“On the land we may be farmers, but in the sea we remain hunter-gatherers.”
- Dr. Spencer Wells, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
Closed containment systems have been endorsed and promoted by environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) for years as a means to protect wild salmon stocks from the effect of fish escapes, disease and parasite transfer from farms, chemical discharges, fish and feed waste discharges and negative interactions with predators. A key benefit of closed containment is that it separates the farmed fish from the wild fish without impacting the surrounding environment. This separation enables the spread of disease and parasites to be better controlled. Sea lice are a lethal threat to wild salmon.
Closed containment on land versus AgriMarine’s floating system in marine or fresh water bodies
Although on a small scale, there are a number of companies that are successfully farming salmon using land-based fresh-water closed containment systems. This is a clear step towards sustainability for the industry. At AgriMarine, we have the technology to take this one step further – commercial-scale viability.
Having confirmed the viability of raising healthy salmon in a land-based, solid-wall containment system in a four-year trial period commissioned by the BC Government from 2001 to 2005, AgriMarine then partnered with the Middle Bay Sustainable Aquaculture Institute (MBSAI), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Coast Sustainability Trust and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to design a floating solid-wall tank system for its Middle Bay demonstration facility in Campbell River, B.C. AgriMarine successfully deployed this technology in its first farm in China in 2009.
None of the existing land-based, closed containment systems can provide the scale necessary to be cost competitive with net cage operations due to high energy costs, land values, high construction costs of land-based tanks and the difficulty in building tanks large enough to hold an economically viable amount of fish. All these reasons combined make land-based systems cost prohibitive.(2)
AgriMarine has a unique value proposition and commercial scalability that makes sound business sense.
With a floating tank system, energy use (hydro-electric power) is significantly less than that of a land-based project. Energy, and lots of it, is required to move seawater into land-based tanks. In a marine or fresh water environment, AgriMarine’s energy usage is less than 5% of our production costs and uses 1/10th of the energy used in land-based closed containment systems.
Moreover, solid-wall containment also uses fish feed more efficiently, which results in economic and environmental benefits. AgriMarine’s technology permits the installation of fish production systems in close proximity to consumer markets, processing facilities and labour force, therefore aiding in the reduction of negative ‘food miles’.
Current Industry Issues AgriMarine's System
Limited growth due to stress, uneven water quality and lack of control over the rearing environment Enhanced growth due to control over rearing environment
Loss of fish due to escapes Solid-wall containment allows no escapes
Loss of fish due to toxic algae blooms and dead water (low DO) Avoids toxic algae and has DO control systems
Feed loss to drift
Effective feed application (feed is a major component of the cost of production)
Costs to reduce fouling No fouling concerns, no cost to clean nets and cover them with toxic copper
Costs to move farms to allow for fallowing and lost opportunity costs to have tenures fallowed Reduced or eliminated fallowing
Susceptible to freezing temperatures System can be applied in warm or cold climate conditions, including iced reservoirs or lakes
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Sources:
(1) BC Pacific Salmon Forum – Final Report and Recommendations, January 2009, pgs 37-42, Appendices 4 and 5
(2) Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Advisory Report 2008
Potential Technologies for Closed-containment Saltwater Salmon Aquaculture