Canadian Aquaculture R&D Review 2015

Introduction

Welcome to the sixth edition of the biannual Canadian Aquaculture R&D Review. The review is an ongoing compendium of the aquaculture research and development projects that have been underway over the past two years from all across Canada, whether they are from academia, government labs, or other research organisations. The review contains over 200 project descriptions detailing an impressive array of topics, disciplines, species and geography. Projects include marine and freshwater species, and a range of topics from finfish and shellfish health, production, husbandry technology, nutrition, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture and environmental interactions to name a few. This is the third issue of the review that has been produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in partnership with the Aquaculture Association of Canada (AAC). This partnership is highly relevant, and mutually beneficial to our respective roles in the area of knowledge mobilisation at both the AAC and DFO. This collaboration has allowed us to produce this 2015 edition as an AAC Special Publication. Electronic versions of this document are available on both the DFO and AAC websites.

Aquaculture continues to be an important and growing sector of the seafood industry in Canada as well as globally. As aquaculture continues to grow, the role of science in supporting the sustainable and responsible development of this sector is more crucial than ever. This is coupled with the growing need for healthy and nutritious seafood products and ensuring that it occurs in an environmentally responsible manner. The AAC wants to showcase advances in aquaculture research in Canada and provide this information to its members for an expanded dialogue on present and future challenges and opportunities for the industry. This publication falls within the AAC’s mandate of disseminating knowledge and further education and we hope it will be of interest to a wide audience. Likewise, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a mandate to enable the sustainable development of Canada’s aquatic resources, including aquaculture, and to provide access to information on its scientific activities underway within the department and elsewhere in Canada. Publication of ongoing aquaculture research in the Canadian Aquaculture R&D Review contributes towards achieving our shared mandates and to reach out to the science community, interested stakeholders, and the public.

We would like to take the opportunity to recognize and thank several people who contributed significantly to the production of this Review. Dan McPhee (DFO) undertook the overall coordination of this project and was instrumental in seeing this project through to completion from beginning to end. Johannie Duhaime, Tara Donaghy, Alex Tuen, Patricia Hunter, Emily Nelson, Bernadette Charpentier, and Ingrid Burgetz were also actively involved in various aspects of this project. Finally, Roger Wysocki provided oversight for all coordination of the project. We would also like to thank the AAC office staff for their support.

Jay Parsons, PhD
Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Kathy Brewer-Dalton
President
Aquaculture Association of Canada