Freshwater Aquaculture Developments in Canada

Description

Canada's freshwater aquaculture sector consists of more than 700 operations that produce more than 10,000 metric tonnes of output annually with a farm-gate value of approximately $70 million. Located in every province of the country, the majority of these operations are land-based facilities where fish are reared in ponds, tanks and/or raceways. There are also approximately one dozen cage culture operations located in lakes and reservoirs; the latter account for more than 45% of total production. Trout and charr are principal production species.

In 2001, producers in different provinces with similar challenges launched the Inter-Provincial Collaborative R&D Initiative for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture (the Initiative) to promote coordinated efforts in applied research, development and commercialization (RDC) to advance the sector. The Initiative's first Industry Action Plan, in 2002, focused largely on nutrition. In 2004, priorities were re-evaluated and a second Industry Action Plan was developed with a renewed focus on nutrition but with the addition of waste management, farm management and environmental carrying (assimilative) capacity. In total, more than $1.9 million in RDC projects were delivered through these first two Action Plans.

In 2006, the Initiative became a registered not-for-profit organization - the Inter-Provincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development (IPSDAD) - with headquarters in Quebec City, Qc. In the winter of 2006/07, the IPSFAD coordinated five 1-day workshops across Canada with industry and government stakeholders to solicit input regarding RDC initiatives most pertinent to industry development. Consolidation of stakeholder input from theses meetings in the foundation for this Third Industry Action Plan that will serve as a coordinating instrument for sustainable freshwater aquaculture development throughout Canada from 2007-2009. The Action plan encompasses 16 RDC initiatives within six thematic groups:

1. Fish Health Management,
2. Nutrition,
3. Broodstock Management,
4. Alternative Species and Practices,
5. Experimental Farm Initiative (Land-Based) and
6. Cage Culture.

Date of Symposium: February 2007

Program Name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Year(s)

2006 - 2008

Ecoregion(s)

National

Principal Investigator(s)

Grant Vandenberg
Email: grant.vandenberg@FSAA.ulaval