graduate employability, with 97 percent of students in work or further study within six months of graduating.

shows a group of students from the

Stirling’s MSc Sustainable Aquaculture the

used in the Ortac Oyster Farming

Institute of Aquaculture has over 180 staff and postgraduate students from multicultural backgrounds

Throughout the taught programmes there are many opportunities to visit the local industry and meet professionals involved in a wide range of commercial and regulatory roles. Many MSc students undertake their three-month research project either with or in partnership with an aquaculture leading sector company, sometimes overseas.

Taught programmes include an MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture, which aims to give a broad introduction to

For more information for Aquaculture Programs at UI, go to www.uidaho.edu/aquaculture; or contact director Ronald Hardy, rhardy@uidaho.edu, 208-837-9096, ext. 1105, or associate director Kenneth Cain, kcain@uidaho.edu. 208-885-7608.

Location: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Research and Education campus in East Boothbay, ME

For: Graduate students, faculty members, industry aquaculturists, biotech professionals

Culturing

Algal Biotechnology

Dates: May 17-19, 2017 Topics covered: Scaling up the production chain, ‘mass scale sterile technique’ including filter sterilization and much more Fee for each workshop: $1,500, and includes tuition, materials, lodging, meals, coffee and lunch every day, course certification.

the principles of aquaculture and what drives the viability of aquatic production systems, including environment, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, disease, engineering and economics; MSc programmes in Aquatic Veterinary Studies and Aquatic Pathobiology with the former specifically aimed at students with a veterinary science qualification and the latter for those with other biological backgrounds who are looking to develop specialist expertise in aquatic animal diseases.

Hands-on learning at BTC

Bellingham Technical

Bellingham, Washington State blends science with hands-on learning in the lab and in the field to give its Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences students a strong foundation for future

Much of this learning takes place at BTC’s Perry Center for Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences, located in downtown Bellingham’s Maritime Heritage Park. Completed in 2013, the two-story, 8,000-square-foot building was designed and constructed to LEED silver standard for energy efficiency. It features specialized classrooms, wet and dry labs, a shellfish laboratory, student equipment lockers and interpretive hatchery displays for public viewing.

BTC’s Fisheries program operates a hatchery at nearby Whatcom Creek, allowing students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom and the lab to the real world. The facility’s location gives students access to the outdoors and an opportunity to see first-hand a variety of habitats, whether it’s fish in their life cycle in local creeks or thriving shellfish farms along Bellingham Bay.

Graduates of the two-year Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences Associate of Applied Science program are trained for careers as fish hatchery specialists, fish culturists, fisheries technicians, net pen workers, shellfish hatchery workers, scientific aides, water quality technicians, or habitat restoration specialists.

BTC also offers a Fisheries & Aquatic Science Associate of Applied ScienceTransfer degree that allows program graduates to transfer to Western Washington University to earn their bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Geography. For more information contact BTC’s Admissions department at 360.752.8345 or admissions@btc.edu.

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Technical Sales Engineer at Fusion Marine,

University of

HDPE baskets

system. Stirling’s

BTC blends science with hands-on learning in the lab and in the field

Diverse offerings at SUNY Cobleskill

UNY Cobleskill is a fisheries and aquaculture institution in Upstate New York. For more than 100 years, it has set the standard in hands-on education; its new applied learning requirement gives students the kind of real-world experience that employers look for.

Students in the Bachelor of Technology in Fisheries and Aquaculture degree program study, research, and work in the school’s cold-water, cool-water, and warm-water indoor hatcheries, endangered species hatchery, and outdoor experimental ponds. They work with partners like the Department of Environmental Conservation for internships and undergraduate research projects, producing tangible environmental benefits such as stream restoration, endangered species restoration, and aquaculture production.

Brent Lehman (third from left), manager of SUNY Cobleskill’s new indoor RAS Cold-water hatchery, shows charr’s characteristics to student Quinn Buckley, while two other students, Kim Aney and Nick Winter, sort trout. The school’s new applied learning requirement gives students the kind of real-world experience that employers look for

Each year, students take their work to state and national meetings of the American Fisheries Society and the World Aquaculture Society. They gain a global perspective with study-abroad opportunities in Peru, Panama, South Africa, and the Galapagos Islands.

SUNY Cobleskill says its Fisheries and Aquaculture graduates have an outstanding success rate in finding jobs and attending graduate school.

Courses include: Fisheries Management, Fish Hatchery Management, Aquaculture Engineering, Production Aquaculture, Fisheries Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, Fisheries Research, Pond Management, Marine Ecology Learn more at cobleskill.edu.

Students of Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture surveying the Salmon River located only steps away from the campus

Four-year undergrad degree in aquaculture unique in Canada

alhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture in Truro, Nova Scotia says its fouryear undergraduate degree in aquaculture is the only one of its kind in Canada. It gives students a comprehensive learning experience tackling one of the most important issues facing our world. “Our program equips students with job-ready skills where they interact with a broad range of aquatic species almost every day,” Dalhousie says.

“Students who enroll in this program make a difference in the future of our oceans and the future of our food by receiving practical experience integrated with classroom learning in subjects like Fish Health, Aquatic Ecology and Aquacultural Systems Technology. Graduates leave with a world-class education that is in high demand by a global network of employers.”

Diver training

t DiveSafe International, headquartered in Campbell River, BC the focus is first on safety, but the company says it also feels a responsibility to support its students in finding employment after graduation.

The company notes that the aquaculture industry is “a great place for our graduates to get good paying fulltime dive employment, so... we have always incorporated the needs of aquaculture divers into our courses.”

Divesafe adds that all working divers in Canada are required to train to the current CSA Commercial Dive regulations. This allows for certification with DCBC (Diver Certification Board of Canada).

“However,” notes the company, “we don’t stop there... we know what the aquaculture industry needs in a diver and do extra training in rigging, net mending, nitrox dives and more. We focus on dive safety and dive accident management. We even invite dive companies to meet our grads and talk about the industry. So...if you are looking for some in-house dive training or contracting out your dive work and need training or have questions... give us a call.”

For dive audits or if you have a question about your company and the dive regulations call owner Kelly Korol at 250-287-3837 or by email at kelly@divesafe.com. www.divesafe.com

Divesafe student ready to take the plunge

Maine Aquaculture Business Incubators

We o er:

• Extensive technical support with access to juveniles and seed

• Academic partnerships with the University of Maine

• Entrepreneurial training & business counseling

• RAS and ow-thru culture facilities from 50-1000 sq meters

• State-of-the-art culture systems

• Business support facilities and networking opportunities

Advancing aquaculture workforce development

AWe provide entrepreneurs and business startups professional support and excellent facilities to develop their aquaculture ideas.

• Assistance in grant writing and identifying funding opportunities

• Plus exceptionally high quality sources of water!

For more information, contact: Chris Davis, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center 193 Clarks Cove Road, Walpole, ME 04573 Phone: (207) 832-1075, cdavis@midcoast.com

and

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

quaculture is currently the fastest growing food production system in the world. Although the global aquaculture industry is increasing in size and production, the industry is lacking in educated and experienced individuals to support that growth. Availablility of a skilled aquaculture workforce is becoming a major impediment for industry advancement.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has a robust workforce development program that utilizes two state-of-theart research facilities for aquaculture and aquaponics to train and advance the industry. These facilities include the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and the UWSP Aquaponics Innovation Center. These aqua-business education courses and research facilities incorporate key concepts for educating future workforce, including hands-on experience and applied learning.Through industry-applied research projects, students work alongside expert staff to raise a variety of species at all life stages in various systems. This distinctive opportunity is achieved through internships and technician positions to create a skillset that is very much in demand in the industry. It is no wonder that UW-Stevens Point has a very high job placement rating of over 90 percent.

UW-Stevens Point technicians and interns working with Atlantic salmon broodstock alongside private industry partner, Riverence, LLC at UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Internships and technician positions at aquaculture companies help create a skillset that is very much in demand in the industry

first commercial-scale indoor Atlantic salmon RAS facility in the US. “UWStevens Point guided me towards the exciting new industry by providing me unique opportunities to learn about aquaculture,” says Gottsacker. He and his team have directly partnered with the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility for technical assistance, demonstration and coldwater species expertise to advance their facility and operations.

The success of this program is currently highlighted through UW-Stevens Point graduate, Brandon Gottsacker, who is now the COO of Superior Fresh, the

“I can be confident in hiring the students that attended UWSP by understanding the rigorous curriculum in biology, fisheries and aquaculture. The UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility has provided opportunities most students wouldn’t get otherwise.”

For more information on UW-Stevens Point Aquaculture or Aquaponics education visit aquaculture.uwsp.edu.

Aquaculture technician training project bags funding

The British Columbia government and North Island College (NIC) on Victoria Island, BC, have partnered on a new $450,000 (C$600,000) project that will boost aquaculture in the province by providing training to future aquaculture technicians.

The three-year project will train up to 40 students at NIC’s campus in Campbell River, BC. The project includes the development of advanced levels of aquaculture technician training; different training delivery models; prior learning and skills assessment/recognition model; and a marketing strategy to promote aquaculture careers to First Nations, high school students and local job seekers.

BC is funding a training program that will boost aquaculture in the province and help residents become aquaculture technicians

In addition to in-person instruction, NIC is also working to create materials to deliver the training online to students. Materials that will assess the knowledge of individuals already working in the aquaculture industry are also being developed to help support their career development.

The project started in February this year and is expected to finish in spring 2020.

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

Program’s novelty rooted in ‘real life’ operation of salmonid hatchery

Located at Fleming College’s Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ontario, the Aquaculture post-graduate certificate program includes interactive and hands-on learning opportunities in an oncampus cold-water hatchery.

Food production/commercial applications using rainbow trout are coupled with a restoration focus, which includes Atlantic salmon and muskellunge stocking.

Fleming College believes the novelty of the program is rooted in the “real life” operation and maintenance of its own salmonid hatchery. Apart from theory-based lectures, students learn and eventually direct daily husbandry, operation and mechanical systems upkeep in the onsite fish hatchery.

Field trips to diverse private industry operations encompass various commercially produced species, and additional off-site experiences include visits to provincial government facilities and communitybased operations. During the first semester students participate in a week-long trip to the Manitoulin Island area where they experience what a typical work day is like in the life of a fish farmer.

Course delivery highlights fish husbandry, biology, mechanical systems, safety, and supervisory training. Modern trends in the aquaculture industry are explored and students must design, budget and build their own mock aquaculture facility.

The final semester in the program consists of an eight-week co-op experience

at an aquaculture related operation of the student’s choice.

Industry response to this program has been excellent and is evidenced by our job placement rate. Multiple industry partners from across Canada visit the campus for interviews every year and are instrumental in the development and design of curriculum, ensuring the program remains current with industry needs.

Program staff have wide-ranging backgrounds, including research, hatchery and net-pen operations in commercial and restoration capacities.

“I’m extremely happy with my choice in completing the Aquaculture program at Fleming College. It prepared me with the knowledge necessary to excel in the workforce immediately. Without the program I would not be where I am today. I highly recommend it to anyone who is passionate about Aquaculture,” said Scott Stangret, a graduate of the class of 2016.

“Taking the Aquaculture course at Fleming has opened my world to many new and exciting opportunities. I learned the fundamentals of aquaculture in the classroom but the learning never stops in this industry. I continue to learn every day and will have a bright future working almost anywhere I want in this booming industry,” said Aaron Denomme, also a 2016 graduate.

For more information visit https:// flemingcollege.ca/programs/aquaculture or email jon.carter@flemingcollege.ca

Aquaculture Program graduate class of 2015 Patrick Pugliese (at right), with a fellow student, measuring the flow rate on an advanced rearing tank at the hatchery

iPad learning takes aquaculture education off-the-grid

BY TOM WALKER

DPROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

istance learning has come a long way from the days of the dreaded correspondence course arriving in the mail. Today, a distanceeducation student can view from anywhere a lecture in real time, or download a recorded version for later. They can discuss via the FaceTime app with a study group, or view a video of a field trip. A math problem can be held up to the camera and the instructor can tell the student where they went wrong.

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WE MAKE AQUACULTURE PROGRESS

Our innovative drive is based on the aquaculture industry’s needs to produce safe and healthy seafood

But what if you don’t have an internet connection? That is one big question that faced Dr Reid Brewer, Associate Professor and Program Director of the Fisheries Technology (Fish Tech) program at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS).

Brewer recounts that when he was doing research work with fishermen as part of his PhD with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. “Alaska has some of the most remote living and working situations on the planet,” he said. Fishermen often raised concerns that education wasn’t something they didn’t have time to do right now.

“I saw that we were missing a huge group of potential students and tried to figure out a ways for fishermen to get university coursework when they were at sea,” says Brewer. The solution? Take the learning to the student on an Apple iPad.

“When I moved over to UAS, all of the Fish Tech coursework being offered was distance delivery and require a significant amount of bandwidth on the part of the students,” says Brewer. “About two years ago we got a Department of Labor grant to find innovative ways to reach out to nontraditional students. We started building the program.”

Brewer says they began by specifically identifying the learning objectives they wanted the students to master. “If someone is applying for a hatchery job, we can list all the competencies that they have gained after taking the course.”

The idea is that the student can log into the iPad — without needing internet connection — and begin watching course content saved in the iPad. “But besides just having the instructor waving his hands in the corner explaining about eggs’ stages of development in a hatchery, we have a video that walks you through the hatchery and explains what is going on,” says Brewer. “Instead of telling you about Bristol Bay salmon runs we have Go Pro footage and voice over. It gives you the feeling that you are there.”

The courses also use iBooks and Pages writing applications, both products from Apple, and pdf files for readings. There are periodic reviews and self-check activities. “The student controls their learning pace and decides when to stop and go,” says Brewer. “Students can go back and review any of the learning outcomes as many times as they need to.”

When the student is ready, they use the ExamSoft application to take tests that are also loaded on the iPads. When students are taking exams, the Guided Access feature of the iPads locks the course content until the student is done taking their exam. Once a student is done, they save and close the exam, their results are saved to the iPad and the next time they have internet access, the exam is uploaded for Brewer to grade and give feedback.

“Student reviews for these classes are off the charts,” says Brewer.

PROGRAM EXPANDS REACH

The program now has seven classes on the iPad, all developed in-house. “We’ve looked for somebody to help us, so we don’t re-invent the wheel, but we haven’t really found anybody else that is doing stuff offline in fisheries,” says Brewer.

While the initial grant was for serving students in Alaska, Brewer says this semester they have 65 iPads out of state to students in California, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and the east coast.

“We have working single parents interested in getting a degree, and we have deployed servicemen that are thinking about a career change,” says Brewer. “We are wondering about second-chance programs for inmates, because, of course, they are not allowed access to the internet.”

CLASSES STREAMING ONLINE

Brewer says the lessons are available online as well. “They are streamed on the web and I now have high school students in dual enrollment for both high school

Photo credit: Michael Mausbach

UAS Fish Tech student Michelle Parke taking Alaska Salmon Culture II course on an Apple iPad. Without needing internet connection, students can watch course content saved in the iPad

continued from page 32

and college credit,” says Brewer. All a high school teacher needs to do is start a lecture and voila, an instructor appears. Brewer says, “These classes might be a great opportunity for someone looking for professional development. Our instructors are top notch and the content is fun and engaging.”

PROSPECTS IN AQUACULTURE

For Brewer, there’s more exciting developments to come. “One of the fun things we are testing out this summer is an iPad case with a solar panel on it. A student could take a three-credit college course on the side of a hill, waiting for the helicopter to come and pick them up,” he says.

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“I would say 80 to 90 percent of the students couldn’t take these classes in a traditional sense even in distance delivery. Thirty-percent are working in remote hatcheries and they are taking classes in the middle of nowhere,” says Brewer.

Regardless whether students are taking courses for dual enrollment in high school, professional development while working at a remote hatchery, or just interested about learning more about fish, the UAS Fish Tech program has set out some pretty good bait.

Toronto farm teaches aquaponics to businesses and hobbyists

ounders of a recirculating aquaculture, hatchery, fish and aquaponics farm in Whitby just outside Toronto, Ontario are so confident in the future of aquaculture and aquaponics thus they have extended the farm’s training and education program into an on-line course with world renowned international experts.

Jason Oziel and his wife Tamar founded Noa Fisheries in 2010 and since then have held 13 three-day onsite courses across Canada for up to about 60 people at a time. Topics include developing aquaponics, plant and fish husbandry, tilapia breeding to harvest, bioreactor technology, biochar use in aquaponics, and agro ecology, for various products.

Oziel indicates he and his wife take some pride in the extensive list of fish farming experts from a broad range of colleges, universities and research institutions they’ve been able to involve in the program such as Dr Nick Savidov and John Derksen of Lethbridge College.

More recently they began offering the program as an online course to encourage the development of the aquaponics and RAS aquaculture worldwide. With online education, people can learn on their own time and access it at a considerably reduced price of $370 (C$499), compared with $665 (C$899) for the on-site course, which includes and meals and refreshments.

Many who are serious about starting an aquaponics business need to take the course more than once, because it is so information intensive, says Oziel. Offering the course online gives people the opportunity to review the information over time rather than just three days, where they often cannot retain all of the information.

Over 50 students attended Noa Fisheries’ Day Aquaponics Course held at the farm in August 2016

Ontario’s sometimes extremely chilly or very hot climate. These species range from warm-water species such as tilapia to rainbow trout, brook trout, Arctic charr and many others.

The operations of Noa Fisheries is housed in a 10,000-sq-ft barn, which is divided into four rooms or units, one each for the charr and tilapia, the aquaponics or plant side, and the training program in the conference centre.

Oziel says Noa’s training program follows the operation’s work to produce organic quality fingerings without inbreeding and to keep the growing fish happy and healthy, whatever the size of the endeavor – whether it’s just a hobby form or a complete large-scale unit for the commercial market.

“Fresh, sustainable and locally grown [produce] is trendy these days,” said Oziel. “People want to know where their food comes from.”

P.O. Box 86656, North Vancouver, BC, Canada Tel: (604) 985-3032 • Fax: (604) 985-0602 taplow@firstmate.com • www.taplow.com

The couple meanwhile is also working officials from Cornell University in developing an entirely new online course — looking at everything from hatcheries to RAS systems. The course is being designed to cover any fish species that can be bred, grown and developed in

Oziel believes on-land and probably water-recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics will produce much of the consumers’ seafood in the future because so much of the world’s population live well away from the ocean and the ocean’s supply cannot meet the growing population’s demand. He does not see a shift, however, in other parts of the world where ocean cage farming is happening. He says this type of production will continue in the ocean. For more information visit: www. noafisheries.ca

– Quentin Dodd

Hatchery International

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BC farmed salmon exports reach new record

ritish Columbia’s farmed salmon exports reached a new record in terms of value and volume in 2016, with $409.4 million (C$544.2 million) in value and 55.7 million kilograms in volume exported worldwide, said the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), citing data from Statistics Canada CATSNET Analytics.

Exports to the United States — BC’s leading market for its farmed salmon — remained stable at 50,000 tonnes, but robust salmon prices boosted those exports by 25 percent in terms of value.

Exports to Asia reached $27.8 million (C$37 million). In volume terms, exports to the region totaled 4,738,187 kilograms, up 40 percent from 2015.

While China and Japan continue to be the top two Asian destinations for exports, South Korea has emerged as a key growth market, BCSFA noted. Over 82,000 kilograms were exported to South Korea in 2016, thanks to the Canada-Korea Free

Trade Agreement implemented in 2015. Prior to this, there were no exports to South Korea, said the association.

“The value of BC farm-raised salmon has never been higher, and that value is being reinvested in the industry with salmon producers building new hatcheries and processing plants upgrading marine farms with the latest technology, building new working vessels, investing in skills training and scientific research, supporting local community projects, and certifying farms to the most stringent third-party environmental standards available, ” said Jeremy Dunn, executive director of BCSFA.

Overall Canadian exports of farmraised salmon totaled more than $950 million. The total value of Canadian farmraised seafood exports reached $1 billion.

BC accounts for 58 percent of all Canadian exports of farm-raised salmon.

Credit: The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island

Students at The Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island in BC hold fresh salmon grown by local farmers. BC’s farmed salmon exports reached a new record in 2016

S4000 nursery trays

S1000 oyster trays

BY ERICH LUENING

Success of algae nutrient may turn producer’s fortunes around

Algae nutrient producer TerraVia (NASDAQ: TVIA) reported a roughly 65- percent drop in revenue from $10 million in 2015 to $3.4 million in 2016, which met analyst expectations. However, the success of AlgaPrime DHA in the aquaculture market expanded its commercial distribution network, a sign the company’s transition last year from chemical and industrial products may be paying off.

Feed ingredient AlgaPrime DHA. The algae-based feed producer has signed up more commercial distributors

Last year will surely go down as a significant turning point in the company’s trajectory, which for better or worse, depends on what happens next, according to Max Chatsco, a writer for TheMotleyFool, financial news website.

The company pivoted from lower-value bulk chemicals and industrial products that had been the focus of the company since its inception a decade ago and onto highervalue food, feed, and specialty ingredients.

“The microalgae pioneer should be able to make a nearly immediate impact in aquaculture with its innovative fish-feed product, AlgaPrime DHA, as evidenced by an expanded distribution agreement with leading aquaculture company BioMarch,” wrote Chatsco.

Another indication of the switch last year was manifested in the company’s research and development revenues, which were reported to have increased 17.2 percent to $15 million last year over $12.8 million in 2015.

GM salmon producer expects a better 2017

The aquaculture biotechnology firm AquaBounty (NASDAQ: AQB), producer of the AquAdvantage genetically modified salmon, saw greater losses in 2016 than the previous year, but executives expect 2017 will be better.

In a financial statement released in March, the company, a majority-owned subsidiary of Intrexon Corp (NYSE: XON), reported funding benchmarks for the year. In February 2016, AquaBounty obtained an unsecured, convertible bridge loan of $10 million from Intrexon to cover the company’s immediate working capital requirements.

“We achieved a major milestone in receiving regulatory approval from Health Canada, making it the second major regulatory organization, alongside the FDA, to approve the production, sale, and consumption of our AquAdvantage salmon,” said Ronald Stotish, CEO. “We also took steps towards progressing our commercial

Investor searches for innovative fish-feed tech start-ups

Aquaculture investor David Tze, founder of Aquacopia Ventures, has launched a new fund targeting fish feed technology developers and start-ups.

The Tze Venture Search Fund for Aquaculture Technology will focus on aquaculture feed technology development.

“The important thing to understand about a search fund is that it transitions from an investment effort to, in essence, a company with investors.”

— David Tze

“The important thing to understand about a search fund is that it transitions from an investment effort to, in essence, a company with investors,” the New York-based fund founder told Aquaculture North America (ANA) “In even one or two years, that transition should be accomplished, in that the fund will have become the major investor in a single aquaculture technology company and I will be in a full-time role on the management team of that company.”

Tze’s new search fund will focus on innovation in the aquafeed ingredients sub-sector, seeking a single aquaculture technology to acquire, operate, and grow.

Q2 net income up 5 percent for feed-additive maker

American aquaculture medicine and feed additive maker Phibro Animal Health Corp (NASDAQ: PAHC) reported a 5-percent increase in net income in the second quarter (Q2) and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, and debt (EBITDA) increase of 10 percent, or $31 million, $3 million more than the previous year.

The results, reported in February, marks the third consecutive positive quarter for the company.

Phibro has been in the aquaculture business for years, launching its Phibro Aquaculture Business Unit in 2014, with the acquisition of AquaVet. It also has several facilities that focus purely on aquaculture medicine and feed additives.

After significant winnowing, Tze said he is evaluating four alternative proteins for aquaculture feeds. While he has not publicly identified them, the pool of ingredient technology prospects includes genetics, primary nutrient production, and value-added processing. One is a distressed patent portfolio, two are companies, and one is a solo inventor.

“We are very pleased with our Q2 performance, as we resumed delivering double-digit growth in Adjusted EBITDA,” said Jack Bendheim, Phibro’s chairman, president and CEO.  “Our core Animal Health segment grew revenue 2 percent, and I want to especially recognize our US Animal Health business, which delivered both top line and bottom line growth in a quarter where our industry prepared to fully align itself with the voluntary removal of production claims on medically important antibacterials.”

Three products the company makes for the aquaculture market are Terramycin, an antibiotic, and feed additives PAQ-Gro, and AB-20.

Market analyst Vince Martin, of Seeking Alpha, said “the company’s strength in vaccines and nutritional specialties have offset some of the pressure, and continuing margin improvement has helped profits as well.”

AquAdvantage salmon juveniles. AquaBounty executives expects 2017 to be a better year for the company

plan by purchasing a salmon hatchery site in Canada for broodstock expansion and egg production. We now eagerly look forward to working to bring our nutritious, safe, and more sustainably produced salmon to consumers.”

Marine Harvest’s cost of battling sea lice up roughly 33 percent

Marine Harvest (NYSE: MHG) reported an all-time-high of $743 million (€700 million) in operational earnings before interest taxes (ebit) in 2016, mainly due to high salmon process, but the costs of fighting sea lice across its global operations was also up.

The company said “…the exceptional cost related to sea lice mitigation amounted to $84.1 million (€78.5 million) in 2016, compared to $63.4 million (€59.2m) in 2015, an increase of 32.5 percent,” in Norway alone.

“Sea lice remain our number one challenge, and as such will continue to be our top R&D priority for the foreseeable future. Uncontrolled, sea lice impact fish welfare, survival and growth. However, it has become apparent that sea lice numbers can be brought under control through increased use of non-medicinal treatment methods. Although we still have a way to go, we increased our use of non-medicinal tools in 2016 and expect to reap the benefits of our efforts going forward,” the company said in its 2016 annual report.

The Tze Venture Search Fund for Aquaculture Technology will focus on aquaculture feed technology development

Through trials, the BirdAway system showed effective coverage over 5 to 7 acres

System drives away birds from fish farming sites

The OysterGro BirdAway system effectively drives away birds from fish farming sites without the downsides experienced in the use of other technologies aimed at scaring birds away, according to the manufacturer, the BBI Group.

“The kite-inspired system was developed in response to a number of customer requests for a solution for their seabird site issues,” said Steen Gunderson, OysterGro vicepresident. “Over several months we evaluated a number of existing bird-scaring products and techniques, which included air canons, predator calls, spiked landing areas and even drone technology. They all worked to a point but had major drawbacks, such as noise nuisance to the local community, cost, and not being robust enough for the environment in which the where utilized.”

He said the company set out to find a cost-effective, noise-free, rugged system that was relatively simple but effective. “This brought us to review kite technology. We evaluated successful products in the agricultural sector and engineered a stable durable system that could stand up to the varied harsh coastal environments for our customers at their aquaculture farming sites,” Gunderson said.

The company launched the BirdAway system in the summer of 2016. “We put the BirdAway through its paces on a number of sites across Atlantic Canada and we are happy to report that our clients have seen a drastic reduction in bird activity on each of the trial sites,” he added.

The system works 24/7, is self-launching, and will function in wind conditions as low as 1.5 mph. The full system price, which includes the floating platform, is $495.

Credit: OysterGro

Acquisition to boost growth of Taylor Shellfish

aylor Shellfish Farms has purchased Ekone Oyster Co (EOC), an oyster farm and producer of oyster and seafood products in Washington State.

TThe purchase includes the farm’s property and equipment, nursery and processing facilities, smokehouse, and 350 acres of tidelands on Willapa Bay.

Taylor spokesperson Bill Dewey said EOC produces live in-shell oysters and fresh shucked oysters and is highly regarded for the quality of its array of smoked fish and shellfish.

He confirmed that Taylor intends to continue the Ekone brand, products and services. EOC Founders Nick and Joanne Jambor will continue to oversee the business and employees in the coming months, to ensure a smooth transition.

Full terms of the sale were not disclosed when the purchase was announced in February. Taylor CEO, Bill Taylor acknowledged that the purchase will allow

Taylor Shellfish to benefit from increased production.

Dewey said there is no additional hatchery involved in the new purchase, but the nursery or settle-out facilities will add to the juvenile-production operations Taylor already has at Quilcene in Washington State, at Kona in Hawaii, and in Humboldt Bay in California.

The Jambors founded EOC in 1982, initially producing and selling smoked oysters. Their products and production expanded over the years.

“We are very proud of the company and the team that has been built over the years,” Nick Jambor said in a statement. “As Joanne and I come closer to retirement, we wanted to find a way to ensure a transition for the business that supports our team and continues to operate the business consistent with our values.”

– Quentin Dodd

Recruiting in 2017?

Contact Jeremy Thain to arrange your booking jeremy@capamara.com

Oysters from Ekone Oyster Co. The Washington State company was purchased by Taylor Shellfish Farms in early this year

Credit: Ekone Oyster Co

Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems designs sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), offering economic and production benefits including, biosecurity, scalable operations, excellent water quality and contaminant-free products. In addition, our RAS are also environmentally sustainable with a small water requirement and space footprint. For design consultation and services for your RAS project – ASK US!

Hoopers Island to distribute OysterGro system

aryland-based Hoopers Island Oyster Aquaculture Company has been named the exclusive distributor of OysterGro turnkey aquaculture systems in Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island and Virginia.

The agreement allows Hoopers Island’s equipment division to promote and sell OysterGro’s products to oyster farmers in the four states who are looking to enter the aquaculture industry or grow their existing operations, says the BBI Group, the manufacturer of OysterGro.

The OysterGro system features compact wire mesh housing with two specially designed floats that provide a versatile environment for the growth, cleaning, sorting, protection and survival of oysters in an farming environment.

(L to R) Hoopers Island Oyster Aquaculture president Rickey Fitzhugh; OysterGro vice-president Steen Gunderson, and Hoopers Island vicepresident Johnny Shockley at the signing of the distribution deal at the 2017 Oyster South Symposium at Auburn University

“Over the past five years, Hoopers Island has pioneered on-the-bottom cages and aquaculture equipment used by hundreds of oyster growers in North American and as far as Japan,” said Hoopers Island vicepresident Johnny Shockley. “Adding OysterGro’s floating-on-the-surface cages allows us to broaden our equipment line-up and offer a wider selection of products best suited for the marine environment of our customers’ farming operations.” OysterGro is based in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Canada.

The Bravo II will serve fish farms that need net cleaning services on-site

Service firm launches new net-washing boat

adinotti Net Services Canada has launched a new boat that it says will enhance its on-site netwashing services in fish farms.

According to Badinotti, the Bravo II vessel is the result of two years of research and planning based on Badinotti Net Services’ roughly three years of experience with on-site washing operations. Armstrong Marine built the vessel.

“We were looking to custom build a boat for on-site washing that would maximize the efficiencies for the machinery, equipment and crews. We selected a Catamaran design to create a stable safe working platform for the crews and machinery including a crane, as most of the hours of operation occur

at the farm sites as opposed to travelling between or to sites,” said the company.

Badinotti has net washing services in Campbell River, and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Since 2011, fish farming operations in BC have been moving away from using antifouling copper-based paints as a protective agent for nets. This change in operation protocols and environmental regulations has opened up market opportunities to serve the needs of fish farmers. While some farm companies are washing their own nets in-house, Badinotti believes there is a need for its services, thus it opened an On Site Net Washing department over three years ago.

Credit: Hoopers Island Oyster Aquaculture

Credit: Badinotti Net Services

EVENTS

MAY

AUGUST

World Aquaculture

2017

Sustainable Aquaculture New Frontiers for Economic Growth Spotlight on Africa

June 26-30, 2017

Cape Town International Convention Centre Cape Town, South Africa

The Annual International Conference & Exposition of World Aquaculture Society

Hosted by Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of South Africa

Associate Sponsors Aquaculture Engineering Society

International Association of Aquaculture Economics & Management WorldFish

For More Information Contact: Conference Manager

P.O. Box 2302 | Valley Center, CA 92082 USA

Tel: +1.760.751.5005 | Fax: +1.760.751.5003

Email: worldaqua@aol.com | www.was.org

ASIAN-PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2017

Transforming For Market Needs

Putra World Trade Centre

July 24-27, 2017 • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hosted by: Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture & Agro-Based Industries, Malaysia

May 20- 24, International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine, Cancun, Mexico. www.iaaam.org

May 28-31, Aquaculture Canada and Sea Farmers Conference and Tradeshow 2017, Halifax, NS, www.aquacultureassociation.ca

JUNE

June 5-7, SeaWeb Seafood Summit, Seattle, WA, www.seafoodsummit.org

June 6-8, National Aquaculture Extension Conference, Boise, Idaho

June 12 & 13, BC Seafood Expo Comox, BC, Canada www.bcseafoodexpo.com

June 26-30, World Aquaculture 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, www.was.org

JULY

July 12-16, Annual Larval Fish Conference, Austin, Texas

July 16-20, World Recreational Fishing Conference, Victoria, BC, Canada, www.wrfc8.com

July 24-27, Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2017, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.was.org

For More Information Contact: Conference Manager

P.O. Box 2302 | Valley Center, CA 92082 USA

Tel: +1.760.751.5005 | Fax: +1.760.751.5003

Email: worldaqua@aol.com | www.was.org

August 15-18, AquaNor, Trondheim, Norway, www.aqua-nor.no

Aug 20-24, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Tampa, Florida www.fisheries.org

SEPTEMBER

September 18-21, PCSGA Annual Conference and Tradeshow, Welches, OR, www.pcsga.org

OCTOBER

October 3-6, GOAL 2017, Dublin, Ireland, www.gaalliance.org

October 17-21, Aquaculture Europe 2017, Dubrovnik, Croatia, www.easonline.org

NOVEMBER

November 14 – 17, Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2017, Mazatlan, Mexico

November 29-30, Aquaculture Innovation Workshop, Vancouver, BC, www.conservationfund.org

DECEMBER

December 5-7, 68th Annual Northwest Fish Culture Concepts, Redding, CA, https://s01.123signup.com/ home?Org=NFCC

T Aquaculture feed producers collaborate on nutrition solutions

wo leading aquaculture feed producers have agreed to share expertise and technology with each other to develop smarter, more sustainable nutrition solutions for aquaculture.

Coppens International, the Dutch aquatic feed producer acquired by Alltech in 2016, will be collaborating with Guabi, a leading fish feed producer in Brazil. They will share information on formulations, manufacturing techniques, and raw material and ingredient utilisation.

Cold Harvest 2017

Aerial shot of Guabi’s facility in Brazil. The 43year veteran in the animal feed business will work with Alltech-owned Coppens International in finding nutrition solutions for the aquaculture industry

Guabi has a particular expertise in extruded feeds and unique solutions for a wide variety of aquaculture species, from shrimp to native South America freshwater fish, said Alltech. Coppens meanwhile specialises in nutrition for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), in addition to a range of feeds incorporating Alltech’s sustainable alternatives to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals.

“The opportunities between Coppens, Guabi and Alltech are exciting,” said Paulo Rigolin, strategic director for Alltech, who worked on the collaboration between the two firms. “You have leaders in two different regions — Latin America and Europe — combining technology and expertise from more than 20 years of working in aquaculture.”

Guabi and Coppens have already begun discussing new opportunities, and it is expected that algae technology will be a significant focus, said Alltech. The company owns one of the world’s largest commercial algae production sites in Kentucky, USA.

Aquaculture: An Ocean of Potential

Newfoundland and Labrador is regarded by many as Canada’s aquaculture growth centre. The world is watching. There is a global focus on our potential for the future. On behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador aquaculture industry, we invite you to join us for our 24th Annual Cold Harvest Conference and Trade Show; full of exciting and informative discussions related to aquaculture and its potential in our province. With world class keynote speakers and guests, sessions and panel discussions related to aquaculture innovation, technology, human resources and consumer trends, this event should not be missed.

To register, exhibit, sponsor the event or for more information, please contact: Roberta Collier at 709-538-3454 or roberta@naia.ca

at www.naia.ca

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

BC Seafood Expo and BC Shellfish & Seafood Festival

June 9-18, 2017 Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Significant Trade Expo Program for BC Seafood Expo

Dynamic speakers, tradeshows and industry tours

The Pacific North West seafood and aquaculture industry continues to demonstrate tremendous growth and the BC Seafood Expo, being held June 12 and 13 in the Comox Valley, British Columbia, during BC Seafood Month, will bring together renowned speakers, exhibitors and leaders across the sector to explore challenges & opportunities for continued growth and industry expansion.

Dr. Myron Roth, BC Ministry of Agriculture, is Chair of the BC Seafood Expo Program Committee that is developing an extensive seminar program.

Terry O’Reilly, host of the award-winning CBC radio show, Under The Influence, will be providing the Opening Keynote Plenary Presentation

be one of the BC Seafood Expo keynote speakers on day two

Additional members of the Committee include Dr. Tony Farrell – University of British Columbia, Solveig McLaren – Ministry of Agriculture, Darlene Winterburn – BC Shellfish Growers Association, Richard Hardy – Pentlatch Seafoods, Gabriel Kosmider - DFO, Ian Roberts - Marine Harvest Canada, Guy Dean - Albion Fisheries.

Ten different Expo sessions featuring over 30 speakers, two key note speakers have been announced including Ned Bell, Executive Chef of OceanWise Canada, and Terry O’Reilly, Host of CBC’s Under the Influence. Terry has won numerous national and international awards for writing and has directed such notable actors as Alec Baldwin, Ellen DeGeneres, Kiefer Sutherland, Bob Newhart, Martin Short and Drew Carey. Terry talks about the key marketing issues all companies and organizations face – from the critical need to embed emotion in marketing, to why customer service = profit, to how to change a negative perception, to why smart marketers don’t outspend their competitors – they outsmart them.

The BC Seafood Expo Tradeshow floor

in size in 2017 and moves to a new location to host an unprecedented number of new exhibitors

In addition to the sessions, registrants for the Expo will have access to the Expo Tradeshow area, which has doubled in size this year, and producer site tours including those hosted by the BC Salmon Farmers Association, BC’s largest exporter of seafood.

The International Buyers Reception will feature celebrity chefs, seafood from many of BC’s seafood industry associations and is being sponsored by Flying Fresh Air Freight.

For more information or to register online visit BCSeafoodExpo.com

11th annual BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival — Biggest in its history, largest in Western Canada

At the time of publication, the BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival, which is hosted annually in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, was ballooning to well over 45+ events and tours, firmly establishing itself as the largest seafood celebration in Western Canada.

The Comox by the Sea Celebration, the signature and largest event of the festival, showcases BC’s best seafood products presented by award winning producers, top seafood Chefs, suppliers and educational institutions. Numerous seafood tasting booths, interactive educational displays including touch tanks, plus live music, competitions, and BC craft beer, wine and spirit tastings are expected to drive in excess of 2500 guests to that event alone this year. For more information, visit BCShellfishFestival.com

Leading Chef Cooking Demonstrations

A popular feature of the Comox by the Sea Celebration is the cooking demonstrations provided by renowned BC chefs including Chef Nathan Fong, Fong on Food, Chef Pino Posteraro from Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill; Chef Angus An from Maenam; Chef Taryn Wa from Savoury Chef Foods; and Chef Chris Whittaker from Forage in Vancouver. New this year will be the addition seafood pairing sessions with BC craft beer and wine.

by the Sea Celebration on Sunday, June 18

Comox by the Sea Celebration features seafood-inspired tasting stations, hosted by local and regional chefs and seafood producers

Dynamic Seafood Competitions

The Fanny Bay Oysters Shucking Championships, hosted by Shucker Paddy, the Guinness Book of World Record holder for shucking, brings together BC’s best in a head-to-head shucking competition

Three popular competitions will return; The Best Caesar in Town Competition will wrap up events the first weekend of the Festival, and the following weekend will showcase the OceanWiseTM Chowder Challenge and the Fanny Bay Oysters Shucking Championship, emceed by Shucker Paddy, the Canadian, North American and International oyster shucking champion – both held at the Comox by the Sea Celebration.

Educational Producer Site Tours

Unique tours will be presented throughout the 10 days of the Festival by leading BC seafood producers including:

• Fanny Bay Oysters

• Manatee Holdings Shellfish Hatchery

• Macs Oysters

• BC Salmon Farmers Association

• Holliewood Oysters

For tickets, accommodation specials and more event information visit BCShellfishFestival.com

doubles

Chef Ned Bell, Ocean Wise Executive Chef at Vancouver Aquarium, will

Popular Chef Nathan Fong returns to the Comox by the Sea Celebration to emcee the Chefs Demo Stage

Chefs Whittaker and An are two of the many chefs who will display their culinary creations at the Chefs Demo Stage at the Comox

Enter

Monday, June 12

Terry O’Reilly, CBC Radio One

Under the Influence

Tuesday, June 13

Celebrity Chef Ned Bell

Executive Chef, Vancouver Aquarium Ocean WiseTM

Includes 4 Expo Sessions, 2 ynote Plenary Sessions, 2 Networking Luncheons and Expo International Buyers’ Reception presented by Flying Fresh Air Freight.

* taxes and fees extra

EXPO SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Ocean Acidification and Climate Change

• Food Fraud & Traceability

• Supply Chain Logistics

• Shellfish Aquaculture

• New Cultured Species Updates

• Maintaining Wild Fish in Changing Climate HR and Training Round Table

• Industry Research Project Updates

To see the latest lineup of topics and speakers, visit BCSeafoodExpo.com

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