May, June 2019

A Fish Farm of the Future

Technology is accelerating the pace of change in aquaculture and reshaping the industry’s workforce

dvocates of land-based aquaculture tout its benefits: traceability, faster fish growth, less environmental risk, proximity to markets. The Monterey Bay Aquarium rates salmon farmed on land as a “best choice.”

But maybe there’s another benefit—attracting employees.

This form of aquaculture is moving from an experimental pioneer phase to large-scale business, according to consulting firm Deloitte. And the US, which imports over 90 percent of its fish, has become the focus of companies, especially from Scandinavia, that want to expand.

Some of these companies are choosing to build close to metropolitan areas. Atlantic Sapphire’s facility in Homestead, Florida, is just 30 miles south of Miami. Whole Oceans and Nordic Aquafarms plan to break ground this year in mid-coast Maine, known for its lobster rolls and craft breweries. And Nordic Aquafarms recently announced a lease option in Humboldt County, California, which is roughly 300 miles from an airport but boasts

farming in

redwood forests and a university with a fisheries biology major.

All will use recirculating water technology in large tanks— indoors. “It’s a perfect example of where technology meets nature,” says Nordic Aquafarms’ Marianne Naess.

Keys to success, Naess says, are both superior technology and the right people to run it. Cultivation of that talent—with specialized

knowledge of water chemistry, mechanical and technological systems, and fish nutrition and health management—may be the hardest part of raising the fish.

One thing’s for sure. Orange hip waders will not be in the dress code.

The aquaculture’s changing landscape is attracting talent

continued on page 16

waters moves closer to reality

tuna hatchery being built in San Diego, California is expected to play a pivotal role in efforts to start tuna farming in the United States or, for that matter, in North America.

If all go according to plan, the hatchery will see the first cohort of Pacific bluefin tuna spawned in captivity in the US this July, according to Mark Albertson, director, strategic market development, for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA).

Alejandro Buentello, PhD, president of Ichthus Unlimited LLC of Iowa, leads the

BY LIZA MAYER

he onus is on the aquaculture industry to build confidence in the financial institutions and get them interested in aquaculture, if it is to attract technology investments.

This was the sentiment among leading innovators and investors at the inaugural Animal AgTech Innovation Summit in San Francisco in March, where technology’s role in delivering sustainability and efficiency to aquaculture was in the spotlight.

Participants acknowledged that the industry is lagging when it comes to technology investments. The problem may be the “fear factor” among venture capitalists (VCs) and investment firms and their unfamiliarity with aquaculture, suggested the panelists in the session: “The rise of aquaculture: transforming the industry through digitization, closed systems and alternative protein feeds.”

Aquaculture industry insiders know the industry will be “a big thing for the future” and a very important protein generator but this knowledge is only beginning to fan out, they said.

“Awareness about aquaculture is not so much especially in the investor community here and even being able to raise capital to start this business, there’s a lot of education of investors needed,” says Bryton Shang, founder and CEO of San Francisco startup Aquabyte. “Not many traditional VCs understand what

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TUNA FARMING

continued from cover

hatchery project to cultivate Pacific bluefin tuna eggs, raise them to juvenile fish and distribute them to tuna farms to be raised to market size. The hatchery is the first of its kind in North America and the third bluefin hatchery in the world.

Tuna “ranching,” where juvenile tuna are taken from the ocean and then fattened in net pens, is the only tuna “farming” being done currently in North America. But the practice is unsustainable. “The tuna ranching industry is constrained by a stringent quota system that limits the amount of wild tuna they can catch to stock in oceanic cages,” says Buentello.

Successful hatching of tuna in captivity will be a big breakthrough in efforts to commercially farm them.

“Bluefin tuna aquaculture represents a major, new high-value market for US farmers, but there is much science to be done to produce the fish entirely under farmed conditions,” says Sally Rockey, executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, which is co-funding the project along with the ISA. “This research has the potential to not only stabilize the wild population, but also create economic opportunities in farming the delicacy,” she added.

Efforts toward commercial-scale tuna farming achieved a milestone earlier with the development of a soy-based feed that can be commercially manufactured.

“The aquaculture industry can use soy-based tuna feed to improve tuna sustainability,” says Scott Gaffner, an ISA director and soybean producer from Greenville, Illinois. “That will significantly reduce the environmental impact of raising tuna and build market demand for soy protein.”

Vegan rainbow trout could hit market soon

Rainbow trout species that can be raised on a fully plant-based diet has been identified through a genetic-selection research and will be grown by an Oregon farmer.

A study team led by USDA research geneticist Dr Ken Overturf began evaluating in 2013 rainbow trout that tolerate higher levels of soybean meal. The fish that were able to break down and utilize the amino acids more efficiently were selected and additional generations reared. Ultimately, the research concluded that genetic variation does exist and can be selected for, leading the way to a rainbow trout raised on a fully plant-based diet. There have been nine generations of specifically selected rainbow trout raised since then.

Oregon-headquartered Pacific Seafood confirmed it will begin raising these plant-

Professor Brian Small holds a rainbow trout fed on a fully plant-based diet at the University of Idaho

Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station Credit: University of Idaho

fed rainbow trout at one of its farming sites. “While the fish were bred for soy proteins, they can be fed a variety of plant proteins. At this time we are still testing a variety of feeds,” Lacy Ogan, communications manager at Pacific Seafood, told Aquaculture North America (ANA).  Nearly one million fry have been bred to date.

“Research like this is critical to our stakeholders in the aquaculture industry,” said Overturf. “Soybean meal is abundant in the US. When you have a product that is consistent and available compared to fishmeal... it’s worth evaluating if genetic selection can lead to a fish species that can maximize the resource.”

The research was conducted by USDA-ARS in collaboration with the University of Idaho. SAA and the United Soybean Board funded it.

Cermaq eyes expansion into Nova Scotia

Cermaq Canada has announced its intention to begin investigating the feasibility of growing its salmon farming operations into Nova Scotia.

The British-Columbia-based company says it needs between 10 and 20 fish farms with an annual output of 20,000 metric tonnes to justify coming to Nova Scotia. It plans to build supporting infrastructure in the province, such as hatcheries, processing plants, works yards, wharfs and docks, offices, and accommodation for the projected at 300 to 350 staff.

Keith Colwell, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, estimates Cermaq’s investment in the project would be “around $400- to $500-million.”

Over the next six months, the company is embarking on

an extensive consultation program with locals - the Mi’kmaq First Nation, fishermen, communities, associations and local government - “to find out how to best engage moving forward.”

“We are coming to Nova Scotia with open minds, hearts and ears; looking for guidance, local knowledge and history,” says Linda Sams, Sustainable Development Director for Cermaq Canada. “We admit that we don’t know what we don’t know as the saying goes. We want to learn about what communities value, what is important to each unique region, and develop an idea of how Cermaq could potentially fit into that picture.”

It has created a website dedicated to its engagement activities at www.HelloNovaScotia.ca

NEWS AND NOTES

‘Made in Canada’ GM salmon expected in 2020

Aquabounty expects to see the first commercial harvest of its genetically modified salmon in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Last April, Canadian authorities gave Aquabounty the approval to start the commercial production of AquAdvantage Salmon at its facility on Prince Edward Island.

“We are pleased that Environment and Climate Change Canada has determined that AquAdvantage Salmon is safe to produce in our Rollo Bay production facility. We take biosecurity and sustainability seriously, and our state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) design includes multiple and redundant physical barriers to escape,” said Sylvia Wulf, CEO of AquaBounty.

AquAdvantage has been approved for sale in Canada since 2016 but what has been sold locally since then was salmon produced in Aquabounty’s R&D facility in Panama

Credit: AquaBounty

The company said the “Canadian approval is another confirmation that the company is doing the right thing.” It added it will begin stocking the Rollo Bay production facility as soon as possible and hire local people to add to its current staff of 25.

AquAdvantage has been approved for sale in Canada since 2016 but what has been sold locally since then was salmon produced in Aquabounty’s R&D facility in Panama. The company had one sale of 4.5 tonnes of fresh fillets in 2017 and one sale of 4.5 tonnes of frozen fillets in 2018. “Our production will increase after our RAS production facility in Rollo Bay is completed in Q1 of 2019,” Dave Conley, AquaBounty communications director, told Aquaculture North America (ANA) in an earlier interview.

In the US, AquaBounty gained approval in March from US authorities to farm and sell its AquAdvantage Salmon in locally. It took 30 years and millions of dollars in investment before the company reached this stage (see related story on page 5).

Cermaq’s sustainability report marks 10 years

This year marks Cermaq’s 10-year anniversary for its sustainability reports, which have been externally assured since 2010.

Cermaq’s Sustainability Report 2018 is now available online. It provides a wealth of information spanning from an overview of the management approach to sustainability, to detailed information on 36 performance indicators.

“When Cermaq started external assurance of its sustainability report, we were for many years the only company in our industry doing this,” says CEO Geir Molvik. “For us, these reports have been the basis for trust and transparent dialogue with our stakeholders. During

this time, the industry as a whole has taken a number of steps forward on transparency, most significantly with the global salmon industry-wide online reporting in 2015.”

“It demonstrates the significance of sharing sustainability data and how this industry is now leading in transparency,” Molvik continued.

Cermaq’s sustainability report is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It includes insight into Cermaq’s strategy, CEO perspective, material analyses, stakeholder engagement, Global Reporting Initiative indicators, and customized indicators for the industry.

Farmed vs wild seafood

Report: Ready availability of farm-raised seafood carries weight

Consumers in the US Atlantic States prefer seafood that are wild-caught but they will purchase more farm-raised seafood if it is readily available.

This was the conclusion of the report, “Consumer Attitudes and Preferences about Farm-Raised Shellfish, Finfish, and Sea Vegetables in the Atlantic Coast States.” Consumers are also willing to pay premium prices for specific product categories, the report said. “For example, participants indicated a willingness to spend 44 percent more on fresh seafood, 34 percent more on locally produced items, and 27 percent more on certified organic seafood.”

The report highlights the results of the Atlantic States Consumer Seafood Survey, which focused on 16 varieties of seafood. It was conducted on all 14 Atlantic Coast states and was completed in 2018.

The report includes an overview of industry trends, information on consumer preferences for wild-caught and farmed seafood products, and a summary of market demand projections for different species and categories by location.

“These data are useful for understanding which areas seafood providers could focus on to grow sales channels and revenue streams,” said Atlantic Corporation, which prepared the report under an award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Both start-up and established aquaculture operations can benefit by growing and delivering what consumers are willing to purchase in any given location,” it said.

The most consumed species by respondents in 13 states were shrimp, flounder, lobster, crabs, scallops, Atlantic salmon, or Pacific/Alaskan salmon. The only state where shrimp was outranked as the most popular species was Maine, where lobster was the most popular.

Data showed that “the higher their income, the more likely people were aware of and knowledgeable about marine aquaculture operations.” Respondents cited chemical pollution as their “greatest concern” about marine aquaculture operations.

-Ruby Gonzalez

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Aquaculture operations can benefit by growing and delivering what consumers are willing to purchase in any given location, says

Cermaq’s sustainability report provides detailed information on 36 performance indicators Credit: Cermaq

NEWS AND NOTES

Search on for superior seaweed

RTHE FAST AND EASY WAY

esearchers in Ireland are studying various strains of sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) to determine which one is best suited for aquaculture and agriculture.

Initial results of the study have shown that sea lettuce could return higher yields when the right strains are used. The researchers found growth rates varied from 9 percent to 37 percent per day among the sea lettuce strains studied. Nutritional quality also varied.

More efforts are required to ultimately select the best performing strains under certain environmental conditions. In the next stage of the study, the researchers will identify the genes responsible for fast growth and high nutritional content.

Sea lettuce has high nutritional value for animal feed.

for aquaculture

“This study is an important stepping stone towards the development of modern breeding approaches for seaweedaquaculture,” lead author of the study, Dr Ronan Sulpice of the National University of Ireland, told the school paper.

Co-author Dr Antoine Fort said the study “paves the way towards the domestication and breeding of elite strains of seaweed blooms for aquaculture.”

Offshore kampachi farm makes first harvest

The first harvest of Almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana) from The Kampachi Company’s offshore farm in the Gulf of California has reached the market.

The initial harvest totalled 2,000 kgs, of which about two-thirds went into the US market, and a third into Mexico.

The harvest comes roughly a year-and-a-half after Series A funding for the farm closed and nine months after the first King Kampachi were stocked in the offshore pens in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

“Our farm location allows us to ship our harvest to the US more economically and with a lower carbon footprint,” Neil Anthony Sims, co-founder and chief scientific officer of the company, tells Aquaculture North America (ANA). “It also provides the opportunity to sustainably scale up production.”

Attendees at Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston in March had the opportunity to sample what the company markets as “King Kampachi.”

The company harvests according to demand, says Sims. “We expect it to build up quickly now that we have introduced King Kampachi to the US market through (our presence) at SENA and through our master distributors. We are expecting to be harvesting over 10 tons per week by the end of 2019,” he says.

Intake water crucial in RAS

The importance of intake water on the economic success of large-scale land-based aquaculture facilities cannot be overemphasized, according to an expert on aquaculture systems.

“The stakes are high for emerging inland aquaculture companies. Understanding how water affects a RAS operation and the fish living inside of it can create competitive advantage for aquaculture companies,”

Chuck Blumenschein, aquaculture specialist at Veolia, told the audience Aquaculture America 2019 during a session on recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

Blumenschein presented some of the challenges related to intake water and how to mitigate risks when developing a large-scale RAS project. His presentation discussed the various intake water sources available and the characteristics that should be evaluated, such as total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, sulfate levels, and organic contaminants. He also reviewed various methods and technologies to treat the raw water to minimize the risk to fish health and a facility’s biosecurity.

At the event, Veolia also exhibited its portfolio of RAS technologies, including the RAS2020, to attending aquaculture professionals.

Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca). The study could pave the way for breeding elite strains of seaweed blooms

Credit: Adobe Stock

Credit: Adobe Stock

The Kampachi Company co-founder Neil Anthony Sims and marketing manager Kelly Coleman handing out samples at SENA in Boston

Credit: The Kampachi Company

Atlantic salmon in BC say the virus may only be a contributing factor to fish developing HSMI

Virus is not as harmful as some believe, say studies

Two new studies suggest the piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) is not as harmful as some believe.

The studies, which were published in March in the journals Scientific Reports and Frontiers in Physiology focus on the effects of PRV on Atlantic salmon in British Columbia.

The disease was first discovered in Norway in 2010 and has been linked to a fatal condition called heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in that country. But Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientist Mark Polinski found that the virus does not seem to have the same effect on Atlantic salmon his team studied in BC.

Polinski, lead author of both studies, suggested that PRV may only be a contributing factor to fish developing HSMI. “With this data, it’s kind of clearly showing you can’t just blame it on the presence or absence of PRV,” Polinski told The Canadian Press.

The reason for the difference between the effect on the virus on salmon in Canada and Norway is still unknown but Polinski suggested it could come down to genetic differences in the disease and the fish.

The issue has resulted in much debate over the effects of PRV on Atlantic salmon. In February, Canada’s federal court ruled that BC must start testing its farmed salmon for signs of PRV. DFO, the department overseeing the country’s aquaculture industry, said it will not appeal the ruling and that it is reviewing its policies in line with the court decision.

Wait times down for shellfish aquaculture permitting

Applicants for shellfish aquaculture permits in Norfolk, Seattle, New Orleans and Baltimore have seen reduced wait times.

This was the conclusion of a performance audit on the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which reviews permitting applications for shellfish aquaculture to make sure they comply with navigation and environmental laws.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted the performance audit between June 2017 and January 2019. It was requested by the USACE to review their process for authorizing shellfish aquaculture activity in US coastal waters. The review period covered 2012 to 2017.

A performance audit shows wait times are down for shellfish aquaculture permitting in four jurisdictions

GAO randomly selected 15 applicants from the four districts and compared their experiences when applying for shellfish aquaculture permits over the period reviewed.

Ten said it took one day to four months to get authorization for their activities, a “reasonable” wait, they said. But at the opposite end were the five who had to wait from 18 days, to as long as eight months for the authorization, which they found “unreasonable.”

But over the five years in review, the audit found a reduction in the time for the permits to be processed overall. One applicant, who in 2012 had to wait eight months to receive his authorization, was able to get his authorization in 2017 in only two months.

The USACE in the four districts attributed the improvement to steps taken to expedite the process. In Seattle, for instance, district officials reviewed previously submitted documentation from applicants renewing their permits if there are no anticipated changes in their activities. This allowed the USACE to more quickly reauthorize those activities, according to Anne-Marie Fennell, director for Natural Resources and Environment at GAO.

In addition, USACE officials from across the four districts said they have reduced the time needed to review applications through efforts to more efficiently conduct reviews under the Endangered Species Act.

But while the goal of the of the USACE in the four districts is to authorize applications within 60 days, they told the GOA that they are sometimes prevented from doing so by factors such as heavy workload and coordination or consulting with federal states or tribal agencies.

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WHY AQUACULTURE LAGS continued from cover

aquaculture is and understand the due diligence that they needed to do. One basic challenge is that to start a business like this you would want to go to a place like Norway or somewhere else where there are farms. But I think there are certainly a lot of positive macroeconomic trends that make it such an attractive industry.”

Tony Chen, CEO of Manolin, agrees. “In the States I think people don’t recognize how big an industry aquaculture is. They know a couple of oyster mom-and-pop shops from up and down the coast, but what they don’t

recognize is how much seafood is consumed around the world. But that’s changing,” he says.

He added that the ocean’s status as an “unregulated uncertainty” further makes investors adopt a wait-and-see stance.

Alan Shaw, president and CEO of US biotech firm and FeedKind protein manufacturer Calysta Inc, says what the industry also needs is “a big success” to get enough investment capital flowing into the industry.

“If people can see that you can make money, because at

the end of the day, it’s all about making money. You have to be able to show that it’s (the technology) economically viable. You have to give people a return. The market will always win out,” he says.

Success of any innovation also rests on its scalability, Shaw added. Take feed, for example; he says fish farmers will not adopt it if it is not at a scale where it becomes readily available in places where it is needed. “If a technology can’t scale, it’s useless. People don’t buy science. They buy technology. They buy product. And product has to scale for people to adopt it.”

The bottom line is that a proven product or a proven business model will not succeed if it is not scalable, he suggested.

The summit gathered innovators and investors in the food industry to share knowledge and build partnerships to bring innovations to market as the aquaculture industry faces intense scrutiny.

“There are 700 different aquatic species that are being farmed globally today,” says Mike Velings, cofounder and partner of Netherlands-based aquaculture investment firm Aqua-Spark. “The aquaculture industry is larger than the beef industry; it’s already larger than fisheries for human consumption and people think that it will double before mid-century and potentially even triple before mid-century, which means a lot of new behaviors and a lot of new developments in an industry that’s relatively young.”

Velings chaired the aquaculture session where the panel shared their insights into the industry, its opportunities and challenges, and the innovations that are addressing those challenges. They included US biotech firm and FeedKind protein manufacturer Calysta Inc; San Francisco-based startup Aquabyte, whose platform applies computer vision and machine learning in aquaculture management systems; Colorado-based startup Manolin, whose software platform helps fish farmers optimize sea lice treatments and improve fish health through data analytics; Norwegian salmon farmer Cermaq; and Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co.

Panelists at the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit in San Francisco observed that aquaculture falls behind in technology investments Credit: Liza Mayer

THE POWER OF AQUACULTURE

A two-day conference on aquaculture, estuarine health and impacts of climate change was organized by the PEI Aquaculture Alliance and the PEI Watershed Alliance. Here are some highlights.

BY ANDY WALKER

A seaweed farming project in Indonesia supported by The Nature Conservancy illutrates the role of aquaculture in providing social, economic and environmental benefits

Restorative aquaculture

Aquaculture’s potential to provide social, economic and environmental benefits should not be underestimated, according to Seth Theuerkauf of The Nature Conservancy Global Action Team.

Theuerkauf shared some of the successes that The Conservancy has achieved in using aquaculture to aid ecosystem recovery.

He said the organization operates in 72 countries around the world, where it is involved with both the restorative aquaculture, which harnesses the potential of aquaculture to bring dead or dying marine ecosystems back to life; and smart aquaculture, which is aimed at improving planning that will reduce the environmental footprint of new projects.

One area the organization is focusing on is a “dead zone” or hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxia is caused by excessive nutrient pollution, often from human activities such as agriculture, that results in too little oxygen to support most marine life. In 2017, the dead zone reached a record length of over 8,500 square miles. The Conservancy is working with farmers, academia, governments, and the agriculture industry to revive the area by reducing the level of nutrient runoff. Part of that effort is encouraging the agriculture industry to adopt conservation practices like using cover crops, reduced tillage, crop rotation and nutrient management.

The Conservancy also has a project in Chesapeake Bay, one of the largest estuaries in the United States. The bay has experienced significant oyster losses over the past several years. The Conservatory is teaming up with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and several oyster companies to see if using different growing techniques can improve the water quality. He said the results to date have been promising.

“Shellfish and seaweed farming is providing a valuable service to the ecosystem,” he explained, noting that aquaculture helps mitigate nitrate pollution. With another three billion people expected to be inhabiting the planet by 2050, he said aquaculture

has a huge potential to help feed the planet without increasing pressure on both terrestrial and marine habitats. “Aquaculture, done well, enhances food security, offers a huge potential not just for producing food for a growing planet but also to create employment,” he said. He cautioned however that the industry could be held back from meeting its full potential by inadequate governance and insufficient infrastructure.

Harvest methods impact ‘cleaning power’ of bivalves

The role of bivalves in filtering waters in coastal and estuarial systems is well known but the harvesting methods shellfish farmers use could spell the difference in how much “cleaning power” they have, a biologist suggested.

Luc Cormier, aquaculture biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada studied the nitrogen-removal potential of both mussels and oysters in New Brunswick and PEI. While nutrient loading is a global problem, he said the situation is particularly challenging in the Maritimes. A high concentration of agriculture over a relatively small land mass has made the problem especially acute in PEI, Canada’s smallest province.

His research to date has shown that nitrogen-removal potential (NRP) was similar for the tissues of mussels and oysters on a per weight basis. But he noted that

mussels grown via suspended mussel culture has the greatest ‘cleaning power’ per hectare of farm area Credit:

mussels have a higher percentage of nitrogen in their shells than oysters. If individual oysters were harvested at an even greater biomass than mussels, then the perhectare NRP of oysters could potentially exceed that of mussels, he said.

His research, conducted jointly with Jeff Clements of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, indicates shellfish harvesting has the capacity to remove an average of 99,088 kg of nitrogen annually from New Brunswick waters and 204,571 kg of nitrogen from PEI’s streams and estuaries.

Comparing the four harvesting methods used in the two provinces, Cormier said harvesting mussels grown via suspended mussel culture has the greatest NRP per hectare of farm area, followed by suspended mussel and oyster mixed culture, suspended oyster culture, and bottom oyster culture.

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THE POWER OF AQUACULTURE

Farmers, policy-makers view climate change differently

There is a gap between how farmers and marine planners approach the topic of climate change, a speaker told a seminar on estuarine environment health and shellfish aquaculture held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI) in March.

Laura Steeves conducted interviews with farmers, managers and researchers as part of her Masters in Marine Management thesis from Dalhousie University in Halifax. “Results suggest that there is a potential disconnect between the perceptions of managers and farmers, in terms of their understanding of the relationship between bivalve aquaculture and climate change,” she told the conference.

“Farmers tend to think in terms of more immediate concerns while managers tend to think more long term,” she said. “The discourse between resource users and policy-makers is particularly important for the development of an industry in times of increasing uncertainty.”

Steeves also looked at models projecting the impact of rising sea surface temperatures and shellfish growth, particularly blue mussel and eastern oyster, in coastal waters of Nova Scotia and PEI. She found a significant difference in how the two species were adapting to warming temperatures. “Generally speaking oysters are a more thermally tolerant species here than the mussels that we’re culturing,” she said.

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She is predicting increased performance for oysters and a potential decline in mussel growth if the temperature increases beyond a level they are comfortable with. Steeves noted that the study area contains widely varying temperatures both seasonally and spatially. Colder waters in the Bay of Fundy reach an average summer high of 13°C, however water temperatures in the sheltered Northumberland Strait could exceed 20°C.

Bivalve farmers tend to think of climate change in terms of more immediate concerns while policy makers tend to think more long term, says researcher Credit: Adobe Stock

AQUAVESTMENTS

Aqua-Spark adds to its portfolio

The Netherlands-based aquaculture investment firm Aqua-Spark has added to its portfolio companies in land-based aquaculture and fish nutrition. Aqua-Spark has now invested in 16 complementary small-to-medium enterprises that are working toward the sustainable production of aquatic life.

The Fund is a primary investor in BioFishency’s latest round of funding, which raised $2.4 million in total. BioFishency is an Israel-based innovator in water treatment systems for use in land-based aquaculture. The company will use the additional funds to support its innovative R&D strategy and expansion in China.

The fund also injected cash into Molofeed, a Norwaybased company with a new feed formula that can replace live feed earlier in the larval rearing cycle than other products on the market. Aqua-Spark’s investment in Molofeed will be put towards marketing and increasing production capacity.

“These two companies exemplify what we set out to do with Aqua-Spark. While in different parts of the value chain, through advanced technology and innovative thinking, they’re each moving the needle for a more sustainable future for aquaculture,” said Mike Velings and Amy Novogratz, co-founders of Aqua-Spark.

Industrial park to support aquaculture

A town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is building an industrial park that will support the area’s growing aquaculture and minning sectors.

The new park will provide the Town of St Lawrence with the necessary infrastructure to attract new businesses and better position itself to respond to the increased demand for commercial space with the reactivation of the

St Lawrence fluorspar mine and development of the Grieg NL aquaculture project in Placentia Bay, according to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The Government of Canada and the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador are contributing roughly $950,000 and $365,00 to the project.

Cooke Inc on buying spree

Cooke Inc, parent of Cooke Aquaculture Inc, has acquired a seafood distributor and a shrimp farmer.

Cooke acquired All Seas Wholesale, Inc of California, a distributor of up to 40 species of fresh seafood, live shellfish, and frozen seafood products.

For 33 years, the wholesaler has been servicing the San Francisco Bay area’s hotels, country clubs, airline and event caterers, upscale retail markets, and restaurants as a same-day purveyor of quality seafoods, Cooke said in a statement.

“Purchasing All Seas allows us to continue to strengthen our vertical integration and distribute our True North Seafood products to additional markets,” said Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc.

In March, Cooke acquired Farallon Aquaculture de Nicaragua SA, a vertically integrated producer of farmed shrimp and a leading supplier of branded fresh-frozen

shrimp to major markets in Asia, Europe and the US. Farallon Nicaragua is headquartered in Leon, Nicaragua, employs 384 people, and operates a state-ofthe-art hatchery, three farms and an onsite processing plant from four locations.

In February, Cooke Inc announced its acquisition of the Seajoy Seafood Corp, one of the largest vertically integrated, premium shrimp farmers in Latin America. Seajoy’s organic Pacific white shrimp farms are in Honduras and Nicaragua.

“Farallon Nicaragua also produces Pacific white shrimp and offers Post-larvae (PL) for commercial sale,” said Glenn Cooke. “We will integrate the company into our Seajoy operations.”

NL town hosts sea cage construction business

Sea farm cages for the aquaculture industry are being built in the Canadian town of Lawn in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Placentia Bay Ocean Enterprises is building the cages in partnership with Norwegian company Aqualine, according to NTV. The 10 Aqualine Midgard System cages were scheduled to be deployed to Mowi’s site in Fortune Bay in April.

Lawn Mayor John Strand is hoping the project will be the jumpstart to longterm job creation for his community in the aquaculture industry.

Aqua-Spark co-founder Mike Velings says the latest investments are moving the needle for a more sustainable future for aquaculture Credit: Rethink Events

An Aqualine Midgard system at a construction site

The industrial park will support the town’s aquaculture sector Credit: NAIA

Farallon Nicaragua, one of the companies Cooke Inc acquired early this year, produces Pacific white shrimp Credit: Adobe Stock

Algae-derived feed making inroads in aquaculture

Algae-derived feed ingredients are advancing in the salmon feed market as the aquaculture industry seeks to reduce its dependence on fishmeal and fish oil. Two manufacturers of algae-derived ingredients piqued the interest of attendees at the Seafood Expo North America in March in Boston.

VERAMARIS

“Retailers are keenly interested in meeting consumer demand for healthy and sustainable products,” Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly tells Aquaculture North America (ANA). Veramaris, a joint venture between DSM and Evonik, produces feed that uses Omega-3 fatty acid products derived from natural marine algae.

‘What we now provide the aquaculture industry is the ability to become independent of marine resources and to become a net protein producer by actually producing more protein than it utilizes.’

Kurmaly attended the Seafood Expo North America in Boston in March to touch base with fish farmers, processors and retailers to discuss their needs. The marine algal fish oil has arachidonic acid (a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid), Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) at substantially higher concentrations than conventional fish oils, he says. He also says the presence of EPA and DHA molecules make their product “the only one capable of truly replacing fish oil” in aquafeed. “The limiting factor in replacing wildcatch fish has always been Omega-3 fatty acids. What we now provide the aquaculture industry is the ability to become independent of marine resources and to become a net protein producer by actually producing more protein than it utilizes,” he tells ANA. Norwegian salmon farmer Lingalaks is first company to feed its Atlantic salmon with the Veramaris feed, which is manufactured by Skretting. German retailer Kaufland will retail the salmon locally this year. The innovative feed ingredient is a competitor–and the leading candidate as of press time–in the F3 Fish Oil Challenge. The contest is dedicated to developing a fish-free fish-oil substitute for use in aquaculture feed.

Karim Kurmaly, CEO, Veramaris

Dutch biotech company Corbion showcased its algae-derived fish feed ingredient at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston in March. The company owns Terravia, developer of AlgaPrime DHA, an algae-based source of long-chain Omega-3s. The ingredient has been incorporated into BioMar aquaculture feeds.

Corbion also unveiled at the event its partnership with restaurateur, celebrity chef and sustainable seafood advocate, Sammy Monsour. Attendees at the event viewed a short film documenting Monsour’s journey to southern Chile to learn about sustainable aquaculture practices. One of the places he visited was the Ventisqueros salmon farm, said to have become the salmon industry’s “first net fish producers” for feeding its coho salmon AlgaPrime DHA.

“With algae-fed salmon brands gaining distribution at US retailers, we are excited to work with Chef Sammy Monsour to start a dialogue with consumers and chefs about the impact of sustainably produced salmon,” said Marc den Hartog, executive vice president of Innovation Platforms at Corbion. “Just as Sammy wanted to learn more, we believe his journey provides a better understanding of the role of feed ingredients, such as AlgaPrime DHA, in raising healthy salmon that in turn are better for our health and the health of our planet.”

ALGAPRIME DHA

‘Not all farmed salmon are created equal... what they eat really matters as it affects the quality and nutritional value of what arrives in my kitchen,’ says celebrity chef Sammy Monsour

Veramaris’ third plant in Blair, Nebraska is expected to go into production in July Credit: Veramaris

CAREER TALK

VIEWPOINT

Training the aquaculture diver

A SURVEY: Aquaculture Extension workforce is aging

A good diver is worth their salt when it comes to getting the stock grown and off to market,

writes Kelly N. Korol.

By nature of farming in the water, there are numerous tasks that need to be tended to that are under the site. This is the domain of the aquaculture diver. These divers use scuba and surface supplied diving apparatus to access the underwater area of the site and perform work and observe and report on the health of the herd in its environment.

Not only is the role of the aquaculture diver technically challenging and interesting, it is rewarding to be very hands on in caring for the flock.

One needs to first become a certified diver to get on the dive team. Aquaculture divers are required to become certified as commercial diver. Recreational certification doesn’t cover the “occupational” aspect for the work practices, safety and demand of work.

Aquaculture divers are required to learn the academics of diving, which include the physics and physiology of diving, use of decompression tables, dive medicine and accident management as well as equipment and industry regulations.

In addition to theoretical diving knowledge, dive students have to be well versed in the practical use of the dive equipment in various water situations including currents and poor visibility. Depending on the training standard, divers are required to accumulate bottom time at various depths, doing tasks or projects that they will be required to do in the field. Practical training also includes topside duties such as dive tending, tank filling and equipment maintenance.

During dive training the divers just don’t blow bubbles; they learn and practice work skills, which will come in handy when they get down to the job site under the farm. Dive students learn many crucial skills. The most important, arguably, is knot tying and rigging. Divers need to have a strong ability to tie a number of different knots as well as work with rigging tools, wire rope, chain and shackles. Underwater net sewing is also a skill student divers must master.

To ensure student divers are able to tie knots in all situations, DiveSafe International has the students complete a “Blacked-out knot-tying test.” Student divers wear a full-face mask and have audio communications with a topside instructor. The full-face mask is blacked out with duct tape so the diver is effectively blind folded. The student is then told to tie an assortment of knots and the instructor examines each knot. This exercise ensures that the diver can tie most common knots by feel and in a zero-gravity environment.

In addition to knots, rigging, net and rope work, divers are taught underwater video and still imaging, inspection techniques and report writing. It’s one thing to observe the scene underwater but it’s important that the diver is able to document and describe the situation to the site managers and head office.

Their departure will have significant implications in Extension services

generation of aquaculture Extension professionals in their 50s and 60s plan to retire in the next 10 years and their departure could leave a skills gap if not addressed sooner, a survey suggests.

The projected departure of over half of the surveyed aquaculture professionals creates an urgency to attract people into the sector, particularly when the US government is boosting funding in farming fish, shellfish and seaweed, says Sam Chan, a watershed Extension specialist with Oregon Sea Grant, who helped conduct the survey.

“Given the number of upcoming retirements, the window is becoming increasingly narrow for current Extension aquaculture specialists to recruit, train and mentor new professionals,” said Chan, who is based at Oregon State University.

Extension is a university-based, nationwide program that provides research-based information, educational opportunities, and technical expertise to help people, communities and businesses solve problems and be successful. Its aquaculture experts have expanded markets, trained workers on using new technologies, informed consumers about the nutritional benefits of seafood, and

analyzed the economics of raising certain species.

Chan noted that the work that Extension professionals do has expanded in scope in recent years, opening up more career opportunities in Extension services. But while universities earlier hired mainly those with specialty in nutrition, genetics and fish/shellfish culture, professionals from other fields are now needed, he says.

“The survey revealed that aquaculture Extension professionals are increasingly called upon to develop programs and provide assistance in navigating regulations, planning, business and understanding human perceptions. Therefore professionals are needed from other fields to serve as part of integrated Extension teams,” says Chan.

He noted however that those with interest in aquaculture would be ideal candidates. “Challenges (in filling positions) might be overcome by integrating aquaculture into more disciplines relevant to aquaculture so students become familiar with it, and a commitment by universities to fill pending retirements,” he says.

Faculty with Oregon Sea Grant, Kentucky State University and the University of Idaho conducted the survey.

Age of survey respondents

Divesafe students performing biological assessments

FLOATERS & SINKERS

Strategy comes at a price

Aquaculture 2019, the recently concluded international aquaculture conference in New Orleans, has been deemed a resounding success by the Conference Steering Committee, the Conference Manager, and most of the attendees. The number of attendees, approximately 3,500, was highly satisfactory especially given an array of travel restrictions on foreign participants imposed by American authorities. The fact that attendees came from 85 nations is remarkable. The number of exhibitor booths, at 205, was a strong vote of confidence by the business community that supplies fish producers and the aquaculture industry. Over 1,000 speakers and/or posters (as many as 1,350 by some counts) and over 100 technical sessions presented summaries of ongoing studies, completed studies, and issues facing aquaculturists.

My thoughts about Aquaculture 2019

are, unfortunately, not based on personal experiences but on feedback from the conference organizers, my colleagues at this publication, and my friends in the industry who attended the event. My wife’s health issues and forecasts of bad travel conditions between Arizona and New Orleans prevented us from driving to New Orleans and participating in the event this year. Also, I want to claim that my personal experiences with conferences, especially in organizing Triennial aquaculture conferences, dating back to the 1980s, provide me with valuable insights for evaluating such meetings.

When Dr Nick Parker and his colleagues, especially those in the Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society, first envisioned the “Inter-galactic Fish Farming conference” that became the “Triennial” conference, the vision was a little different from the 2019 conference. In 1983, a relatively small conference in Washington,

Aquaculture professionals listen attentively to a presentation at an industry conference Credit: Liza Mayer

DC attracted several hundred people with a program focused on finfish and the opportunity to trek over to Capitol Hill and visit members of Congress who might be interested in aquaculture. The National Shellfisheries Association was thought to be a logical partner and has proven its value over the years since. The National Aquaculture Association was only a dream in the minds of Joe McCraren and several fish farmers until 1989. The World Mariculture Society had been established in 1969, but was still very small and had not yet transitioned into the World Aquaculture Society--a development that occurred in the 1980s.

By 1995, when John Cooksey was selected as Conference Manager, the Triennial in San Diego was organized by the Fish Culture Section, National Shellfisheries Association, and the World Aquaculture Society. A special effort was made to attract private sector fish farmers, especially California fish farmers, but the National Aquaculture Association was not a formal partner. A world renowned keynote speaker and a diverse technical program attracted over 4,000 attendees from countries around the world, but the trade show, although bigger than the shows in 1989 and 1992, was smaller than the 200+ exhibitors attracted to New Orleans this year. The program was designed to attract experienced aquaculture professionals and was limited to no more than eight presentations in any time slot. The total number of presentations was considerably smaller than the numbers for 2019. The 1998 Triennial in Las Vegas was designed along the same pattern and attracted similar numbers of attendees--over 4,000.

Over the last 20 years conference organizers have accepted a harsh reality: the surest and simplest way to generate conference attendance is by offering attendees

Athe opportunity to speak. Speakers rarely fail to attend and their employers are more likely to sponsor the costs when a presentation is the reason for a request to attend.

Unfortunately, this strategy comes at a price. The number of presentations becomes difficult to manage efficiently and the quality of presentations declines. The technical program in New Orleans had as many as 15 concurrent sessions and they had to be scheduled in rooms of marginal size, quality, and accessibility. Attendees had difficulty moving from one session to another. Also, presentations on closely related subject matter ended up being scheduled at the same time.

As the size of the Triennial conferences has grown into the range of 3,000 to 4,000 attendees and 175 to 200+ booths in the trade show, the number of conference venues that can accommodate the conference has become limited. The selection of venues is limited further by the need to avoid busy work seasons for the producers of aquaculture products. An additional reality is the need to schedule the conference in a city offering attendees attractive entertainment outside the conference. The Triennial now seems locked into a rotation of New Orleans, San Antonio, Las Vegas, and San Diego for meeting sites. Although the hotels and conference centers in these cities are certainly adequate, each one has a few negative features that lead to complaints from attendees.

I first attended a national/international technical-professional conference over 50 years ago. Since that time, I have attended more conferences than I can recall, and none of them was considered to be “the perfect conference.” Perhaps, just perhaps, the 1995 Triennial in San Diego, and the 1998 Triennial in Las Vegas came close. Attendees at the 2019 Triennial in New Orleans considered it to be a good conference, probably above average.

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n aquaculture program designed to support Maine’s coastal communities and help maintain the state’s working waterfront have contributed over $3.1 million to the state economy since its launch in 2016.

Called Aquaculture Business Development (ABD), the program was developed by Maine’s Island Institute with the goal to have 60 aquaculture businesses in the water by 2020. The program takes in 25 participants per year. Seventy-five participants have gone through the program to date, of which 20 have businesses with crops in the water. The institute estimates that those businesses have contributed over $3.1 million to Maine’s economy so far.

The non-profit saw aquaculture as a unique opportunity for local lobstermen to diversify their income in the off-season, according to Peter Piconi, Marine Business Specialist and program director with the Island Institute. “The program is based around kelp, mussel and oysters, so they can get into any part of that. But kelp especially grows during the off-season for lobsters, so they can bring a product to market in nine months, which builds some stability in their income. We saw that as a good fit,” says Piconi.

The program provides training on how to grow the product and teaches the important ins and outs of the industry, including the leasing process, site selection, business development planning, marketing strategy and farm management through a combination of classroom learning and practical learning through visits to farms in the area. The program also provides financing and business support during the first three years of operation.

“This is the only resource we could find that brought the current information and made the connections we needed to make a decision on moving forward,” says Jason Joyce, a commercial lobster fisherman who has since formed Swan’s Island Oyster Farm.

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CAREER TALK

Fish Farm of the Future

continued from cover

from fields far removed from aquaculture. Take Tony Chen, for instance. The MIT Computer Science graduate was developing software for the US government prior to cofounding Manolin, whose software platform aims to help fish farmers optimize sea lice treatments and improve fish health through data analytics.

“Aquaculture for me is a combination of two of my passions. I studied computer science in college, but I had a passion for fishing,” Chen shares. “My earliest memories are fishing with my dad and I was a competitive swimmer my entire life. I didn’t figure out how to integrate those passions into a career until I discovered aquaculture.”

A visit to Rappahannock Oyster Company in Virginia opened his eyes to how technology could be used to help aquaculture grow sustainably. “They were talking about filter feeders and making protein. I thought this was the greatest thing for the world. Aquaculture seems to be this opportunity where you can combine all that. The ocean can be a solution for food, for energy, for climate change. I think a lot of people who are looking to make a change in this world are starting to recognize that.” But more than the technology that help aquaculture companies succeed, it is the company culture –whether it’s in Virginia or Bergen, Norway – that inspires Chen. “The salmon industry has grown exponentially over the last few decades but that hasn’t stopped the collaborative culture from being ingrained in each person we’ve talked to,” he wrote in Medium.com

Bryton Shang is another techie who was unfamiliar with

The ‘collaborative culture’ in the aquaculture industry has attracted Manolin founder Tony Chen (at left), seen here with co-founder John Constantino

Credit: Manolin

aquaculture before founding Aquabyte in 2017. The San Francisco-based startup helps fish farmers optimize yield and profit through data analytics.

“I came from a computer vision and machine learning background,” the Princeton graduate told the audience at the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit in San Francisco in March. (He founded a company specialized in computeraided cancer diagnosis using machine learning techniques in 2015). “I actually wasn’t that too familiar with aquaculture before I started. I was interested in applying that to various other industries. Aquaculture is something that I had found out through a previous co-founder of mine and through various investigations of farms here in California, the Pacific Northwest and Canada to, eventually, Norway.”

– Liza Mayer and Lynn Fantom

into aquaculture, Shang founded a company specialized in computer-aided cancer diagnosis using machine learning techniques

Credit: Aquabyte

Bryton Shang, Aquabyte founder and CEO (at left) and staff about to deploy the Aquabyte system in a pen in Norway, where the company conducted its field trials. Prior to venturing

CAREER TALK

Newfoundland steps up efforts to address skills gap

Efforts are underway in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to expand its aquaculture workforce.

Mark Lane, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), says projects such as the Marbase Marystown aquaculture service hub, Grieg’s salmon project in Placentia Bay and the arrival of Mowi in the province make attracting talent to the industry an even more crucial task.

“Thankfully,” says Lane, “we have a provincial government that’s very supportive of the industry. They see the growth potential and want to realize that.”

Exposing the youth to aquaculture by making it a standard part of the school curriculum will hopefully cause a paradigm shift in the way people think about aquaculture, says Mark Lane of NAIA

Credit: Adobe Stock

One of these initiatives is to make aquaculture a standard part of the curriculum in primary, elementary and high school classrooms within the next few years. Both the industry and the province are interested in ensuring that students are aware of the opportunities in the aquaculture industry. Preliminary discussions are already underway with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada to develop an equivalent “Aquaculture in the Classroom” program for the province.

“We need a paradigm shift,” says Lane. “I equate it with recycling. When I was growing up, it was the beginning of the paradigm shift in the way of thinking about recycling. For my kids, it’s a no-brainer; they don’t think about it, it’s just the way we do things. We want aquaculture to be like that.”

There are also plans to engage with students on social media and to develop a highcaliber interactive website for aquaculture. The website would answer any questions about sustainability or traceability, but would also have a youth-engagement component where students can learn about the industry.

Lane also hopes that virtual reality technology can be used as part of these experiences. While the technology is, in Lane’s words “trendy and modern,” it could be used to very effectively demonstrate the vast range of opportunities within the aquaculture industry.

“Once you’re on the farm, you’ll see all these people – you’ll see the captain of a crew boat, you see the farm technician, the farm manager, the nutritionist, the veterinarian. The thing I want to do is show people the different selection of job opportunities out there. Aquaculture is here to stay and it’s growing immensely worldwide. I want to bring that opportunity to people who are passionate about working outdoors and working to produce a sustainable protein.”

In addition to bolstering the homegrown workforce, the province is also looking at ways to bring in skilled workers from other parts of the world. In 2020, a pilot project with Memorial University will begin recruiting some graduates of a marine institute degree program from Tra Vinh University in Vietnam. Five graduates will be selected to work in the industry in Newfoundland, who can bring along their families. “One of the biggest reasons we’ve identified for immigrants not staying in Newfoundland is they don’t have a community. We want to bring that community to ensure that we maximize success and they become residents of Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Lane.

- Matt Jones

Report identifies aquaculture as economic driver

Aquaculture is a high-priority industry for economic growth in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, according to a report commissioned by the provincial government.

The McKinsey Report on Economic Growth predicts that by 2030, the aquaculture sector could be producing more than five times current volumes, exceeding 100,000 metric tons annually. Fully realized, increased production of sustainably farmed seafood, coupled with a substantially more robust and integrated supply and services network through the value-chain, could contribute up to $600 million in GDP and generate more than 7,000 additional jobs by 2030.

The provincial government engaged McKinsey & Company to “identify further opportunities for the Province’s economic growth, bringing an independent and global perspective to challenge the current thinking and surface new opportunities”.

Mark Lane, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), says the report is very encouraging. “The report suggests that our province can and should leverage its favorable ocean conditions to license additional sites, opening new areas to prospective seafood farmers. More importantly the report suggests that governments must ensure that new sites are approved in an efficient, effective and timely manner to encourage further aquaculture development and investment.”

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HR

BY LYNN FANTOM

Jamie Rouleau, who sports a long, blonde braid and pals around with a nine-year-old HuskyShepherd, was born in Campbell River, British Columbia and grew up nearby, hunting and fishing with her brother and dad. After high school, she worked at a fish processing plant and, as a technician, at a freshwater salmon nursery. Then the site closed.

But with the same company, Jamie was able to transfer to sea sites and was promoted to assistant manager. Curious about First Nations culture, she ventured to the remote BC community of Klemtu and spent the next four years working eight-day shifts and commuting home to Courtenay for six. She was the first woman in a management role on Mowi sea sites.

Today, she has taken on a new challenge: managing marine logistics with specialized software. She works in

an office now, but still spends her free time outdoors. Jamie’s story, drawn from Mowi Canada West’s Wharfside newsletter, tells how tough—physically and socially—it can be to climb aquaculture’s corporate ladder. But it also suggests the benefits: a career track with many options, opportunities to learn, and the joy of working outdoors. For aquaculture companies grappling with recruiting, hers is also a lesson in how to get and keep the right people.

Jamie was lucky to grow up near Campbell River, a hub for aquaculture. Many in her generation from other parts of Canada and the US have less awareness of the opportunities in fish farming. Marianne Naess, director of operations, North America, Nordic Aquafarms, says, “It’s the industry of the future.” In fact, farmed fish production must more than double in the next 30 years to meet the needs of a protein-hungry world.

Not only is aquaculture a growing, changing business, says Dean Dobrinsky, human resources director for Mowi, it also offers many career paths. Mowi’s 600 people can work in sea site farming, hatchery production, marine operations, fish processing, and business—or move among them, as Jamie Rouleau did. And those roles can take global routes. For example, Cermaq offers work exchange programs in Norway, Chile, and Australia, according to Shannan Brown, people and culture director.

Taylor Shellfish farmers harvest clams. It is a job that requires stamina but offers the beautiful surroundings of the Pacific Northwest

Credit: Taylor Shellfish

CAREER TALK

Still, recruiting talent can be challenging, leaving over 10 percent of jobs unfilled, experts told Aquaculture North America (ANA). It’s a business that’s battling low unemployment rates, an aging demographic, and job appeal dampened by remote locations and hard physical work.

“It takes stamina and grit to stick with these jobs,” says Bill Dewey, director of public affairs at Taylor Shellfish Farms, which employs some 630 people growing oysters, clams, mussels, and geoducks in Puget Sound, Washington. It is Taylor’s mission to bring shellfish “from tide to table.” But in the winter, when the tides are lowest at night, that means harvesters wear headlamps to do their jobs.

“It’s a way of life,” says Russ Walker, Taylor’s safety/HR manager. “Working with Mother Nature, the tides, and the weather, it’s constantly changing schedules and night-time work.”

And employees at the sea sites of BC salmon farms have their own scheduling challenges: they live on a floating barge for eight days followed by six days off.

RECRUITING: A NEVER-ENDING CYCLE

Staffing businesses like these especially in a tight labor market is an ongoing effort and requires creativity and the adoption of new tools.

For near-term needs, Taylor Shellfish hosts open hiring events. But conscious of the long-term, the HR team participates in job fairs at colleges throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as high school career fairs. “It gets our name out there,” says Walker. “We’re investing in the future. It’s a neverending cycle.”

Dobrinsky of Mowi agrees that a good way to source candidates is by building relationships with universities, which Mowi visits sometimes twice a year. The recruiters give “very realistic” profiles of the jobs and answer a lot of questions, he adds.

When Cermaq does its recruiting at career fairs and community events, these days HR is bringing something new, a six-minute movie created in Virtual Reality—plus viewing goggles. “The 360-degree experience is a great way to show the fish farming experience,” says Brown.

Brown also invests time into her own LinkedIn page, which she says is “valuable for recruitment.” She may post an inspirational message from Bill Gates, a personal photo from Team Spirit Day showing herself in a sports jersey, or job openings at other companies in Campbell River—or Cermaq, of course. “It is a great way to convey the company’s culture and open a private channel of communication with potential recruits,” she says.

Internships also play a role in a comprehensive recruiting program. Taylor offers a three- to fourmonth paid internship that teaches people all aspects of working on clam, oyster, and geoduck farms, from planting to maintenance to harvest. Interns work side by side with farm managers. It has proven to produce a good middle-management talent pool, notes Dewey.

Mowi also hires summer interns from which they can pluck viable candidates for long-term development.

Since so much of the workforce is drawn from local communities, the image of these companies is fundamental. And a lot of good work stems from that.

For example, Mowi offers its communities a Salmon Barbeque Event Trailer for local fundraising initiatives. The company provides the trailer, chef, utensils, and all ingredients for a salmon burger or miso salmon salad—even gluten-free options. A local group, whether a sports team or charity, benefits from the proceeds from the food cart sales.

Millennials: Consumers of the workplace

Event marketing is one way to burrow into the consciousness of potential recruits, especially millennials. Another is to display socially responsible corporate values. According to a 2016 Cone Communications study, 76 percent of millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work (vs. 58 percent for the US average).

Of course, caring about the environment is core to the business of aquaculture itself, and Taylor Shellfish of Washington State demonstrates a commitment here. When tides aren’t workable, crews will clean the beaches. Taylor also participates in the bi-annual Shellfish Industry Beach Cleanup organized by the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, contributing people, boats, and lunch.

Similarly, Cermaq is active in improving ocean health. In January, for example, they joined the Coastal Restoration Society and Clayoquot Cleanup in a public meeting to review projects and plans to remove plastic and debris.

Another one of Cermaq’s corporate values is responsibility to society and, in keeping with that, it launched a program this winter to build cultural

sensitivity toward indigenous people. In a hypothetical historical village, training participants played roles such as elders, hunters, and children to heighten their awareness.

Harvard Business Review has called millennials “consumers of the workplace” because they will shop until they find positions that fulfill their needs and goals. In addition to targeting this age cohort, though, aquaculture is solving its recruiting problems by reaching out to different segments. A Gen X forklift driver in a warehouse might want to work outdoors, for example. And more and more women are moving into the industry.

Several companies noted that women make up 20 percent of their workforce. And at Cermaq, with its 200 employees, the younger the workforce segment is, the higher the percentage. In fact, women account for 49 percent of millennial (or Gen Y) employees.

Millennials will shop until they find positions that fulfill their needs, thus earning them the tag ‘consumers of the workplace’ Credit: Bellingham Technical College

CAREER TALK

Safety training rises to a top priority among HR’s initiatives, here exemplified by a new mannequin of realistic size and weight for ‘man overboard’ exercises at Mowi’s site on Swanson Island in BC

Credit: Mowi

In their daily lives, employees play a role in the community too. “We are the hockey and soccer coaches, the gymnastics people,” says Dobrinsky.

“Public outreach is huge for us,” Taylor’s Walker agrees. The farm produces educational videos on how to plant shellfish and publishes informational posts like “What in the ‘sea’ is a geoduck?” It also participates in Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association’s Washington Shellfish Week, offering shucking lessons, farm tours, and cooking events.

HR TECH TOOLKIT EXPANDS

To onboard employees, farmers like Taylor are taking advantage of online HR systems, although safety training is always conducted in person, Walker emphasizes. Cermaq is moving to an online system that manages everything from goal-setting to paid time off, and Brown points to the convenience that mobile access offers employees.

Mowi has developed a Technician Advancement Program with four levels of education, training, and mentoring that moves employees to a management tier. Participants are evaluated at each level and are also paid more as they advance. An e-learning component is self-driven. “We have to grow our people from within,”

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Dobrinsky says. But this program is now the model for aquaculture certification at a local college.

In February, Cermaq began new Technicians’ Academies, which are week-long training programs that will be conducted twice a year. Brown, fresh from a management conference herself, says that Cermaq has combined subjects that have been taught in single-day sessions. Employees learn about technology, equipment, safety,

Cermaq shows a six-minute movie created in Virtual Reality at career fairs and community events to show potential candidates the fish farming experience

CAREER TALK

and fish health (they even did a dissection), while experiencing the opportunity to come together as “one company.” Brown says, “We will always have peer-to-peer and peer-to-manager learning, but we are incorporating more formal knowledge transfer and enhancement. We are just beginning this journey.”

Even as companies are formalizing their training, they emphasize the need to be responsive to circumstances. When Mowi saw an uptick in incidents that had the potential for serious injury, they brought in managers for a one-day “safety training reboot.” Similarly, over the years Taylor has responded to dramatic growth spurts by tapping external training and

development resources for classes on communications, moderating disputes, and digital skills.

IF EMPLOYEES DON’T GROW, THEY GO

“The workforce today needs more touch points,” says Mowi’s Dobrinsky. Employees are looking for training but also the coaching to help them understand where it will take them. Introducing more regularly scheduled career counseling is on Dobrinsky’s docket for this year.

At Grieg Seafood, HR Manager Alina Constantin meets with every new employee after 30 days with the company. Since 2017, she has been refining all employee job descriptions, as well as the performance appraisal system. “This makes it clear what employees have to achieve before they can get to the next level,” she says. “If they can’t see where they can grow, they go somewhere else.”

The job descriptions include both technical and behavioral competencies. A technician, for example, must be able to lift at least 50 lbs. But all employees at Grieg must build behavioral skills appropriate for their positions. Developed with organizational consultant Korn Ferry, these include how well a person makes decisions, demonstrates accountability, deals with change, and is engaged and eager to grow.

Grieg measures that employee engagement company-wide by sending its 150 employees a Gallup survey that asks 12 questions such as “Is there someone at work who

encourages your development?” and “Does the mission of the company make you feel your job is important?”

From results, the leadership team can develop relevant programs to improve engagement. This Gallup employee engagement research has been conducted with more than 35 million employees and, among other findings, shows that companies in the top quartile of engagement scores have 70 percent fewer safety incidents than those at the bottom.

Clearly, aquaculture companies are addressing their workforce needs with ingenuity and investment. Part of the solution has been increased automation.

Taylor, for example, has perfected a clam harvesting machine based on one originally designed to dig tulip bulbs. And they have sourced innovative equipment from all over the world, such as Italy and France.

Technology has also been reshaping salmon farming. “It wasn’t so long ago that fish were fed from a bucket,” says Dobrinsky. Today there are state of the art, computer-driven systems with real-time monitoring to feed the fish but also provide aeration, light, and waste management.

Even as technology advances, finding the right people will remain a priority, Dobrinsky says. What are companies looking for? Passion is the quality that resounds in aquaculture career talk—passion about the product, co-workers, the community, and the environment.

Brown clinches it: “We are looking for people who want to be part of a solution: we produce food.”

Fleming College’s Aquaculture program is the only one of its kind at the post-graduate level in Ontario.

Offered in a compressed format, full-time from September to April with a 320-hour co-op, you will learn about cold, cool and warm water aquaculture for food production, and for fisheries, recreation and conservation.

The program is located within our School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at our Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ontario.

• Extensive fish husbandry experience in our on-campus hatcheries

• Field trips and seminars on the business of Aquaculture

• A final semester, 8-week paid co-op at an aquaculture enterprise specific to your career interest

START IN SEPTEMBER

Jon Carter, Program Coordinator

jon.carter@flemingcollege.ca 1.866.353.6464 ext. 3215

Interns from UWStevens Point. A good way to source candidates is by building relationships with universities, say HR managers

Credit: UW-Stevens Point

Jamie Rouleau rose through the ranks of Mowi Canada to become the first woman in a management role on the sea sites

Credit: Mowi Canada

CAREER TALK

Educational series aims to reinforce a ‘culture of welfare’

Biopharmaceutical company Merck Animal Health has announced its Aqua Care365 initiative to support fish farmers in their efforts to provide the best quality care for their operations.

The program includes a series of employee training modules featuring industry experts, interactive quizzes, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and certificates of completion to document training. Free access is available at AquaCare365.com.

“Aqua Care365 is all about supporting farmers and helping them to either develop or reinforce a culture of welfare in their operations,” said Tim Kniffen, technical services manager at Merck Animal Health. “Covering topics important to fish farming provides valuable information to help reduce stress and prevent diseases, which are essential for a healthy food supply.”

Professor Jimmy Turnbull of the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling will teach the first educational training module focused on normal and abnormal salmon behavior. The videos on these lessons are about five minutes long.

“Employees need to be trained so they know when to report abnormal behavior, as it may require immediate intervention for the health of the fish,” Turnbull said.

“Salmon farmers are interested in having this type of a program available for themselves, for their employees and new employees coming on board,” said Kniffen about the choice to start with salmon. He said topics were developed in collaboration with salmon farmers and veterinarians. “The first priority in the care series was determined to be an understanding of fish behavior.”

The company said it will soon develop training modules on the topics of sea pen handling and farm fish examination.

Professor Jimmy Turnbull of the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, teaches the first module focused on normal and abnormal salmon behavior Credit: FISH HEALTH, freepik.com

CAREER TALK

Disbanded group leaves funds to aquaculture students

Aquaculture students at North Island College (NIC) in British Columbia are the lucky beneficiaries of $110,000 from the British Columbia Aquatic Food Resources Society (BCAFRS).

The organization was dissolved in 2017 and bestowed its remaining funds to support students interested in aquatic sciences at NIC. “The aquatic resource industry is an important contributor to the local economy and we wanted to support students interested in contributing to it in a sustainable way,” former BCAFRS president Monty Little said in NIC’s website.

The school will use some of those funds as a subsidy to allow students in their aquaculture program to save $1,000 on tuition.

While the tuition subsidy is the only specific use of the funds announced to date, it will not solely be used for that purpose, says Randall Heidt, vice-president-strategic initiatives for NIC. “There are other avenues for us to use the funds: we can support aquatic research projects and we can also support science students who aren’t necessarily in the aquaculture program,” he says. “This is a brand new aquaculture program for us. We had a certificate in the past; we’ve now added a new certificate in aquaculture and a diploma in year two. We’re using it to launch the new program and support and attract students to that new program.”

Heidt says certificate program is geared more towards people who are interested in entering the aquaculture industry, while the diploma program is for people already in the industry who are looking to increase their skills and knowledge base.

- Matt Jones

SPONSORED

Cornell University offers RAS short course online

Cornell University is ahead of its time in offering courses on recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). While the aquaculture industry is only beginning to use RAS in raising fish to market size, Cornell has been teaching RAS courses over the past 25 years. It taught the course at various locations in the US, including the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, WV and at Hubbs Sea World in San Diego, CA. It has also offered the course overseas, including Canada, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, Germany, Ecuador and Finland.

The classroom-based RAS course is now available as an online course. Developed with eCornell.com, students anywhere in the world can now avail of the course at www.eCornell.com/ fish. The RAS eCornell course covers topics that are written about in the seminal industry textbook, Recirculating Aquaculture-4th edition, written by Timmons, Guerdat and Vinci.

These include:

• Overview of RAS engineering

• Water quality objectives, monitoring and measurement

• Fish growth and system staging

• Engineering design of individual unit processes

• System management

• Fish health management

• Economic and risk evaluation

The course includes ~11 hours of video lecture content that are integrated with a slide-show lecture. There are quizzes throughout, culminating in a comprehensive exam. More information about the eCornell RAS course is available in a short video on youtube.

“This self-paced course explains the basic engineering principles behind a successful RAS design,” says Dr Michael Ben Timmons, who led the development of the course. “The objective is to provide sufficient information so students will be able to design, construct, and manage their own RAS system. Basic principles of business management and securing investment capital for the small family farm will also be reviewed.”

At the conclusion of the course, students will have received the essential information necessary to design their own system and have fundamental knowledge of the principles influencing the numerous design options, Timmons added.

As part of the course fee, students will get a copy of the electronic version of the textbook Recirculating Aquaculture4th edition.

Aquaculture students at North Island College in BC will benefit from the donation in the form of tuition discounts

Credit: North Island College

An aquaponics course is in the works at Cornell University to complement the online RAS short course Credit: Cornell University

CAREER TALK

Employer in Focus:

Keo Fish Farm

‘Valuing

The latest Gallup poll on “employee engagement” in the US – defined as workers who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace – shows the percentage of “engaged” workers is 34 percent. According to Gallup, organizations that are best in engaging their employees achieve more than four times the earnings-per-share growth of their competitors.

The figure is the highest since the polling company began reporting on it in 2000. The findings suggest that the rest of US workers (53 percent and 13 percent respectively) are either “not engaged” – those generally satisfied and do the minimum required, but will quickly leave their company for a slightly better offer; or “actively

disengaged” – workers who have miserable work experiences.

Mike Freeze, co-owner of Keo Fish Farm Inc of Little Rock, Arkansas, knows only too well the importance of employee engagement in one’s business. The company has its roots in a family business started by couple Cleo and Martha Melkovitz in the 1960s. Freeze became a partner

in the business in 1986, a year after Cleo was killed in a plane crash. The business is a case study in social capital, defined loosely as shared values and understandings that enable groups to trust each other and work together. With the help of 17 employees, including Freeze and Cleo’s wife, Martha, the company now accounts for 80 percent of the market for hybrid striped bass fingerlings in the US, and

Some of Keo Fish Farm’s employees. When employees live in the same community where they work, it fosters the wellbeing of the individual, the company and the whole community, says Mike Freeze

CAREER TALK

also dominates the triploid grass carp market.

“Your employees are your most valuable asset ever,” Freeze tells Aquaculture North America (ANA). “One should never forget that. You want your employees to work there, you want them to feel like they’re vested in your company.”

Enhancing employee experience to engage and retain their talent is Freeze’s philosophy as an employer. Keo’s profit-sharing plan enables its workers to feel more vested in the company’s overall success, giving them the initiative to go above and beyond one’s job. “When our employees are loading fish on a truck and one of them spills fish, I don’t say a word to him, but the other employees are going to say: ‘Hey, you need to be more careful!’ Because that is profit they co-own, through our profit-sharing plan,” Freeze says.

Staff members have 25 days annually to take as personal time, including 10 during the Christmas holidays. Paying workers a living wage that will give them a decent quality of life is a win-win for both employees and employers, Freeze adds. “I laugh when people talk about paying employees minimum wage. Yes, maybe you could hire somebody for minimum wage. But people work so they can have time off and be with their family and do things they want, and if they’re not making enough money to do that, they’re not going to be happy and you’re not going to keep them,” he says.

Measuring employee accountability can be a difficult task to accomplish, but at Keo Fish Farm, staff does not have to clock in and out. Instead, they have devised a way to hold them accountable. “Occasionally, you’ll have a little bit of an issue with some not showing up on time because they’re not punching a time clock. But

instead of calling them out, they pay $10 into a pot that’s divided among the employees at the end of the year. So it’s almost comical – they’ll sit there with a watch, trying to see if any employee comes in late. It’s just a way you motivate your employees. Instead of penalizing them, you’re rewarding them.”

Hiring a local talent pool is a priority for the company. Freeze believes it is essential that employees live in the same community where they work because it fosters the wellbeing of the individual, the company and the whole community. Looking closer to home for new talent also makes vetting candidates easier, he says. “When we have an opening, my workers are not going to recommend somebody who is not a good worker or has a drug problem because they don’t want to have to work with someone like that, otherwise they’re going to have to pull his weight.”

sick, or they’ve got a problem, you’re going to have to address that. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had some employees coming to me to talk about marital problems, financial problems. I’m like a father or grandfather to them in a lot of ways.”

“We’re one of the few farms that actually use local labor,” he emphasizes. “There’s nothing wrong with H-2A workers (foreign temporary or seasonal agricultural workers), but when you use H-2A workers, there’s a whole set of federal regulations one has to follow. There’s whole different set of headaches. When you use local workers, there’s another set of challenges, but it’s because most of them become like family. If their children are

“We have very very low turnover,” adds Freeze. However, he said he’s now faced with an aging workforce; a situation he calls is his biggest challenge. “So I’m trying to bring in some newer guys that have worked with us in the summertime. We hire quite a few high school guys, many of whom may go on to college but keep working with us while they’re in college. After college sometimes they go on to another career but sometimes they stay with us.”

Freeze says the company has tried partnerships with universities via internship programs to bring in talent but found that housing interns could be a challenge. “We were using interns from Scotland at one time. But when you’re in an area where it’s really difficult to find housing, that becomes a problem. So we just to try to get someone locally.”

- Liza Mayer

Mike Freeze, co-owner of Keo Fish Farm Inc. Enhancing employee experience to engage and retain their talent is Freeze’s philosophy as an employer

CAREER TALK

On-campus hatcheries offer hands-on learning

Fleming College’s two on-campus hatcheries help students acquire professional and practical skills in fish farming

With access to two on-campus hatcheries, the experiential learning within Fleming College’s Aquaculture Co-op program ensures students have a head start on their career.

The Co-op program puts Fleming College in a unique position of offering the only aquaculture program offered as a post-graduate certificate in Ontario, Canada. The program is compressed into one year of study, including a paid, eightweek co-op.

The program is located at Fleming’s Frost Campus in Lindsay, Ontario. Its strong industry connections ensure students experience first-hand several aspects of the aquaculture industry.

Students get an opportunity to practice their skills and gain real-world experience at the salmonid hatchery and the alternate species hatchery on the campus.

“The Aquaculture program at Fleming is unique because it offers a lot of hands-on learning. The students are actually in the

hatchery 12 hours a week,” says program coordinator Jon Carter.

As students progress through the program and gain confidence in their skills, they take on a supervisory role and run the hatchery with faculty oversight.

“Hands-on work in the hatchery enables students to learn more and gives them the practical experience before getting into the industry. One can actually work with fish and learn more about them at different stages of life,” says Lenora Dias, Aquaculture program graduate.

Employers are noticing the high quality of Fleming Aquaculture graduates.

“Industry is looking for our students all the time. In fact, multiple employers from British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Maritimes, as well as local producers in Ontario are seeking our graduates. They are keen to recruit our students,” says Carter.

For more information about the program, visit: flemingcollege.ca/programs/aquaculture

Online course offerings expanded

Anew course called “The Health and Welfare of Atlantic Salmon” has been added to the range of flexible, online courses available on The Fish Site. The course is being offered in conjunction with the FishVet Group.

The new course has been designed for fish operatives who are responsible for the health and welfare aspects of farmed salmon, helping to ensure that fish are free from disease and suffering whilst also promoting good productivity and compliance with legislation. Students can study anytime at their own pace and on any device with internet access.

A variety of courses – from MScs, to introductory courses, to compliance training – have been developed with the University of St Andrews and UMass Boston and are available also at thefishsite.com/learn

“Anyone looking to accelerate their career in aquaculture or break in to the industry should be able to find the right course for them,” says Jim Muirhead, Director, 5m Publishing, which publishes The Fish Site.

The University of St Andrews offers both postgraduate and undergraduate courses in sustainable aquaculture and students can also take individual modules, which can contribute towards a postgraduate qualification. Courses are taught via an online e-learning platform offering online tutorial support, direct email contact with tutors, video streams and access to student bulletin boards. The structure allows students the maximum flexibility to complete their studies while continuing in their employment.

UMass Boston offers an online undergraduate certificate – Introduction to Sustainable Marine Aquaculture. There are two routes, either for-credit, or non-credit. The for-credit route is ideal for anyone interested in a career in the aquaculture industry and provides many opportunities for students to explore aspects of the field. The non-credit certification enables individuals to quickly gain basic knowledge for entry into the workforce.

CAREER TALK

One-of-a-kind learning experience

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has a unique workforce development program that utilizes a state-of-the-art research facility known as the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (UWSP NADF). The research facility, along with the UWSP aqua-business education courses, incorporate key concepts for educating a skilled 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 opportunity is achieved through internships and technician positions to create a unique and qualified skillset, which is recognized by industry partners, leading to job placement rates of over 90 percent.

first cohort ever harvested from a land-based aquaculture facility in the US, Superior Fresh, where she was a summer intern Credit: Superior Fresh

UWSP graduate Brandon Gottsacker is overseeing the largest aquaponics system in the world, as president of Superior Fresh, LLC. The Hixton, Wisconsin-based company is also the first in the US to raise Atlantic salmon to market size in recirculating aquaculture systems. “UW-Stevens Point guided me towards this exciting young industry by providing me unique opportunities to learn about aquaculture,” said Gottsacker. He and his team have partnered with the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility for research, technical assistance, demonstration and cold-water species expertise to advance their facility and operations. UW-Stevens Point is also partnering with others to provide interns, technicians and further support staff. “UWSP has rigorous curriculum in biology, fisheries and aquaculture. I am confident in hiring students that attended UWSP,” Gottsacker added.

As part of a grant-funded project to advance aquaculture and aquaponics workforce development, UW-Stevens Point and industry partners were able to accept six internships in 2018. The UWSP students were stationed at various facilities including UWSP NADF, UWSP Aquaponics Innovation Center, USFWS National Fish Hatchery and Superior Fresh, LLC. Student Brianna Dunbar had the opportunity to intern at Superior Fresh. “This facility is on the cutting edge of recirculating aquaculture and aquaponics technology. I was able to assist with practices unique to Superior Fresh and participate in the first ever harvest of landbased Atlantic salmon in the US,” said Dunbar. Upon graduation, Dunbar will be continuing her path in aquaculture with Superior Fresh. “This was an amazing experience for me and through this internship I discovered what I want to do for a career.”

For more information visit aquaculture.uwsp.edu.

Four fisheries labs give university leading edge

Idaho is the nation’s largest commercial producer of rainbow trout and is central to the recovery of many endangered and threatened fish stocks. This uniquely positions the University of Idaho 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.

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’s unique facilities allow hands-on training for students

Credit: University of Idaho

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 Genetics

Custom Holding Systems

• Designed to maximize space and energy efficiency and minimize maintenance

• Preassembled, skid-mounted Life Support System with multiple options

• Full system monitoring available

• Salt water and fresh water versions available to suit any species e.g. crab, lobster, geoduck, tilapia and more

www.AquaticEnterprises.com

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

We 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

ANA_Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center_novDec17.indd 1

• Fish Reproductive Biology

• Fish Physiology

• Limnology

• Water Resources/ Hydrology

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.

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.

UWSP student Brianna Dunbar showing Atlantic salmon from the

CAREER TALK

Delivering education through collaboration

Excel Career College (Excel) entered the aquaculture market as an HR disrupter. It wasn’t uncommon a decade ago for aquaculture employers to hire unskilled labourers then do the skills development training and industry certifications in-house. Employers across British Columbia were seeing the writing on the wall that this method was far too risky and cost prohibitive, particularly with the skills and labour shortage being predicted.

Through a great deal of industry consultation, Excel launched its Aquaculture Technician Diploma Program with tremendous placement success. One employer hiring an Excel graduate saved the company roughly $5,000 in training and certifications. Industry leaders continued to provide input through a Program Advisory Council as well as direct involvement in the classroom and practicum placements.

The aquaculture labour market continued to struggle as the growth in the industry was putting tighter constraints on the recruiting process. Excel, in partnership with the BC Salmon Farmer’s Association, was able to secure a Labour Market Sector Solution contract that funded the training and placement of 60 technicians across Vancouver Island. Collaboration with industry and community

brings a number of benefits. In another projectbased training contract, Excel partnered with a First Nations community and a leading aquaculture company to train members of the indigenous community and prepare them for employment opportunities with the company. The project was fully funded and customized to the needs of the community and the employer. Excel Career College was also able to bring its RAS Technician program, fully funded, to a RAS operation customized to their needs.

Over the past 10 years, Excel has trained over 250 technicians who work in all regions and disciplines in the vibrant province of BC. Excel’s capability to deliver customized, industry-relevant training in any location has made a significant contribution to managing the growing skills and labour shortage in BC’s aquaculture industry and the entire labour market.

Building skills capacity in communities through collaboration with the aquaculture industry is one of Excel’s strong suit

Credit: Excel Career College

Training the next generation

AYSI’s

s the world’s population grows, it is more imperative than ever to have a safe, healthy and sustainable source of food for people around the globe. Aquatic species –including fish, shellfish, and plants and algae – are essential to feed this growing population.

The Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) is dedicated to educating students about the immense value of these aquatic resources. Through sciencebased and hands-on learning, students are able to help manage and conserve those resources through sustainable farming and harvesting.

BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program imparts the knowledge needed to help manage and conserve aquatic resources

Credit: BTC

BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program is the only two-year program on the West Coast that provides hands-on training with algae and shellfish. Its multifaceted curriculum teaches algae, finfish and shellfish culturing, and conservation, as well as data collection, entry and analysis. Blending science with hands-on learning in the lab and in the field gives students a strong foundation for their careers and a deep understanding of aquatic species and their habitats.

Much of this learning takes place at BTC’s Perry Center for Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences. The award-winning facility features specialized classrooms, wet and dry laboratories, an algae laboratory and more. The Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences program operates two hatcheries, allowing students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom and the lab to the real world.

Graduates of the program are eligible for technical positions in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, including: shellfish and finfish commercial farming, tribal and government stock enhancement hatcheries, fisheries conservation and management agencies, fisheries vessel and port sampling, and in emerging industries such as aquaponics and alternate feed production.

For more information about this one-of-a-kind program, contact BTC at 360.752.8345 or admissions@btc.edu.

CAREER TALK

AVC student to explore impact of climate change on salmon farming

Alyson Brown, a student at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island, will spend the summer working on a research project investigating the impact of accelerated climate change on Atlantic salmon aquaculture in Atlantic Canada.

The project is part of the College’s veterinary student research awards (VetSRA) program, which is designed to give students a solid foundation in research. It was developed by Dr Mark Fast, associate professor of fish health at AVC, and collaborators at Memorial University and the University of Waterloo.

“Accelerated climate change is predicted to result in rapidly changing water conditions, like increasing water temperatures and low oxygen levels,” says Fast. “In some areas, water temperatures are forecasted to increase by 2-4 degrees C over the next 20 to 30 years. These changes may push the Atlantic salmon outside its optimal physiological range during the summer, negatively impacting fish health and production – and ultimately the sustainability of the industry.”

Fast wants to develop a “road map” for the adaptation of salmon aquaculture production to climate change, and for the better management of fish health and diseases. To do this, he wants to identify Atlantic salmon families that have enhanced capacity to adapt to environmental challenges and mount strong pathogen-specific immune responses. He also wants to evaluate the effectiveness of current ISA vaccines at elevated temperatures, and how pathogens will respond to climate change.

Brown will work with Fast at AVC’s aquatic animal facility and with industry collaborator Mowi at Huntsman Marine Science Centre, New Brunswick, to test the impact of high temperatures and low oxygen on diseaseresistance in salmon.

Brown, who earned her Master of Science degree under Fast’s supervision, wants to work in aquaculture after she graduates in 2022. She enjoys the diversity of the aquatic animal health aspect of veterinary medicine.

“As an aquaculture vet, I could play a key role in making sure our fish and shellfish are healthy and sustainable. This would involve disease surveillance and prevention, sampling fish and water, and providing treatment when necessary. I love that this discipline allows for a balance between hands-on animal care and diagnostics,” she says.

Flexibility to grow

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Veterinary student Alyson Brown and Dr Mark Fast in the Atlantic Veterinary College’s aquatic animal facility Credit: AVC

BY LIZA MAYER

The world’s largest aquaculture conference and tradeshow held in New Orleans from March 7-11 revealed a robust aquaculture industry and widespread optimism among industry stakeholders.

The Triennial edition of Aquaculture America welcomed a record 3,500 attendees, a dramatic 65-percent growth from the previous edition held in 2016 in Las Vegas.

“Aquaculture is doing really well. We also have 60 more booths than the previous edition, bringing the total to 205 this year,” John Cooksey, executive director of World Aquaculture Society (WAS), told Aquaculture North America (ANA). The Triennial is held somewhere in the United States every three years and combines the annual meetings of industry associations: WAS, the National Shellfisheries Association, the Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society, and the National Aquaculture Association.

“Every show is getting bigger and bigger,” Cooksey continues. “The only reason to account for that is that the industry is healthy, from research to production to the entire

chain. A lot of people are looking to get into aquaculture. It’s definitely an indicator because if the producers are not doing well, they don’t buy equipment and the exhibitors don’t buy booths and there’s also no money going into research.”

“There’s a lot of companies that I have never seen exhibit in the past,” observed Keith Filer, project manager for aquaculture research at biotechnology company Alltech. “There are some companies that I know that have come to the show before not as exhibitors, but who are exhibiting this time. We are seeing a lot more people getting into the industry, from suppliers to the farmers. Between what we’ve seen in here and the investment that’s going into the industry especially for salmon production, the RAS projects, demonstrates that the industry is healthy and that the potential that we’ve been talking about in the United States for so long is starting to actually move forward and build the industry.”

Among the first-time participants is Enterra Feed Corporation, a company breaking ground in the insect protein market.

“We got a lot of traction at this show, there’s a lot of interest in insects because it is a novel ingredient for aquafeed. We saw a lot of

interest, lots of people learning. There’s been a lot of research done over the past several years so we’re starting to gain traction as we increase production. We see many feed companies and fish farmers that are starting to incorporate insects into their feeds,” said Victoria Leung, VP for Operations at the Langley, BC-based company.

There were 104 educational sessions at the event, covering industry mainstays – finfish and shellfish aquaculture. But what was most notable was the strong presence and interest in emerging sectors and technology such recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), offshore aquaculture, aquaponics and seaweed farming.

“Seaweed has become very popular and aquaponics is growing everywhere. We had a workshop on aquaponics before the trade show and a lot of people attended,” said Cooksey. RAS sessions attracted a standingroom-only crowd.

Participants were from 85 countries. “We missed some participants from some countries because of the quagmire with the state department. We usually get about 90 countries but some people, particularly those from Africa, had difficulty getting a visa. A

good hundred participants couldn’t come because of visa problems,” said Cooksey. That hiccup aside, the event spotlighted positive signs that aquaculture is here to stay and things are moving along just fine.

“I went to a lot of great talks from industry and academia so it’s been a good time,” said Abigail Bockus, a research scientist and assistant professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. “This is my third year to attend the show but my first Triennial. I saw more international research than usual. It’s really great to see what other countries are doing.”

For Steve Rawles, a fish nutritionist with the United States Department of Aquaculture (USDA), the event was a chance to network and foster collaboration for future work with industry colleagues. “There’ve been a lot of good meetings, a lot of good networking. I think it’s one of the more successful conferences we had with a lot more exhibits, which is good because the whole thing behind the World Aquaculture Society in the US is bringing together academia, government and the industry. So there’s a lot of interaction there and from that standpoint it’s been very successful for me.”

Participants tour the Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center which has 100,000 ft2 of culture and research space devoted to live feed, broodstock, hatchery, and nursery/ growout systems Credit: All photos Liza Mayer

A record 3,500 attendees attended the eventSome early arrivals got to partake in Mardi Gras festivities

‘The Big Easy’ hosted the world’s biggest aquaculture event on March 7-11

S4000 nursery trays

S1000 oyster trays

Group’s strategic rebrand hones focus on coalition building

New leader of Northwest Aquaculture Alliance will mobilize broader coalition with science-backed agenda

Washington State’s leading fish farmers group is embarking on a strategic rebrand in response to the industry’s changing landscape.

Roughly a year after Atlantic salmon farming was banned in the state, the Washington Fish Growers Association (WFGA) is driving to attract a broad spectrum of aquaculture businesses under the banner of its new name, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), that reflects this expanded mission.

“After the Washington State authorities made what we believed was an ill-informed and irrational decision, we knew that the organization needed to change, to position ourselves to mobilize our friends and become a voice for aquaculture in the region at a time when other states (such as Maine) and countries have seen the industry become a strong economic engine,” said Jeanne McKnight, who stepped into the lead role as interim executive director in January. A former director of communications for the Global Aquaculture Alliance, McKnight was asked “at the 11th hour” by WFGA to consult on crafting communications in the final days of debate on whether to ban non-native marine fish aquaculture in the state.

The NWAA is eyeing aquaculture businesses that “believe in the potential for aquaculture development in the Northwest region and who are willing to put in more effort.” Since

the organization’s founding 26 years ago, the group’s membership has been evolving to include global feed suppliers, animal breeding and genetics companies, egg producers, and other suppliers. Now it is in a full “membership development mode.”

The intention is to represent the aquaculture industry not only in Washington State but also Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. McKnight says it is eyeing British Columbia “along the lines of affiliate memberships.” The goal is to strengthen the coalition, she emphasizes.

“The time is now; this is our moment to build a proaquaculture climate in the Northwest for marine farming, for land-based farms, for support businesses,” McKnight says.

To champion the interests of such members, McKnight will herald “the voice of science and reason” through a new science advisory board made up of several aquaculture scientists, researchers, and academics.

McKnight also plans to “break through a lot of negative mythology” by addressing press coverage and the views of the wild harvest groups about farmed seafood. “You never see aquaculture groups bash wild fish…sadly, the converse is not true.”

McKnight knows that side of the industry, too. She started her 40-year fisheries career working for the commercial wild harvest sector. After a stint as communications director for the West Coast Fisheries Development Foundation, she moved on to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Over the years, she has taken on tough challenges such as advocating for Chilean salmon producers to be able to export to the US and counteracting anti-salmon farming campaigns in Canada, the US, and Chile.

She comes to this new position aware of the changes in the media landscape that make addressing certain anti-aquaculture attitudes even more difficult. “One of the biggest challenges is that the average consumer never gets the chance to hear the whole story (the good news) about aquaculture,” she says.

And that story is improving, McKnight believes. As evidence, she cites the push among NWAA members to earn certifications from Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), GlobalGAP, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

It’s a new game, and McKnight has scripted her plays carefully. As she drives the ball down the field, though, the clock is ticking. Her appointment as interim director is for one year.

- Lynn Fantom

Jeanne McKnight, interim executive director of the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance

SHOWCASE

Auburn fisheries professor honored

Auburn University Professor Rex Dunham is the recipient of the Southeastern Conference’s 2019 Faculty Achievement Award for Auburn.

Dunham is internationally known for his research on the genetic improvement of catfish, focusing on efforts to positively impact food production for farmers, increase yield for processors and improve food quality for consumers without negative environmental effects. His research has led to two major changes in the genetic type of fish used in the US, the latest transforming the channel catfish industry into a majority hybrid catfish industry.

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Our enzymatic protease increase raw material stability, keep our partners competitive and are environmentally responsible.

Credit: Auburn University

Dunham is a professor in Auburn University’s School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences. He will receive a $5,000 honorarium from the SEC, which is a coalition of 14 public and private universities in southern United States. The award also makes him Auburn’s nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year. The winneer will be selected from 14 nominees representing SEC universities, including Auburn.

“Dr Dunham is an exceptional professor and scientist whose work continues to make a tremendous impact on the quality of our food and the health of our economy,” says Auburn President Steven Leath. “His commitment to excellence is evidenced by both the success of his students and his research endeavors. Rex is one of our finest faculty members, and it is no surprise he was chosen to represent Auburn for this distinguished honor.”

The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards was created to recognize faculty accomplishments, scholarly contributions and discoveries. They were first presented in 2012.

‘Swiss army knife’ of oyster farming apps

With its number of useful tools, developers of a new app are hoping that oyster farmers would treat like an indispensable Swiss army knife.

The Oyster Farming app was “created to help simplify the day-to-day activities of oyster production,” said Bill Walton, an Alabama Extension shellfish specialist and a leader of the project.

Credit: Alabama Cooperative Extension System

The app is a tool for commercial oyster farmers to input, store and share harvest information. Among the features are several customized calculators that help producers determine the number of shellfish seed delivered, helping them achieve desired stocking densities and estimate current stock on a farm. These will aid commercial oyster producers modernize the way they manage their operations, said Dr Garry Lemme, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

The app has a section for farmers to ask questions to Alabama Extension and the Auburn University Shellfish Lab teams.

“Working with farmers, we saw that they were doing a lot of repetitive tasks and jotting things down and then losing those papers,” said Walton, who’s also an Auburn University marine biologist. “We figured that we all have smart phones, so why not put them to use? We hope this helps oyster farmers by making life a little easier and by helping them keep and share information.”

The development of the app was a collaborative effort of professionals with Alabama Extension and Auburn University. The project team also worked with Sea Grant agents in other coastal states for feedback and advice.

The Oyster Farming app is available as a free download on both the Apple and Google stores.

-Ruby Gonzalez

Developers created the Oyster Farming app to help simplify the day-to-day activities of oyster production

Professor Rex Dunham’s research led to two major changes in the genetic type of fish used in the US, the latest transforming the channel catfish industry into a majority hybrid catfish industry

Health challenges in salmonid farming focus of new report

new technical report the gives an overview of emerging diseases in farmed salmonids is now available online.

AThe report is published by Elanco Animal Health, in collaboration with the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the British Columbia Centre of Aquatic Health Sciences.

“This report aims to serve as a helpful resource for fish health professionals, academics and for the global salmon farming industry in the important effort to improve the comprehension and management of health challenges in salmonid farming,” Elanco said in a statement.

The publication is a series of six scientific reviews with authorship and input from 19 international experts. It covers six important diseases or health challenges affecting farmed salmon globally:

• Sea lice resistance

• Amoebic gill disease (AGD)

• Infectious salmon anemia (ISA)

• Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) and Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV)

• Tenacibaculosis

• Bacterial kidney disease (BKD)

These diseases were identified as “emerging,” according to the foreword of the report, “as there is new knowledge on agent dynamics, they re-occur or they are well described in one region and may

well become a threat to other regions with the same type of production.”

A 72-page report can be downloaded in PDF format at http://www.cahs-bc. ca/presentations.php

New delousing tool ‘safe and gentle’ on salmon

Anew delousing tool that removes sea lice based on a patented flushing system has been developed by Sea Farm Innovations (SFI) and adapted by salmon farmer Cermaq.

The tool gently removes the sea lice from the salmon and simultaneously collects the sea lice so it can be filtered from the water, said Cermaq. The treatment itself only last for approximately 0.2 seconds per fish, and is effective against both mobile and adult sea lice, it added. The company plans to deploy the tool in its farms in Chile in July and, if successful, will also deploy it in its operations in Canada and Norway.

“We think SFI have come up with a very interesting concept that safeguards the welfare of the fish and at the same time is both flexible and easy to operate. We are cooperating closely with SFI, combining their entrepreneurial approach and competence with our experience to adapt the technology to ensure an optimal effect against sea lice in Chile,” said Harald Takle, Cermaq’s R&D manager, farming technology. SFI, a two-year-old company based in the Faroe Islands, said it developed the delousing tool in close cooperation with salmon farmers. “The main focus for the SFI System has from start been fish welfare, to make sure that as few salmon perish during sea lice treatment as possible,” it said, adding that the system can be used in connection with all kinds of fish pump systems.

The report discusses six important diseases affecting farmed salmon globally Credit: BCSFA

SFI delousing system.jpeg -

MAY

Aquaculture Canada 2019

May 5-8

Victoria, BC, Canada http://aquacultureassociation.ca/

RAStech 2019

May 13-14

Washington DC, USA www.ras-tec.com/

JUNE

Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2019

June 18-20

Chennai, India

www.marevent.com/APA2019_CHENNAI.html

AUGUST

Aqua Nor 2019 Aug 20-23

Trondheim, Norway www.aqua-nor.no

ADVERTISERS INDEX

5M Publishing Ltd .................................................20

Alpha Chemical Limited ........................................13

AmeriJet International, Inc. ...................................15

Annex Book Store ..................................................35

Aquaculture North America Rastech Conference ...36

Aqua Logic Inc. ........................................................9

Aquatic Enterprises, Inc. ........................................27

Aquatic Equipment & Design Inc. ..........................15

Atlantic Veterinary College ....................................22

Bellingham Technical College ................................22

Benchmark Instrumentation & Analytical Services 12

Buhler Inc. ...............................................................3

Cornell University ..................................................24

Dark Sea Enterprises Inc ........................................30

Delta Hydronics Inc..................................................6

DiveSafe International ..........................................27

Dura-Cast Products, Inc. ........................................31

Elanco Canada Limited ..........................................10

Excel Career College ..............................................23

Extru-Tech, Inc ......................................................18

Fish Farm Supply Co. ...............................................5

Fleming College ....................................................21

Fresh Flo Corp ..........................................................6

Frigid Units, Inc. ....................................................24

Hexcyl Systems Pty Ltd ............................................5

Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association

26th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

Delta Hotel, St. John’s, NL, Canada • September 24 - 26

On behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador aquaculture industry, we invite you to join us for our 26th 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. The 2018 event was a record breaker in Canada with a sold-out trade show and more than 450 guests in attendance. We hope to exceed this at Cold Harvest 2019! This event should not be missed.

For general enquiries, or for more information on exhibiting in the trade show and sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Roberta Collier, Conference Coordinator 709-538-3454 • roberta@naia.ca

www.coldharvest.ca www.naia.ca

www.aquaeas.eu For more info on the TRADESHOW : mario@marevent.com

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