Bay of Fundy multi-trophic aquaculture
Canada: Researchers at the University of New Brunswick have worked with two of the province's major aquaculture companies, Cooke Aquaculture Inc., and Acadian Seaplants Ltd. attempting to combine fish farming with mussel and seaweed farming.
For almost seven years, the scientists, Thierry Chopin and Shawn Robinson, have worked on projects growing seaweed and mussels around Atlantic salmon farm cages. The idea is that mussels and seaweed utilizes food leftovers and nutrient waste and grow into additional marketable products.
According to an article in New Brunswick Business Journal (NBBJ) online, Dr. Chopin and Dr. Robinson "have proven that environmental management brings companies cash".
Funding for this research comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, who's awarded the project CAD 280,000 in synergy money. The project will also include market research potential for such integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, or polyculture.
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is also putting up money for the project.
NBBJ reports that the companies see real economic benefits to both diversifying their products and branding themselves as eco-friendly above the academic discoveries that are emerging.
Cooke Aquaculture's spokeswoman Nell Halse told NBBJ that "multi-trophic aquaculture is helping her company qualify its operations for an eco-certification label through a company well-known around the globe".
According to the article Acadian Seaplants is interested in the unique properties seaweed grown alongside salmon farms offers to "higher-level" nutriceutical or whole foods markets particularly in Asia, where seaweed is consumed as a dietary staple.
Applications are in to the provincial government to expand Cooke's number of Bay of Fundy salmon-growing sites with seaweed and mussels from four to twelve.
