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North America’s aquaculture future is bright. This is what I’m learning from this issue, dedicated to Training & Education.
In our cover story, Lynn Fantom writes about the variety of programs across the continent that are looking to inspire future generations to bring their passion and their enthusiasm into the industry.
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, dear reader, that the industry is hungry for young people to bring new life to it. I’ve talked to aquaculture employers across the continent who are struggling to grow their workforce so that they can take their business to the next level. I’ve talked to universities who cannot grow their aquaculture programs because student enrollment is slowing every year. I’ve also talked to communities where their skilled youth are not bringing their talents back to their hometowns and instead, pursuing more attractive careers in bigger city hubs. These are ongoing issues that need a collective focus.
And so, it’s heartening to know that there are programs and initiatives out there that
are trying to cultivate the new workforce. We read stories about how aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector, but if there are no workers to fill the demand, that growth will quickly come to a screeching halt.
In the meantime, retention is also key. These pages celebrate passionate aquaculturists all the time! We write about how young industry leaders are making an impact in their own networks. We need to recognize them for their work, encourage the innovation that they bring, and support them in their own lofty aspirations.
If not, we lose their talent to neighbours in other industries who can provide them with higher pay, better benefits and more career development opportunities.
So, I encourage the industry to play to your strengths. The community spirit within the North American industry is unique. It cultivates a sense of belonging and purpose that many young people are craving. Keep that message in the forefront and make sure to share those stories with us. Email me at jkodin@annexbusinessmedia.com.
JEAN KO DIN
AquaBounty reports increased losses in Q4 2023
AquaBounty Technologies Inc. experienced a US$8.42 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2023. This is up compared to $6.07 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. For the year that ended Dec. 31, 2023, the net loss increased to $27.56 million compared to $22.16 million in 2022.
“Our financial results for 2023 are indicative of the financial and operational challenges that we encountered during the year,” said Sylvia Wulf, board chair and chief executive officer of AquaBounty.
Wulf said the company had limited ability to harvest at its Indiana farm due to the repairs on the processing building. By the time the facility was fully back in operation in early May, the market price for Atlantic salmon had begun to fall.
“This continued through the second and third quarters and only partially recovered during the holiday season in the fourth quarter. The result was a decline in year-over-year revenue, even though our total production output increased by 14 percent,” said Wulf. “We also were impacted by another significant increase in the cost estimate for our Ohio farm, which forced us to pause both our construction activities and our municipal bond financing transaction in June.”
Construction activities for the Pioneer, Ohio farm site were paused in June, due to a significant increase in the expected construction cost. The company is now pursuing new sources of financing to cover the cost increase.
Cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash totalled $9.2 million as of Dec. 31, 2023, compared to $102.6 million from the previous year.
The company also announced on Feb. 14 that it has decided to sell its Indiana farm site as part of its strategy to increase liquidity.
“Additionally, we engaged Berenson & Company as our investment bank to advise on debt financing secured by our unencumbered assets and on additional funding alternatives that are necessary to resume and complete construction of our Ohio farm and pursue our longer-term growth strategy,” Wulf said. “Operations at our PEI farm continue to expand with the installation of additional egg incubation capacity, which will allow us to increase the availability of non-transgenic Atlantic salmon eggs and fry for sale to salmon farmers,” Wulf added.
U.S. updates the aquaculture development plan after 40 years
The United States is updating the National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP) after four decades.
NADP encourages domestic aquaculture development and describes how federal agencies are advancing the contributions of aquaculture to support public health and nutrition, resilient communities, a strong economy, and a healthy planet.
While the National Aquaculture Act called for periodic updating, a comprehensive update to the 1983 NADP still needs to be done. The original NADP does not capture the progress the U.S. aquaculture community has made in adopting and promoting sustainable aquaculture growth.
The updated NADP includes three thematic plans (research planning, regulatory efficiency, and economic development), and progress reports on federal regulatory and scientific activities conducted after the issuance of the regulatory and research plans.
“The three thematic strategic plans identify specific opportunities to support ongoing research, foster new partnerships, and increase both internal and external awareness of the benefits and risks of aquaculture,” the NADP overview reads.
During the past several years, the subcommittee on Aquaculture (SCA) drafted, invited public input on, and then published the first two parts, a National Strategic Plan for Aquaculture Research and the Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture.
The third part, the Aquaculture Economic Development Plan, was issued for public comment at the same time as the draft overview of the NADP.
Hatch Blue opens 2024 applications for Ocean Foundry
Hatch Blue Holding Ltd. is accepting applications for its Ocean Foundry platform, an incubator designed to support aquaculture entrepreneurs and researchers. Hatch has run the Hawai’i-based program since 2019.
“Operating within the industrial Hawai’i Ocean and Science Technology (HOST) park, and in partnership with the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai’i Authority (NEHLA), the Hatch office now forms as the Ocean Foundry campus (incubator) for the development of world-class aquaculture innovation and technologies,” reads on the Hatch Blue website.
The incubator’s campus purports to host, stimulate, guide, develop and support up-and-coming aquaculture talent and innovators to solve key aquaculture sustainability challenges. Participants in the program have access to Hatch Blue’s facilities, including office space and laboratories, coaching, mentorship and support and connection to community and networking events.
“The Ocean Foundry platform is for individuals, teams or companies at any stage of development that want to take their product, technology or service to the next level with focused on-site support from Hatch,” Operations Manager Dylan Howell told The Fish Site. “It’s a unique opportunity to be in an environment where they can test what they’re developing in very predictable conditions and, if they need, in a very short time frame, because they won’t need to apply for permits or build any physical infrastructure or testing facilities – it’s a plug and play scenario.”
Attendance at the Ocean Foundry is limited to 12 months “given the nature of R&D and early-stage development.”
To ensure continued participation and access, participants must achieve agreed-upon milestones. There are no fees to approved Ocean Foundry members to utilize the office space, trial systems and facilities, though there may be additional costs related to dry lab space and consumable materials. Participants will have to cover their own travel and accommodations.
– Matt Jones
Cooke Aquaculture
quits
court battle against Washington DNR
Cooke Aquaculture Pacific LLC has dismissed its appeal against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seeking reinstatement of Cooke’s leases at the Rich Passage and Hope Island steelhead trout fish farms in Puget Sound.
Cooke initially commenced this action when DNR refused to give enough time to safely harvest its fish and remove farming equipment from the water following DNR’s “arbitrary and punitive lease renewal denials in 2022.”
In January 2023, Judge Indu Thomas of the Superior Court of the State of Washington swiftly banned DNR from enforcing the deadlines without endangering its employees. Since the injunction was issued against DNR in January 2023, Cooke tried to obtain public records from DNR needed for a fair appeal hearing before the court but didn’t get any and has not provided any substantive responses that would allow Cooke to explain to the Court the arbitrary basis for the lease denials.
According to Cooke, “Based on the number of records that DNR claims are responsive to Cooke’s request, at the rate DNR has produced records to date, it would take another six to seven years for all responsive records to be produced by DNR which is an untenable and inconceivable situation.”
“As a result of DNR Commissioner Hilary Franz’s arbitrary decision, over 100 Washington fish farming professionals including farm managers, veterinarians, hatchery technicians, truck drivers, processing plant workers and vessel crew have since been forced out of their jobs
by Franz following the baseless closure of locally established fish farms,” a press release from Cooke states.
Cooke says the Rich Passage and Hope Island fish farms have been at the same locations for over 40 years, and scientific studies and monitoring data showed that they did not negatively impact the environment. In 2019, The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife approved Cooke’s five-year trout farming permit after conducting an extensive review under the Environmental Policy Act.
“A further hearing on this matter is futile without Cooke having an opportunity to review DNR’s internal records and ensure the record before the Court is complete. Such a hearing would be a waste of judicial resources and everyone’s time, therefore, Cooke has filed a motion to dismiss its appeal.”
Cooke says it continues to work with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to pursue projects that allow the tribe to provide for its people and that foster sustainable seafood production on the Olympic Peninsula.
USDA develops antibiotic alternative for strep in hybrid striped bass
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) has developed an alternative treatment for Streptococcus iniae in hybrid striped bass. That pathogen is recognized as a significant cause of mortalities in various farmed fish species. Dr. Michael Deshotel, a research microbiologist with USDA-ARS, says the treatment was developed with an eye on reducing the overuse of antibiotics.
“Anytime antibiotics are used, whether in humans or livestock, it’s always associated with the risk of development of resistance,” says Deshotel. “In the United States, antibiotic use has been curbed almost 40 percent in livestock since 2015. We are intentionally trying to reduce the use of antibiotics to keep the ones that are available more effective for use.”
The treatment uses phage therapy –meaning bacteriophages, which are viruses that only infect bacteria. Deshotel says the origins of the research came out of the war on terror when researchers at Rockefeller University were looking at methods of treating anthrax bacteria.
“They realized that bacteriophage could rupture these cells,” says Deshotel. “The bacteriophage are producing an enzyme called endolysin which sticks to the membrane of the bacteria and enzymatically make a bunch of cuts in the cell wall and the cell then ruptures. The idea was that maybe we can use these endolysin like an antibiotic, and sure enough, it was very effective.”
Phage therapy generally uses the entire virus – though the USDA-ARS are also working on that, this treatment is a subcategory that only uses the virus’ enzymes. The treatment certainly appears effective – Deshotel notes that using the endolysin treatment they had a 95 percent survival rate, compared to 85 percent with the antibiotic, carbenicillin (and five percent with no treatment at all).
The treatment also leaves behind no chemical residue after breaking down.
– Matt Jones
Updates to BAP Farm Standard up for review
The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Salmon Farm Standard Issue 3.0 has been released for a public comment period.
According to The Global Seafood Alliance, Issue 3.0 has been modified from the previous Issue 2.4 to make it more comprehensive. The most significant changes addressed social responsibility, wildlife and predator
interactions, animal health and welfare, and biosecurity and disease management.
Other changes include updated procedures for safe diving, response to diver emergencies, requirements for diver training and certification, adoption of forage fish dependency ratio (FFDR) as a metric and stronger requirements for protection of predator species and endangered, threatened, and protected species. The 60-day public comment period will end on May 5.
Hybrid striped bass
Nova Scotia premier faces backlash from ARB commentary
BY MATT JONES
Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston sparked controversy recently when he offered his opinion on Cooke Aquaculture’s proposed expansion in the Liverpool Bay, which will be the subject of an upcoming hearing by Nova Scotia’s independent Aquaculture Review Board (ARB).
“There’s certainly a lot of people in Liverpool that are concerned about this,” Houston told media during a February scrum. “I respect their concerns and have heard their concerns…While I think there’s incredible opportunities for aquaculture in this province, it’s my personal opinion that Liverpool Bay is not an appropriate place for that.”
While opponents of the project certainly rejoiced at having such high-ranking support, industry supporters and other observers have questioned whether it was appropriate for the provincial premier to make those comments and
whether he was attempting to influence the independent review board.
The proposed expansion in Liverpool Bay would see Cooke subsidiary, Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd., open two new farms in the bay. Each site would contain 660,000 fish which would be a 370 percent increase in the number of salmon farmed in the region.
Premier Houston’s office did not respond to a request for an interview or comment.
Comments “concerning and disturbing”
One of the loudest voices criticizing the premier for those comments came from former Nova Scotia deputy minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Agriculture, Brian Rogers, who wrote an open letter to the premier describing his comments as “concerning and disturbing.”
“You state that the decision is not in your hands but your comments, to date, serve ONLY to undermine this independent review board and attempt to influence their decision,” wrote Rogers.
“And premier, just what have you based the ‘not appropriate’ determination on – science or votes? You are the premier. If you don’t believe in and/or support the Aquaculture Review Board, then shut it down. Otherwise, let them do their job.”
Cyr Couturier, a faculty member of Memorial University’s Fisheries and Marine Institute, said that the premier’s comments could be perceived as trying to influence the decisions of the ARB.
“My view is that senior bureaucrats or politicians who have independent review boards, or whatever you want to call them, really shouldn’t comment on it when there’s a pending case to review,” said Couturier. “Publicly, they can make the decision at the end, when the review board makes a recommendation or not to the minister. But, really, while there’s a process ongoing? My view is they probably shouldn’t comment.”
“It’s basically political influence,” added Couturier. “Now, even if he dismisses the whole issue that he was just commenting as a private citizen, well you can’t do that when you’re in office. You can’t say ‘I’m a private citizen’ when you represent all the peoples of the province. You can’t have it both ways.”
Rogers’ letter also cites Liverpool Bay as one of the few areas in Nova Scotia identified as suitable for aquaculture and describes the premier’s comments as caving to the “Not In My Back Yard” lobby.
Regarding Liverpool Bay’s suitability, Cooke Aquaculture vice-president Public Relations Joel Richardson said it is reasonable to place farms in the area, so long as they adhere to the province’s Aquaculture Regulations and Environmental Monitoring Program Framework.
“Our application and evidence for Liverpool Bay sites remain before the ARB for hearing dates to be confirmed,” said Richardson.
“At every step of the way, Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. has complied with
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston PHOTO: GOVERNMENT OF NOVA SCOTIA
the site application process, and we welcome the opportunity to appear before the ARB.”
Other contentious decisions
While the ARB’s choices made in the process of their review could be a cause for consternation on both sides of the debate, to date the ARB’s decisions have been in support of industry.
The lead up to the review of the Cooke Liverpool Bay expansion saw several environmental activists frustrated not to be included more in the process. When the ARB named intervenors – parties to the hearing who can participate, including presenting evidence and cross-examining witnesses – several prominent environmental activists lamented that they were not chosen.
“I wish we could say that we were surprised, but given the behaviour of the ARB in the Rattling Beach hearing and other hearings, there’s no surprise or shock in the fact that they don’t want to hear from people who have expert knowledge of this or who may live nearby,” Douglas Frantz, author of “Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly of Our Favorite Fish” told CBC News in October 2023.
Ironically, however, it was the “nearby” part that was cited in refusing Frantz intervenor status – he does not live in the area and the ARB ruled he wouldn’t be substantially affected by the outcome of the hearings.
On the other hand, the makeup of the intervenors could likely cause some in the industry to have misgivings about the process. Among those granted intervenor status in the Liverpool Bay hearing are 22 commercial fishermen and a representative of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, who say that the project will interfere with fishing and access to waterways and could cause negative impacts on Mi’kmaw archeological sites.
The Protect Liverpool Bay Association, who are directly opposed to open net pen fish farming, were granted intervenor status, as well as the Region of Queens Municipality, which has claimed that the Cooke expansion would negatively impact the area’s reputation for access to beaches.
Regardless of the process, however, the actual decisions rendered by the board have been in favour of industry. In November 2020, the ARB approved the application of Grand Pass Oysters Ltd. for new farms in Yarmouth. In February 2022, the ARB approved a boundary expansion for a Cooke Aquaculture farm near Digby (the Rattling Beach hearing that Frantz referred to). And just this past January, the ARB approved Town Point Consulting Inc.’s application for a suspended oyster farm in Antigonish Harbour.
While opponents of those projects have had opportunities to participate in the review process, they have not prevented any of the projects from receiving ARB approval.
Further, some have criticized the scope of the process. In the Rattling Bay hearing one of the issues at hand was the fact that Cooke was seeking to expand a boundary that they long disregarded – the 20-cage salmon farm spilled out beyond the original boundary which would have only supported four cages.
However, that boundary was never enforced by provincial officials and the ARB ruled in 2021 that questions regarding why the province allowed the farm to continue operation despite violating its lease conditions were beyond the scope of the ARB.
“There was a lot of insulation from scrutiny at the provincial level,” Simon Ryder-Burbidge of the Ecology Action Centre told CBC. “We saw the province sort of pushing to ensure that enforcement capacity and regulatory capacity in the past could not be challenged during the hearings.”
The True North strong and free
CAIA’S PRIORITIES FOR ACHIEVING CANADA’S AQUACULTURE POTENTIAL
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) is the national association that speaks for Canada’s seafood farmers, representing their interests in Ottawa and internationally to regulators, policymakers and political leaders. CAIA members generate nearly C$5 billion in economic activity, over C$1.8 billion in gross domestic product, and employ over 16,000 Canadians (2022).
Canada has the longest coastline in the world, and we currently use around one percent of the bio-physically suitable water space for aquaculture. This country has tremendous potential to become an even more prominent global leader in the development of the industry and the positive domestic and international outcomes it achieves.
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a private-public innovation hub, has announced its “Ambition 2035” goals to triple the economic value of Canada’s seafood sector, with aquaculture being a major part of this expansion. Achieving this goal will require a robust, science-based regulatory framework, a policy environment that is supportive of sustainable growth and deliberate investment in innovation, while providing farmers with the tools that they need to weather a changing climate. CAIA is pursuing the following priority issues in its advocacy program with the federal government, in collaboration with provincial and regional association partners and all members:
Have the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food take over responsibility for the growth and promotion of the aquaculture sector
Canada supports and markets growth in our land-based food production. We must do the same for our seafood.
The sustainable aquaculture sector in Canada is currently governed by a patchwork of federal, provincial and local regulations and policies. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is the sector’s federal regulatory lead, but the department is poorly “tooled” for sector development and there are negative perceptions of a conflict of interest stemming from DFO being that lead. The federal government needs to adopt, fund, and implement a proactive vision for Canada to
be the best, most sustainable farmed seafood producer in the world and set a target with provincial partners for sustainable growth, as we’ve seen in jurisdictions such as Norway and New Zealand.
The promotion and support for our sustainable seafood farming sector should be shifted to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to drive innovation and sustainable growth, while DFO should focus on and strengthen its key responsibilities of peer-reviewed science evaluation and regulation.
Achieve a workable, realistic and responsible pathway for the B.C. salmon farming transition plan
Salmon farming output in British Columbia has been reduced by 40 percent in recent years. Before these shutdowns, B.C. salmon farmers employed more than 8,000 British Columbians and generated C$2.6 billion in economic output. At one point, the government was signalling that they would like to see an unrealistic transition of all B.C. salmon farming into land-based facilities. This despite the fact that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ own peer-reviewed science says there are minimal or negligible effects from salmon farms to wild salmon. This caused significant uncertainty in the sector and has ironically held back major investments in innovation and new technologies to support ever-more sustainable production.
There is now a more realistic approach to “transition” in B.C. The new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hon. Diane LeBouthillier, has said that no more shutdowns will be coming in the near future. Much transition in the sector has already happened,
most notably that 100 percent of remaining farm production is under agreement with local First Nations.
DFO must continue to consult with industry and First Nations in the development of a transition plan that provides long-term stability through science-based environmental performance targets, so that these companies can continue to invest in, and deploy, new technologies for innovative growth and enhanced environmental performance.
DFO is expected to release their draft transition plan in the first half of this year.
Modernize the regulatory framework for shellfish aquaculture
Canadian sustainable farm-raised shellfish is a small sector with huge potential. There are over 2,600 marine shellfish farms in Canada, with production averaging over C$100 million per year. Projections based on the UN FAO/OECD show that by 2030, Canadian shellfish production could reach almost 58,000 tonnes – a 36 percent increase over 2019 levels. If proper federal supports are in place, this sector has the potential to be positioned as an important contributor to federal priorities in Indigenous reconciliation, climate change mitigation, innovation and blue economy development.
New site access is critical in the pursuit of this potential, and one of the major constraints to new site access is the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP), co-managed by CFIA, DFO and ECCC. A stagnant funding envelope (~C$15 million without inflationary increases) for twenty years is a leading barrier to economic development.
PHOTO: CAIA
CAIA has asked for additional funding in Budget 2024 for the CSSP program to support greater capacity to classify new harvest areas along Canada’s vast coastlines, to efficiently reopen sites and to modernize the program.
Provide access to federal farm programs
The federal government supports land-based agriculture by funding innovation through federal-provincial agreements and promotes investment in agriculture through Business Risk Management (BRM) programs, such as AgriInsurance.
Just like land-based agriculture, Canada’s aquaculture sector has clearly signalled their willingness to continuously innovate to further reduce their impact and increase the efficiency and sustainability of their operations. Many of these new technologies, such as semi-closed salmon farm barrier technologies are high-cost and their development requires investor certainty and government incentives. Giving aquaculture access to existing federal farm programs would be a simple, straight forward way to provide both the certainty and
incentives needed to stimulate investment in these technologies.
A BRM framework is needed to promote stability and drive investment in the shellfish sector. Like land farmers, Canadian sustainable shellfish growers face significant operational risks – primarily related to environmental and climate events – that can be devasting for this sector composed almost entirely of small- and medium-sized businesses. CAIA will be working with various stakeholders towards the goal of establishing a BRM pilot project for shellfish growers to prove the concept and stimulate political interest in granting access for shellfish growers to federal-provincial BRM programs.
Support seafood marketing
Despite the incredible opportunities and benefits connected to the consumption of Canadian seafood products, Canadians don’t eat enough fish and seafood. Of the seafood Canadians do eat, over 70 percent of it is imported. Unfortunately, the seafood sector is too diverse to self-fund marketing
“Choose Canadian Seafood,” has proven the art of the possible. Co-funded by the provinces and the federal government under the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund, the program’s aim is to encourage and educate Canadians to eat more seafood. Longer-term funding would build on the two-year allocations received thus far.
To support this campaign into the future, CAIA is advocating that the federal government replace the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund with long-term funding for marketing Canadian seafood to Canadians. By acting as a united voice across all sectors of the Canadian aquaculture industry, as well as working in alignment with provincial aquaculture associations, CAIA sees a clear path forward to achieving the potential of Canada’s aquaculture industry, for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Ben Normand is the Policy and Regulatory Affairs Coordinator at Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (ben.normand@aquaculture.ca).
Learn more about the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance at: aquaculture.ca
Fostering the Future
From online games to paid apprenticeships, the aquaculture industry is creating a workforce for the future
By Lynn Fantom
What do you want to be when you grow up?
This question is on the minds of aquaculture leaders, researchers, and educators in the northeastern United States as they create promising pathways to aquaculture careers, seeding awareness early and cultivating it as kids develop. With more dollars going toward pre-college programs, there’s also a new
focus to keep talent on home surf to reap a return on investment.
This surge in innovative programming comes at a time when the U.S. is rethinking its national aquaculture development. In February, the White House National Science and Technology Council announced a new plan, the first in 40 years. One of its four strategic goals is to support infrastructure and workforce development.
“Aquaculture, in our opinion, is a growing industry. It’s an important industry. It represents an adaptive response to climate change,” said Dr. Amanda Dickes of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). “It’s an industry in which, frankly, the U.S. is behind other nations. And so, the more that we can help students—and the adults in their lives, both parents and teachers—become aware of this industry in their backyard, well, it’s great.”
STEM in elementary
Dickes and GMRI colleagues have been piloting a new technology game for elementary students based on a virtual oyster farm.
“It is designed to build their STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) thinking and learning rather than funnel them into aquaculture,” she said. “That’s an option, but we want to keep their possible futures big and broad, and give them the
foundations of learnings so that they can choose anything.”
For third and fourth graders, the new game is compelling: a harbour seal and herring gull are their guides and “learning companions.”
Perch, the Portland-based firm that designed the game, made it “welcoming and something you want to engage with,” said Dickes.
The decisions it prompts might be whether to sell out the inventory of petite oysters, which have the highest unit price, or to cater to other buyers who will purchase any size, but at a lower price. Or what about the buyer who is offering a lower price, but will buy a greater quantity?
“We were really interested in teaching this age group some basic principles of economics,” Dickes continued. It’s also a way to integrate more science into the curriculum in the elementary grades when literacy and math take primacy over other subjects.
Customized lessons may be added to the curriculum but the gameplay can stand alone as a learning tool in the classroom or at home — accessible simply through a link.
During GMRI’s development process, eight classes went on farm visits to Mere Point Oyster Company and Bar Harbor Oyster Company to learn about good husbandry and see tools and machinery. For children unable
to participate in such field trips, GMRI is now partnering with a team to develop a series of videos that replicate the farm visits. The game is expected to be available mid-year.
Seaweed seedlings in middle school
Also, in Maine, Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) is engaging middle and high school students in a hands-on marine science program to grow and harvest seaweed during the school year. Now in its seventh year, it has expanded from three schools in one county to 15 in seven counties, impacting over 1,000 students each year.
Starting in early fall, students cultivate seaweed seedlings for six weeks in filtered seawater in the classroom before planting them on farms on vertical drop lines in December. During the winter, they review the data they collected and develop hypotheses. The late-April harvests are accompanied by a “community presentation.”
In addition to demonstrating innovative aquaculture techniques to grow Saccharina latissimi and Alaria esculenta , the program promotes a better understanding of concepts such as sustainability and entrepreneurship, according to Pauline Dion, BSSC executive director.
“We were really interested in teaching this age group some basic principles of economics. It’s also a way to integrate more science into the curriculum in the elementary grades when literacy and math take primacy over other subjects.”
Maine elementary school students learn science and economic reasoning through a new technology game based on a virtual oyster farm. A herring gull is one of their guides. IMAGE: GMRI
Eight classes of third and fourth graders, who were part of GMRI’s pilot program to test a new technology game, visited Mere Point Oyster Company and Bar Harbor Oyster Company.
PHOTO: GMRI
COVER EDUCATION
Vocational high schools
In Connecticut, with the Long Island Sound at its southern boundary, three high schools have gained recognition for their hands-on marine science programs and facilities. Part of the state’s Vocational Agricultural (Vo-Ag) High School system, they accept applications from Connecticut students regardless of where they live in the state, who attend free of charge.
While students build critical thinking, problem-solving, and core proficiencies, they gain job readiness and a working knowledge of aquaculture. They explore subjects like waterfront safety, marine mechanics and vessel operation, aquaculture biology and chemistry, seafood science, genetics and biotechnology – in the classroom, lab, and water. (Yes, there are dive clubs.)
The problem is that most students who want to pursue aquaculture in college leave Connecticut for programs like those at the University of Rhode Island, University of Maine, Roger Williams University, and Auburn University. And they’re not necessarily coming back.
High school student Gwyn Glidden weighs Gracilaria tikvahiae in the Algae Lab of The Sound School, where students gain job readiness and a working knowledge of aquaculture.
PHOTO: ISABEL CHENOWETH/SCSU
An Algae Lab is among the state-of-theart facilities at The Sound School in Connecticut, one of the state’s three public high schools that offer hands-on programs in marine science.
PHOTO: ISABEL CHENOWETH/SCSU
CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THE FUTURE OF AQUACULTURE EDUCATION
an industry leader, Fleming College continues to adapt and evolve its programs to ensure it remains at the forefront of aquaculture education and research.
The College will launch a new online program, Aquaculture Operations, in September. This part-time Continuing Education Certificate allows those working in fisheries management or aquaculture operations, or those seeking work in the industry, to receive foundational training in fish culture techniques and operations.
The program features a self-directed learning approach –participants can start any time and work at their own pace. Each course consists of 15 short lectures or modules (one to two hours) that cover basic aspects of operations in the field, including the biology of cultured fish, feeding and nutrition, sea cage rearing systems, fish health, harvesting practices and more. You can take individual courses or complete all of them to achieve the certificate.
Fleming is also ensuring its existing full-time Aquaculture program stays ahead of the curve with a new course added to its curriculum: Aqua Certifications and Welfare.
The course focuses on relevant provincial and federal legislation regarding aquaculture operations including legis-
lation that is relevant to Indigenous communities in Canada. As well, the course will explore third party certifications such as Best Aquaculture Practices. Students will gain insight to Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) and the new Code of Practice for Farmed Salmonids and how fish and the aquaculture industry are represented within these polices. Animal welfare-related operational procedures are also part of this new course.
Fleming’s Aquaculture program is the only one of its kind in Ontario. A graduate certificate, it includes a co-operative education placement and extensive hands-on learning in the College’s onsite fish hatchery.
Within Fleming’s applied research area, the Centre for Innovative Aquaculture Production (CIAP) will open a new hatchery onsite at Fleming’s Frost Campus in 2024. With modern technology, tools and equipment, CIAP can support more complex, long-term research projects and tackle larger issues that are important to industry. The hatchery’s customizable infrastructure will allow the expansion of commercial species research.
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State-of-the-art facilities are the “big selling point for them,” according to Alysa Mullen, fish lab director and aquaculture educator at The Sound School, one of the three vo-aqua schools in Connecticut. “Our students do not want to sit in a classroom learning about aquaculture lecture style. They want to get out and do it, hands-on.”
Pathway to university
But Dr. Emma Cross, an assistant professor of coastal/marine studies at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), wants to retain that talent in Connecticut. Through a grant geared toward cultivating a workforce for the state’s growing aquaculture industry, she is busy developing and piloting an
aquaculture curriculum that bridges high school and college.
With initial funding from NOAA, she has created two aquaculture classes that will be offered during the 2024-2025 school year at The Sound School, as well as at SCSU. The high school students will be able to earn up to eight credits at little or no cost by taking these “early college experience” classes.
“This initiative is developing an ‘aquaculture pathway’ here in Connecticut to broaden options for students so that they don’t have to go out of the state,” Cross said.
The university is covering the cost of these credits. “We believe it is a matter of social justice to provide the opportunity to take early college courses for students who have been typically underrepresented in higher education,” added Dr. Trudy Milburn, the associate vice-president for academic affairs at SCSU.
Apprenticeships on farms
Last year, the Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) and Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) launched a paid aquaculture apprenticeship program — the first in the U.S. In partnership with Educate Maine and Southern Maine Community College, the
Go Beyond the Ordinary
The Sound School aquaculture educator Alysa Mullen (left) and Southern Connecticut State University assistant professor Emma Cross (right) have brought together high school and college students in joint programs. PHOTO ISABEL CHENOWETH/SCSU
Matt Czuchra (left) was one of six participants in Maine’s 2023-2024 full-time, paid aquaculture apprenticeship program, the first in the U.S.
effort was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Five men and one woman were selected for full-time, one-year apprenticeships at shellfish and seaweed farms across Maine. “It started with one week of aquaculture boot camp — courses (both a bit classroom and hands-on), getting people out on boats, making sure they know their knots, things like that before they even got to the farms,” said Christian Brayden of MAA.
Then the apprentices worked under the guidance of an experienced owner or employee—with hours varying by location, season, and tide. The program also included 144 hours of coursework at Southern Maine Community College.
The impetus for the program went back some seven years when Maine aquaculture companies had increasingly expressed concern about the lack of qualified workers— particularly those with some aquaculture experience to fill mid-level management roles. They needed people “who could be counted upon to run these growing businesses,” Brayden said.
One part of MAA and GMRI’s strategic response to the challenge was to create occupational standards that specified the workforce skills and experience by role, by aquaculture sector. That helped form the blueprint for the apprenticeship program.
Matt Czuchra, who grew up in Maine and studied oceanography at Canada’s Dalhousie University, apprenticed at an oyster
farm in Brunswick. “I think the aquaculture industry has a lot of promise,” he said in a video produced by MAA. Since starting the apprenticeship program in April of 2023, Czuchra has gained the skills to be an oyster farm manager.
Spreading the word
Czuchra’s profile was one of the videos MAA developed to showcase the experience of the apprentices. Shot and edited by MAA’s Trixie Betz, they show what day-to-day work feels like on a farm. It can be cold and dirty but nothing beats being out on the water.
The videos also present the personal perspectives of the six apprentices. One moved to Maine from California and another came from the Alaskan fisheries. One was a recent high school graduate; others had college degrees.
“I wanted to amplify their voices because they’re the trailblazers for this program,” said Betz. She posted the videos (all under 60 seconds in length) on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — where they were viewed over 34,000 times. “These videos have performed better than any of the other videos we’ve posted on our pages,” she added.
Why did they resonate? Betz’s strong visual storytelling portrayed what it’s like to work outside in a beautiful place like Maine. Some apprentices talked about working alongside people they like. Others mused about the opportunity to start an independent venture in a growing industry. But the most common theme was the chance to “do the right thing” in food production and for the environment.
Through education, research, and service, we are working to maintain healthy aquatic food animals and to provide the knowledge and expertise needed to help improve nutrition for people around the world.
PHOTO: MAINE AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION
Diversity dialogues
Six conversations about inclusion within the aquaculture industry
BY BEN NORMAND
Industry insiders will tell you that there is a strong and positive upward trend in workforce diversity in the North American aquaculture industry, and they’re right. Regardless of which species, life stage or production methodology one explores, the backgrounds of those working to bring high-quality seafood to market are diversifying.
This diversification is happening for many different reasons beyond any statutory prohibitions against discrimination. For ex ample, labour shortages are motivating some companies to actively recruit internationally.
companies are actively encouraging it at a corporate policy level.
Mowi is the largest producer of Atlantic salmon. It employs more than 11,800 people and is represented in 25 countries. As an industry leader, the company has created
exploration of a socio-economic trend is the stories of those experiencing that trend. To that end, this writer presents six conversations with aquaculture workers of diverse backgrounds.
While this article does not constitute
ganically in some companies, while other
Sinking to floating. Sub-millimeter to
When
Albert Frank Senior director of Reconciliation, Cermaq Canada
Albert Frank (a.k.a. “Fonz”) is a member of the Ahousaht First Nation on Vancouver Island. He has been working in salmon farming on the island for nearly 25 years. Beginning in operations, he now acts as both a representative of his nation and of Cermaq. He works to progress the goals of the company and the economic prosperity of his community.
Ahousaht representation within the ranks of Cermaq Canada employees has risen 56 percent since he began this role, and 41 employees identify as First Nations or Métis. In reflecting on his experiences with diversity on the farm sites, it was the relationships and growth that he focused on.
“When I was a site manager,” he recalls, “we would take turns cooking, so it was always nice to have different cultures’ food and I was always open to new dishes and most of it was really tasty.”
When asked what he would say to anyone thinking of entering the industry, he offered a simple yet impactful assessment of the people. “We’re a great industry to work for, we got good people here,” he said.
Paskee Navitidad Mussel boat deckhand in Atlantic Canada
One year ago, Paskee Navitidad was working with a missionary organization in the Philippines, when he and some of his acquaintances, were offered the opportunity to come to Atlantic Canada to work on a mussel boat fleet.
“We grabbed the opportunity and trusted that it would work out…not knowing what
mussel farming is, but it’s what puts food on the table,” he said, reflecting on his motivation to leave home and try something new. “It’s not for yourself anymore, it’s for your family, it’s for your kids.”
In reflecting on his experience integrating into a new profession and country, he says the experience has been a positive one with some challenges.
“The major difficulty is how physical the work can get,” he said. “This whole mussel operation is something else to me… I have seen the Islanders as accommodating… they will teach you. It has been quite a good time working with the people.”
Dhara Mistry Accounts Receivable and Payable, Cermaq Canada
About a year and a half ago, Dhara Mistry came from Mumbai to Campbell River to work for Cermaq Canada in their accounting department. When asked of her initial impressions of Canada, the snow was what struck her the most.
“It was really amazing to see the beautiful climate, like snow, the first time I saw it, I was excited,” she said.
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Her professional transition has been both challenging and positive. “I haven’t learned so much about fish before. It’s a completely different industry – a completely different way of accounting,” she said. “It’s really amazing and I’m enjoying it. People are really helpful, really supportive… I saw in my work culture they all came together, and they supported me. It was not like I was a newcomer.”
Mistry explained that if she was having trouble with the work, she immediately felt supported by her colleagues.
Carla Muñoz
Hatchery technician, Cermaq Canada
Carla Muñoz is a young woman originally from Chile, who now works and lives on southern Vancouver Island. In Chile, she worked in the aquaculture industry. Initially, she had hoped to work on a sea site, “but being a woman, it’s hard to get a job like that in Chile.”
Instead, she worked in a laboratory and then with the government. Eventually, she applied for a Canadian work permit, and when she received one, she decided to take the opportunity to try something new. She
worked briefly as a housekeeper, but her experience quickly landed her a position as a hatchery technician with Cermaq Canada.
When asked to reflect on her experience of coming to a new country, she did not mince words about the initial challenge.
“At the beginning, it was a little difficult because my English wasn’t good at all,” she said. “It’s been a lot of struggling because moving from another country to another culture.”
However, she has nothing but good things
to say about her experience working in the industry in Canada.
“I really appreciate all the opportunity this company has given me so far… The difference between Chile and here is here males and females do the same thing… Everyone is the same here, it doesn’t matter if you are a woman. I really like that,” she said.
Evan (name changed)
Restoration hatchery volunteer in British Columbia
Evan is a young, neuro-diverse man with learning disabilities. In pursuit of his passion for working with wildlife, he found himself working at a hatchery on Vancouver Island. His experience was, unfortunately, not a positive one.
His invisible disabilities have been a challenge in the past. Many of his employers have doubted his capabilities but, he is passionate and dedicated to his work.
Evan’s former employer initially looked to make accommodations for his disabilities. The process was a frustrating one and, in the end, it was concluded that he wouldn’t be able to do the work and he was laid off.
PHOTO: CARLA MUÑOZ
Despite the setback, he has since moved on and is now enjoying his work as a volunteer at a wild salmonid stock enhancement facility.
Evan’s past experiences have motivated him to actively pursue further information on his case and he is working to advocate for disability rights within the industry.
“I would like to see more diversity in coming years, including recruiting more diverse volunteers – including females, new Canadians, and persons with disability. Being volunteers, diversity means survival, and it better reflects the community, and increases our effectiveness of conservation work.”
Emilia Mercer Farm manager, Mowi Canada East
Emilia Mercer was raised on the east coast of Newfoundland. She began her career in aquaculture when she joined Mowi Canada East just under four years ago as a feed manager.
Her experience of being a woman in the field has been a positive one, but she is realistic about what some women are concerned about and experience in the field.
“Aquaculture, and probably farming in general, it tends to be a predominantly male-staffed industry, and I think, as a woman, it can be a bit intimidating,” she said. “It really just depends on the support you get from your company and your coworkers.”
She goes on to say, “For sure you come across people that kind of treat you differently because you’re a woman… I’d say for me it hasn’t been overly challenging, but I can definitely see why a woman might be intimidated working in this environment.”
Mercer emphasized that her experience at Mowi has been nothing but supportive.
“I don’t feel like, as an employee of Mowi, that anybody thinks any less or expects less of the women compared to the men… It’s nice feeling like you’re an equal,” she said.
When asked if she had any advice for women thinking of entering the industry she offered this, “Don’t underestimate yourself – believe in yourself. Work hard. If you want to be here and if you are passionate about this industry and this work, and sustainable food production, there’s no reason why you could not succeed in this industry.”
Innovation Beyond Measure Results
Beyond Expectation
LAB ON THE MOVE
Connecticut Sea Grant wants to provide essential training for seaweed farmers
BY SEYITAN MORITIWON
In 2013, Anoushka Concepcion came up with the idea of a mobile seaweed laboratory but it wasn’t until 2023 that she got funding for the project. The associate extension educator at the Connecticut Sea Grant Program and University of Connecticut extension said it’s being developed in response to a need by industry and regulators associated with the state’s emerging seaweed aquaculture industry.
“The purpose of the mobile lab is to conduct industry-applicable research and serve as a training tool for the state’s aquaculture industry.” “Back then I saw the need to make training accessible to communities where they live.”
Concepcion said back in 2013, the seaweed industry only had two commercial farmers and while she saw the need for a mobile laboratory, it was challenging to justify the need to develop one.
Since conceiving the idea, there have been online virtual training opportunities
for seaweed production and processing. “However it doesn’t serve the current needs that continue to be better suited more for in-person hands-on training.”
Instead of prospective farmers and current farmers having to take time away from jobs, pay for travel to commute to a laboratory to conduct research, or get trained on a concept, the mobile lab will be taken to those people. “It’s about ensuring equitable access to training and research opportunities and making knowledge sharing more accessible.”
Mobile lab initiative
In December 2023, Connecticut Sea Grant announced that it was awarded a grant of US$200,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service (USDA) to fund the purchase and equipping of a trailer to be used as a mobile lab.
The grant covers the expenses for acquiring and customizing a trailer measuring 8 by
Anoushka Concepcion, associate extension educator at Connecticut Sea Grant
PHOTO: ANOUSHKA CONCEPCION
“The
8 by 14 feet, transforming it into a mobile laboratory. The plan is for the lab to reach various locations in Connecticut, New York, and potentially Rhode Island to offer training sessions for seaweed farmers. Additionally, the funds will be allocated to sustain the technician’s salary responsible for managing the facility.
According to information from the website, the Connecticut Sea Grant has a goal of achieving healthy coastal and marine ecosystems and consequent public benefits through partnership with stakeholders to support research, outreach and education programs.
“When we get a request, whether it’s from farmers, from regulators, from processors, from end users, such as chefs, that’s when we jump into action, and when we have to try and figure out how to address that need,” Concepcion said.
Since accessibility to in-person training and lab space to test out small-scale projects was a need, a mobile structure was developed in partnership with state regulators.
“That seemed like the best option. So the state can conduct inspections so that they’re comfortable with how the laboratory is being
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Commercial Filtration Systems
Commercial Filtration Systems
Commercial Filtration Systems
EDUCATION
Commercial Filtration Systems
Customized
Seraphina Erhart, whose family started Maine Sea Coast Vegetables 50 years ago, shows a ribbon of wild kelp she harvested at the culinary demonstration, National Seaweed Symposium, 2023
PHOTO: JUDY BENSON / CONNECTICUT SEA GRANT
Seeded string is wound off a spool onto a line that will be suspended below the sea surface to grow kelp.
PHOTO: CONNECTICUT SEA GRANT
used, ensuring that it’s being sanitized properly to prevent the spread of invasive species and diseases, that in that mobile structure, they’re able to control how it’s being sanitized.”
The trailer is currently under construction with anticipated completion and delivery of the laboratory by the end of April. Concepcion describes the mobile wet laboratory as a “container that’s made out of recyclable material that sits on a trailer that can be hauled with a truck.”
She said the wet lab will have a filtration system and will be modular so it can be adapted to projects’ needs. The trailer will be parked at the UConn Avery Point campus
and if people want to use the lab, they can connect with Concepcion through her email on the Sea Grant website.
Concepcion said the laboratory facility will also be accessible to students who want to conduct experiments however they need to secure their funding.
Pioneering food safety
Concepcion has been in the aquaculture field for 25 years. While undergoing a bachelor’s degree in marine biology, she discovered aquaculture as an undergrad. She’s been working at the Connecticut Sea Grant for about 14 years. She was hired to work on shellfish direct marketing when she started with Connecticut Sea Grant. She later shifted her programming to focus mainly on the emerging seaweed industry. She said one of the main projects that she’s been focusing on for several years is seaweed food safety.
“I established the first seaweed food safety guidance in the country. And that was in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture, which is the lead regulatory agency for all things aquaculture in the state of Connecticut.” she said.
She said as a result of that guide, farmers can sell the sugar kelp that they produce. “There’s many many uses for aquaculture. But for me, what’s most important is food production. And that’s why I am in the field of aquaculture, specifically marine aquaculture is for food production, and helping support that component.”
She said her area of expertise helps her better provide the assistance that people need at her job.
Sustaining the lab
OpBox, a manufacturer in Maine that uses recycled PET plastics is making the trailer. Although Concepcion said that they weren’t actively looking to build with a company that deals with sustainable material, “it just would be more cost-effective in the long run to have something that’s lightweight. Used from recyclable materials, but also structurally sound.”
The funding from the USDA is enough for
phase one, Concepcion said. “But we need a lot more funding for phase two, which is the in-person training,” she said, adding that she’s currently looking for funding to support the second phase.
Concepcion said she has ideas to maintain the use of the mobile lab. However, it takes external funding to do it. “We do have some plans. But right now, we’re doing it one step at a time, addressing needs as they emerge.”
Research aims to identify the source of fecal pollution in marine waters
A two-year project by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) aims to improve the monitoring and identification of fecal pollution sources in marine waters.
The project, Genomic Ecological Microbial Source Tracking for Oceans Nature and the Environment (GEMSTONE) will develop new methods using genomic-derived technology to determine the type and origin of fecal contaminations. It is funded through Genome British Columbia’s (Genome BC) GeneSolve Program.
“We need a better way to identify the source(s) of fecal pollution in marine waters,” said Natalie Prystajecky, a project
co-lead from UBC. “Currently, when contamination is detected, harvesting areas are closed quickly. Often, the source of contamination is not known, which means there is no mechanism to prevent the contamination from happening again.”
A 2016–2017 Norovirus outbreak linked to oysters that affected 400 Canadians and caused the shellfish industry about $9.1 million in losses underscores the public health and economic urgency of this research.
The researchers are working on creating a two-step microbial source tracking test. Step 1 will distinguish between human and non-human contamination. If the contamination is non-human, Step 2 will determine what animal is the source. The project will create presentations and training materials to help the industry and Indigenous communities learn how to use the new resources.
The B.C. Shellfish Growers Association and the Malahat Nation are partners on the project. The new test will empower local
communities to gain greater control and implement better management options to respond to contamination.
The shellfish industry is a vital part of the local economy in the Comox to Deep Bay region, which produces up to 70 percent of B.C.’s oyster production. According to a press release from Genome BC, permanently addressing contamination sources will help First Nations remove long-term barriers that disproportionately affect their economy, food sources and ceremonial harvesting.
“The real value here is consumer confidence in the industry,” said Suzanne Gill, president, and chief executive officer of Genome BC. “The precision of these tests will serve as an early warning system so that we can improve the safety and viability of B.C.’s shellfish industry.”
www.genomebc.ca
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