Closed Pen Aquaculture

CP Aqua Co.202 Comm St.Lindsay, OnW9G 9J8

July 7, 2017

Dr. John HammondOwnerJurassic ParkThunder Bay, OnL9L 9L9

Dr. John Hammond

This attached report, which you requested on June 20th, 2017, represents the findings of Aqua Co. regarding the open and closed net pens within British Columbia.

This report includes assessment of current trends within the Aquaculture industry, as well as an analysis of causes and effects, and our suggestions in relation to the future possibilities within the industry. This research has been completed using various sources, including the Canadian Government, with the goal of providing in depth and applicable research.

Representatives from Aqua Co. are very excited to meet with you. Should you, or anyone within Jurassic Park have any further questions, please feel free to contact a company representative.

Sincerely, Nick ColacciDalton LauzonIan WickNick ColacciDalton LauzonIan Wick

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

Analyzing a Trend: Closed Pen Aquaculture

Nick Colacci

Dalton Lauzon

Ian Wick

Sir Sandford Fleming College

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

4

Introduction 5

Findings and Analysis

6

Conclusion 9

References

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

Executive Summary

This report first provides a brief introduction into the trend of switching from open pen

aquaculture facilities to closed pen as well as the value of the aquaculture industry in British

Columbia. The focus will be on Atlantic Salmon farming in British Columbia, using Norway as

evidence and the source of the emerging trend. Norway will be discussed in relation to British

Columbia, due to the fact that they own the majority of the British Columbia facilities, and have

been established using the same methods. This has allowed Norway to prove the errors of the

previous methods before they have fully shown up in British Columbia.

The report then shifts focus into the troubles caused by current methods, such as sea

lice, loss of product, spread of disease and disruption of the environment. Norway is again used

to show the emergence of a switch from this method.

After discussion of the problem attention then shifts to the current trend of closed pen

aquaculture emerging as the solution. Positives of the closed fish farming facility are discussed.

These positives include limiting product loss and damages, environmental consciousness, and

prevention of parasite and disease transfer.

Finally, a look into how to keep up with, and get started in the emerging trend of closed pen

aquaculture will be provided. The current hatcheries that raise juvenile fish until they reach

appropriate size for net pen systems will be discussed as an ideal way to gain experience.

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

Closed facilities that house brood stock are also discussed as a means to gain experience in this

trend.

Introduction:

The shift from open-net pens to closed containment pens is becoming more prevalent and

necessary within the aquaculture industry. Open-net pens refer to an aquaculture method that

often takes place in an ocean, or large lake and allows for the surrounding water and

environment to freely mix and flow through the pen, as it is sitting in the given body of water

(Sea Choice, 2016). “Closed containment is a barrier technology that attempts to restrict and

control interactions between farmed fish and the external aquatic environment. The

technological focus is on reducing the potentially adverse interactions between cultured fish

and the surrounding aquatic environment” (Government of Canada, 2014). According to The

Government of Canada (2012), the production value of aquaculture in 2010, within Canada,

was $927 million and British Columbia accounted for 58% of that total. The purpose of this

report is to highlight the advantages of closed pen in comparison to open-net pens in relation

to the Atlantic Salmon aquaculture industry. To keep this discussion within manageable limits

we will focus mainly on the Atlantic Salmon industry within British Columbia. This report will

use information from the following sources:

The Atlantic Salmon Federation

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

Ecology Action

The Government of Canada

Sea Choice

Tides Canada

The Government of British Columbia

This report first focuses on the details of the current trend, it then moves to an overview of

the causes and effects, and concludes with recommendations. The focus is on Atlantic Salmon

within British Columbia, as they are the most popular food production fish species in Canada.

Findings and Analysis

Trend Description:

As Ecology Action (2013) informs us, open-net fish farming is a destructive practice that

has a negative impact on the environment due to the free exchange of water between the

farmed fish and their surrounding environment. A trend developing within Aquaculture is the

conversion from open-net pens to closed containment pens for the farming of Atlantic salmon.

This can be seen in places such as Norway, where the farming of Atlantic salmon predates that

of British Columbia. In Norway, the salmon farming industry became aware to the negative

impact of escaped fish, spread of disease, and sea lice over time. The aquaculture net pens in

British Columbia are often currently run in the same fashion that has caused the damage in

Norway, and are 90% Norwegian owned (Atlantic Salmon Federation, 2016). Despite this

British Columbia has started taking steps in the right direction. “B.C. is the first and only salmon

farming region to have all of its Atlantic salmon certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance

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Figure 1: Percentage of Aquaculture Production in Canada

Closed Pen Aquaculture

Best Aquaculture Practices program” (Government of British Columbia, n.d.). After identifying

the problems caused by open net farms, Norway has begun to switch to closed facilities. Due

to similar choices in locations within British Columbia, it is evident that a change in thinking is

necessary for not only the future success of the companies, but the environment here as well.

A closed pen facility limits the impact of aquaculture on the surrounding environment (Atlantic

Salmon Federation, 2016). As you can see in figure 1, salmon is a huge part of the aquaculture

industry within Canada, and closed containment pens is the best way to ensure we take care of

the environment, while also taking care of ourselves.

Importance of Salmon

(Government of Canada , n.d.)

Causes and Effects:

The current style of open-net pen placement can produce damaging amounts of waste

being let into the surrounding environment. The open proximity to water bodies allows for the

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potential of a species escaping causing spread of invasive species and loss of product. Open pen

methods can lead to threats of the existing fish populations, and sea lice infestations. The

environment benefits greatly from the switch to closed containment facilities. The potential for

disease, or sea lice spreading to wild fish is eliminated, as is the potential for water

contamination, and the risk of escaped fish becoming invasive and destructive (Tides Canada,

2015).

The conversion to closed salmon farming systems has several positive impacts, including

reduced risk to business, limited environmental impacts, and benefits to the economy. The

chance of fish escaping, spread of disease, and damage to the facility is greatly reduced by a

closed facility. A closed containment pen facility offers shelter from the elements and no

exposure to outside disease, predators, or poor water quality. There has been several instances

of damage to open pens resulting in not only fish escape, but added repair costs as well. Some

facilities have even had to close their farms due to huge losses of fish because of uncontrollable

plankton blooms (Tides Canada, 2015).

Looking Ahead:

Success in the closed containment pen industry requires education and experience in

the field. Volunteer opportunities are a good way to gain experience, while also networking

within the industry. Most hatcheries can provide an experience in working with young fish, as

most work to raise fish from birth up until they reach fingerling size. It is not until they reach

this this size that they are shipped out to the current net pen systems, because they are not

equipped to house extremely small fish. By working with hatcheries that raise juveniles, it is

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

possible to gain experience within the closed containment pen industry. Although the

experience may primarily be working with juveniles, the skills developed are applicable to all

opportunities throughout an aquaculture career. Experience with larger fish can also be gained

in closed facilities that house brood stock. Brood stock are adult fish kept in a facility to

produce eggs for further fish production. It is a constant throughout the industry that while the

fish are young, they will be in a closed containment pen environment. As you can see in Figure

2, aquaculture currently plays, and will continue to play a huge role in the economy of British

Columbia

Importance of British Columbia

(Government of Canada, 2012)

Conclusion:

The aquaculture industry is in need of change, for future success, as well as the benefit of

the environment. The current open-pen technique of Atlantic Salmon farming has been proven

by Norway, to be a dead end. With such a large, and continually growing industry it is

important to consider where it will go in the future. The use of closed facilities has proven to

Figure 2: Aquaculture production value, by province, as of 2010

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Closed Pen Aquaculture

be a more environmentally friendly option, and the fish produced can still provide an

economically viable method of aquaculture. It is clear that this trend has arrived for a reason.

The purpose of this trend is environmental consciousness, preserving the health and abundance

of existing livestock, and limiting damages to facilities from the elements.

References

Atlantic Salmon Federation. (2016). Open Net Pen Salmon Farms Ending in Norway? Retrieved from Atlantic Salmon Federation: http://www.asf.ca/open-net-pen-salmon-farms-ending-in-norway-.html

Ecology Action. (2013). Marine Issues Comitee Position Statement on Salmon Aquaculture in Nova Scotia. Retrieved from Ecology Action: https://ecologyaction.ca/files/images-documents/EAC%20Aquaculture%20Position%20November%202013_3.pdf

Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Fisheries & Aquaculture. Retrieved from Government of British Columbia: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/fisheries-and-aquaculture/aquaculture

Government of Canada . (n.d.). Aquaculture. Retrieved from Government of Canada: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/collaboration/images/Volume_SP_E.jpg

Government of Canada. (2012). Aquaculture. Retrieved from Government of Canada: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/lib-bib/asri-irda/asri-irda-2012-eng.htm

Government of Canada. (2014). Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Retrieved from Government of Canada: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/programs-programmes/containment-eng.htm

Sea Choice. (2016). Aquaculture Methods. Retrieved from Sea Choice: http://www.seachoice.org/state-of-our-oceans-2/aquaculture-issues/aquaculture-methods/

Tides Canada. (2015). Report on the Standing Comittee. Retrieved from Tides Canada: http://www.tidescanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Report-on-the-Standing-Committee.pdf

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