Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR)

The Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR) funds research that advances our understanding of the interactions between aquaculture and the aquatic environment. The program is designed to increase our scientific knowledge and inform regulatory decision making and policy development.

Research priorities

The research priorities are driven by regulatory needs and knowledge gaps. This includes gaps identified in the Aquaculture Pathways of Effects report. This report describes the links between aquaculture activities and their impacts on the aquatic environment.

What we do

Our main activities include:

• coordinating and conducting aquaculture research to fulfill regulatory needs and fill information gaps
• assessing risks between aquaculture activities and changes in the environment
• providing science advice to government for developing aquaculture policy and regulations
• sharing research results with government, aquaculture industry, Indigenous groups, non-governmental organizations and the public

Research themes

We fund research for the following 5 themes.

• Fish pest and pathogen treatment and management
• This research helps us understand aquaculture diseases and pests, and their control treatments.
• This includes how on-farm infections develop and spread.
• Interactions with wild populations
• This research helps us understand the ecological and genetic interactions between farmed and wild fish.
• Release of organic matter
• This research measures and predicts the zone of impact under a farm from unconsumed feed and fecal matter.
• Other habitat impacts
• This research examines the relationships between aquaculture and marine habitats, like eelgrass and other marine plants.
• Cumulative effects and ecosystem management
• This research predicts the cumulative impacts from aquaculture.

Research results

The research results are used for aquaculture science advice. This provides peer-reviewed scientific information for governments to use when making aquaculture policy and regulatory decisions.

Published research provides useful information to aquaculture industry, Indigenous groups, non-governmental organizations, and the public.

Related links

• Aquaculture publications and multimedia
• Sustainable Aquaculture Program
• Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat
• Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program