Blue Ridge Aquaculture to start Atlantic salmon farming

Tor-Eddie Fossbakk West Virginai Aqua is located in Mingo County. After the acquisition, West Virginia Aqua will shift its focus to the production of Atlantic salmon, Bill Martin, Blue Ridge’s founder and president told The State Journal. The reason for the shift in focus to salmon is because the market for arctic char is limited, while salmon is in high demand. Blue Ridge is focusing on production of organically grown fish free of chemicals. The company specializes in delivering live fish customers. Currently, West Virginia Aqua employs 8-10 people. In the short run those numbers might drop but increase again as production shifts from arctic char to salmon and trout. International Industries Inc. and Dingess Run Properties founded West Virginia Aqua in 1999, according to information on the company’s Web site. In 2000, McDonald Land Co. became an equity partner. Those investors will remain involved with the company’s board of directors, according to the news article. Bill Martin founded Blue Ridge Fisheries in 1986, but changed the name to Blue Ridge Aquaculture in 1992. The company has been the largest sustainable indoor fishery in the world since 1993. Blue Ridge has focused on the production of tilapia, shrimp and cobia. It has the largest indoor tilapia facilities in the world, the first indoor cobia facility in the United States and a pilot shrimp farm, according to information on the company’s Web site. Future expansions at the Mingo facility might depend upon help from state and local economic development officials, Martin said. Because of the terrain, any expansion would be costly, he said. Martin said he is hopeful that those officials will reach out to Blue Ridge to make expansion possible.