More government money for land-based fish farm
There are some profitable land-based tank farms producing various species of fish in Canada and elsewhere. Near Whitehorse in the Canadian Territory of Yukon, Arctic char is produced at a profit due to its tolerance of very high densities- often at ten times that which is common for Atlantic and Pacific salmon. In the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, live Tilapia is being sold to restaurants in Vancouver from local farms using recirculation and filtration systems. But other projects have failed, including a floating tank project near Campbell River on Vancouver Island that attempted to produce Pacific salmon (Chinook), as well as land-based tank projects in Montana that tried a different species of Pacific salmon (Coho).
The Amherst Daily News in Nova Scotia describes another project- Canaqua Seafoods- that is eying a further expansion after netting a $ 1 million (~€ 733,000) loan from the province;.
The family-owned company in West Advocate says a $5.5-million (~€ 4 million) transformation of its land-based fish farm will lead to the creation of 14 new full and part-time jobs. Canaqua Seafoods is growing its land-based fish farm and creating 14 new full and part-time jobs as part of a $5.5-million expansion. The company currently employs 10 full-time and an additional four to seven seasonal and part-time staff. “This is very big news for us because we have just invested about $5 million in a new halibut project to increase productivity on our land-based farm for halibut,” Paul Merlin of parent company Merlin Fish Farms Ltd. said Thursday. “We’ve made the investment and now we need the time to grow the fish to the size the market needs. Now we’re going to be able to do this.”
Merlin said the loan, that is repayable with interest over 10 years, will help pay operational costs for the new fish his company has brought in. Economic and Rural Development Minister Graham Steele visited the fish farm earlier this week and was impressed with what he saw. Canaqua grows halibut, arctic char and salmon smolt at its innovative facility. The operation is the first of its kind in Nova Scotia, using technology that pumps seawater to onshore tanks. The minister said the company is considered a world leader in land-based halibut farming.
Merlin, who started his first fish farm in Advocate in 1999, said the potential for land-based aquaculture is enormous. “When practiced sustainably, aquaculture is a perfect fit for Nova Scotia. Farming marine species like finfish, shellfish and other organisms offers great opportunity to expand Nova Scotia’s workforce,” Merlin said. “With the province’s support I can grow my business and provide more people with rewarding, interesting and environmentally considerate jobs.”
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors in the fishing industry. Half of all seafood consumed is farmed. The industry is worth about $57 million (~€ 41.8 million) annually and supports more than 750 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs.
