Organization of a Conference Highlighting Freshwater Aquaculture Innovation

Final Report
Interprovincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development
AIMAP 2012-Q03

Executive Summary

The Interprovincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development (IPSFAD) is a private not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting technological developments through R&D and commercialization activities with a goal to enhancing productivity and sustainable development of the Canadian freshwater aquaculture industry.

As part of its mandate, IPSFAD organized a freshwater aquaculture workshop to answer both the urgent industry need and the opportunity to promote innovation and technology transfer to catalyze the growth of the industry in Canada. 

This workshop addressed the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP) main goals by contributing to the improvement of the competitiveness of the Canadian freshwater aquaculture industry by encouraging the development and adoption of innovative technologies and management techniques to enhance its global competitiveness and environmental performance.

Background

Aquaculture encompasses a variety of activities in land-based systems, in freshwater lakes and in Canada's marine coastal zone. In 2011, Canadian aquaculture operations produced more than 163,000 tonnes of product having a farm-gate value in excess of $845 million. Four species dominate production: salmon, blue mussels, oysters, and trout (steelhead). 

The value and economic potential of freshwater aquaculture in Canada was thoroughly assessed in 1999 when 9,784 tonnes of freshwater fish were produced having a value of $69.6 million. There is evidence, however, to suggest that freshwater production has declined over the past decade. Statistics Canada reports approximately 4,900 tonnes of freshwater production throughout Canada with a farm gate value of approximately $26 million. Even when accounting for the gaps in Statistics Canada figures (e.g. isolated producers within a territory and small producers whose data are not reported), it is likely that freshwater production remains less than 9,000 tones with a value of about $48 million.

The majority of freshwater 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. Although vastly out-numbered, cage culture operations account for more than three-quarters of total freshwater aquaculture output in Canada. Ontario and Quebec are the dominant producers of freshwater fish in Canada, followed by Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Trout accounts for more than 95% of total freshwater production in Canada.

Globally, European nations are the major producers of trout and charr in freshwater systems; particularly France, Italy, Turkey, Spain and Denmark. Canada does not rank amongst the top ten producing nations in total trout and char output, behind countries such as Columbia, Iran and Japan. Considering Canada's freshwater resource base and other strategic advantages, the current level of output is not commensurate with the opportunity and potential that exists for freshwater aquaculture development in Canada.

Canada's freshwater aquaculture sector is well-positioned to benefit from the following competitive advantages:

• Plentiful resource base (i.e., water supplies, low cost energy, etc.);
• Industry experience, expertise and desire to support sustainable development;
• Substantial export potential with proximity to the US market which is increasingly dependent on imported seafood;
• Increasing global demand for fish and seafood due to population growth, increased affluence and the recognized health benefits of the products;
• A considerable potential and need for agricultural diversification and latent infrastructure to support development; and
• The potential to increase private sector participation in stocking public waters for fisheries enhancement.

Freshwater aquaculture in Canada, however, is not capitalizing on these inherent advantages and opportunities. In fact, growth in the sector has been forestalled for several years, due largely to concerns (real and perceived) regarding the environmental and social sustainability of aquaculture, which have resulted in an ‘unofficial' moratorium on industry expansion in several regions of the country. Therefore, any expansion in the Canadian freshwater aquaculture sector is dependent upon the development of knowledge, technologies and practices to address and resolve such challenges.

Objectives

This workshop was convened to enable leading producers and associated members of the Canadian freshwater aquaculture sector to discuss the research, development and innovation needs within the sector. By doing so, it is hoped that public resources being allocated to the sustainable development of the sector will be targeted toward those areas identified as having the most potential to advance industry development. Specifically, the workshop was convened to address the following objectives:

• To review and validate Research, Development & Commercialization (RDC) themes identified in IPSFAD's 2011 Action Plan
• To review and validate RDC needs related to the freshwater aquaculture sector identified within the National Aquaculture Strategic Action Plan Initiative (NASAPI)
• To identify regulatory and governance constraints that might be addressed through specific Research & Development (R&D) efforts
• To identify specific projects and complimentary funding opportunities to address the above priorities

Identification and Validation of Current RDC Needs

The most recent IPSFAD Action Plan and the freshwater aspects of NASAPI (2010) were presented to identify those topics previously identified as challenges that need to be overcome and opportunities to be exploited for the advancement of freshwater aquaculture in Canada. The factors identified through each of these initiatives were correlated with factors identified by the workshop participants. Each individual participant was given an opportunity to provide input. The IPSFAD and NASAPI factors are presented in Table 1. Also presented is the number of times workshop participants mentioned the factor as being relevant to the future of sustainable freshwater aquaculture development in Canada. 

Potential Projects to Advance Sector Development

To bring the identified challenges and opportunities to fruition, the workshop participants proposed a number of specific projects. These project initiatives are outlined below.

Demonstration Farms

Demonstration farms are intended to showcase the sustainability and profitability of freshwater aquaculture in Canada thereby stimulating producer, investor and government confidence in the sector. To achieve this objective, it will be necessary to demonstrate the application of practical technologies and practices that address the key challenges and constraints facing the sector, such as those identified in Table 1, in the IPSFAD Action Plan and in the NASAPI reports. The workshop delegates identified the following specific factors to be demonstrated:

• Land-based and Cage Culture Technologies;
• Capital and Operating Budgets;
• Sustainable Operational Practices;
• Productivity (e.g., growth rates, feed conversion, mortality, product quality, etc.)
• Performance Metrics & Benchmarking (including environmental, financial, social and productivity metrics)
• Waste Management
• Biosecurity Practices
• Fish Health Management Practices
• Containment Technologies and Practices
• "Smart" Regulatory Options
• Technology Transfer.

Enabling Policy & Regulatory Framework

Through policy and regulation, governments can have a determining influence on the success of business ventures. It is essential to establish a governance framework that supports sustainable development while upholding the broader interests of society. Following risk management / financing, governance was found to be the most influential aspect of sustainable freshwater aquaculture development (Table 1). Workshop delegates identified the need to:

• Establish risk-based standards and enforcement guidelines;
• Use the CSAS process to address key scientific issues constraining the sector;
• Support development of a national Aquaculture Act.

Genetic Selection and Improvement

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the strains of trout and char currently cultured in Canada are not sufficiently robust. A national effort to advance the performance of aquaculture stocks through a comprehensive genetic selection program is warranted. Specifically the program should include:

• A systematic review of the performance of existing strains under standardized conditions;
• Baseline phenotypic research;
• A review international practices to identify technologies that could be imported to or adopted in Canada;
• Identification of traits to be targeted through genetic selection (e.g., growth rate, temperature tolerance, disease hardiness, etc.);
• A coordinated national organization to improve the genetics of freshwater aquaculture organisms (including rainbow trout, coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, Arctic char, perch).

Fish Health

Healthy stocks are essential to a productive, sustainable and profitable industry. A coordinated effort to advance our knowledge and understanding of fish health management as well as the available treatment practices is required. The following aspects of fish health have been identified as requiring attention:

• Implement the NASAPI action item to review the fish health capacity in each province
• Effective management of cold water disease (Flavobacertium) in rainbow trout
• Effective management of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) and furunculosis in brook char and Arctic char
• Effective management of Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD) and nephrocalcinosis in coho and Atlantic salmon
• Development of non-therapeutic strategies and improved nutrition for effective fish health management
• Technologies and practices for disease management in recirculating aquaculture systems.

Other Factors

A variety of other factors were also identified as being essential to advancement of sustainable freshwater aquaculture in Canada. These include:

• Development and implementation of practical skills training and capacity building programs;
• Establishment of marketing and product branding programs in support of the freshwater aquaculture sector and its products;
• Improved technologies for phosphorus management in aquaculture effluent;
• Technologies to develop marketable products from aquaculture wastes, including advancement of aquaponic technology.

Appendix

R&D Priorities for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development in Canada

Where: Minto Suite Hotel, 185 Lyon Street North, Ottawa, ON, K1R 7Y4
When: Monday Feb 11, 2013 9h-17h
Organizers: Inter-Provincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development (IPSFAD), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Aquaculture Systems Inc
Purpose: Validate a list of RDC priorities for the Canadian FW sector.

Objectives:

• Review and validate RDC themes identified in IPSFAD's 2011 Action Plan
• Review and validate RDC needs related to the FW sector identified within NASAPI
• Identify regulatory-related constraints that might be addressed through specific R&D efforts
• Identify specific projects and complimentary funding opportunities to address the above priorities

Agenda

8:30 - Welcome and objectives of the meeting (Vandenberg)
8:45 - Review of Agenda and approach (Stechey)
9:00 - Overview of the Inter-Provincial Partnership (IPSFAD) Action Plan priorities (Vandenberg)
10:00 - Validation/prioritisation of identified priorities (Stechey)
10:30 - Pause
10:45 - FW sector R&D priorities identified within NASAPI (DFO)
11:30 - Validation/Prioritisation of RDC initiatives (Stechey)
12:00 - Lunch
13:00 - Validation/Prioritisation of RDC initiatives - cont'd (Stechey)
14:00 - Identification of specific projects to address RDC priorities (plenary)

• IPSFAD Action Plan
• NASAPI
• Regulatory constraints

15:00 - Pause
15:30 - Identification of specific projects to address RDC priorities - cont'd (plenary)

• IPSFAD Action Plan
• NASAPI
• Regulatory constraints

16:45 - Wrap up / next steps (Vandenberg/Stechey)
17:00 - Adjourn