New species considered for aquaculture
Although the aquaculture industry in British Columbia is currently dominated by the production of Atlantic salmon, some entrepreneurs and scientists are working to figure out how to produce other species. Recognizing the importance of future food security, investors from a number of countries are currently scouring the B.C. landscape in search of opportunities for the establishment of new aquaculture production capacity.
British Columbia is an interesting location for many aquaculture entrepreneurs for many reasons- not the least is the regions reputation for scenic beauty and unspoiled environment. An abundance of clean water in coastal regions, as well as many sources of unpolluted fresh water makes this Canadian province a tempting place to set up shop. Many of the potential investors also recognize the strict environmental regulatory regime for aquaculture, which they say is necessary to maintain the reputation of the production facilities here and the fish and shellfish they produce.
Some of the species of interest to new aquaculture investors are;
- Copper rockfish- Sebastes Caurinus. Research is being supported by Korean interests
- Wolf eel- Anarrhichthys ocellatus. The Vancouver Aquarium is also involved in the research into the reproductive processes for this fish. Juveniles have been produced and trained to eat commercial fish food
- Sablefish (also called Black cod)- Anoplopoma fimbria. A commercial hatchery has already been built for the production of juveniles, and a few farms have been producing this fish for harvest. Fresh farmed Sablefish has been well received in the market place, fetching prices of CAD$ 7.50 per pound (~€ 11.60 per kilo)
- Geoduck clams- Panopea generosa- a large clam that in the wild takes some 6-8 years to grow to harvest size. Experiments with formulated diets indicate that this time can be greatly reduced
- Basket cockle- Clinocardium nuttallii- a domestic shellfish of historical importance to the aboriginal population of the Pacific coast of North America. Research has described the reproduction process, and additional examination of the genetic variation among regional stocks will be undertaken in the near future
- Northern (or Pinto) abalone- Haliotis kamtschatkana. This endangered native species has already been cultured in B.C., but the distribution to consumers is unreasonably hampered by red tape
Most of these species are highly sought after and high priced in both North America and Asia, providing hope for a more diversified aquaculture industry in British Columbia in years to come. A more detailed overview of this development will be featured in a future issue of the FishfarmingXpert magazine.
