AquaNet is a Network of Centres of Excellence in aquaculture
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AQUANET INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE FORUM
Enhancing Sectoral Efficiency and Identifying Future Directions in Finfish and Shellfish Aquaculture
Fredericton, NB, Lord Beaverbrook Hotel
June 16-18, 2003
As part of the midterm review, the Expert Panel recommended that AquaNet develop a revised strategic plan that articulates long term objectives and goals of the network, contains a specific strategic research agenda with a statement of the important research questions with priorities and contains plans for the integration of the three research themes (Animal Production, Environmental Integrity and Socio-economic Aspects). As a result, an ad hoc Committee on Strategic Planning Priorities was established in December 2002 and drafted a strategic research framework document as a basis for discussion and further consultations with interested stakeholder groups. A subsequent strategic planning session among members of the Board and Research Management Committee was held in March 2003. The major outcome of this session was the identification of seven key priority areas for research:
- Integrating science & policy/ codes of practice
- Future directions & sectoral efficiency
- Integrated coastal management
- Strategies for fresh water
- Fish and human health
- Nutrient flow
- Fish other than food
Focused Research Forums are to be held for each of these areas to identify specific research questions and priorities that will result in targeted, expedited calls for proposals to carry out interdisciplinary, integrated projects. The current Forum was aimed at the areas of Future directions, sectoral efficiency and strategies for freshwater.
- Identify and prioritize, in order of importance, the major abiotic, biotic and socio-economic problems affecting the production, sustainability and acceptance of pre-commercial and commercial species of finfish and shellfish (both marine and freshwater environments where appropriate)
- Develop short and long-term research plans required to address the problems facing the aquaculture sector within an interdisciplinary framework
- A prioritized list of the major abiotic, biotic and socio-economic problems affecting the sustained production and acceptance of pre-commercial and commercial species of finfish and shellfish in Canada. These are to be articulated as questions in keeping with the recommendations of the Expert Panel.
- A summary of multidisciplinary research plans (spanning AquaNet themes) that could be used to solve the problems identified in deliverable #1. Each plan will identify specific knowledge gaps and both short and long term goals that must be met within the timeline of the network.
The forum took place over 2.5 days. The Forum opened with an overview of AquaNet, the AquaNet strategic research plan and the context for the forum given by Drs. Joe Brown and Moira Ferguson. Jay Parsons was identified as playing the primary role in the organization of the shellfish sections. The facilitator (Dave Besner) then provided instructions to the group. The remainder of the day consisted of six plenary talks given by representatives from industry to provide a Canadian and global perspective on the problems facing the Canadian aquaculture industry (Appendix 1).
The second day opened with a summary of the talks by the facilitator and distribution of the summary as well as printouts of the slides from the plenary talks given the previous day. The participants were then subdivided into one of three breakout groups. The breakout groups were composed of experts in key disciplines (mostly from academia) and industrial representatives. The breakout groups focused on issues related to either pre-commercial finfish species, commercial finfish species or shellfish species, because the problems facing these groups of species are different. Likewise the required expertise of the members of the breakout groups varied accordingly (Appendix 1).
The groups spent the morning session identifying the key research questions. All suggestions were considered even if there was direct knowledge that research addressing that question was ongoing. Each breakout group reported back to the group at large and copies of all group reports were distributed. The afternoon was spent identifying the research that was required to address the priority questions and existing knowledge gaps. The breakout group reports were presented to the group at large at the end of the day and the next morning. Unfortunately, there was inadequate time to develop detailed research plans. As before, all reports were distributed to the group. The balance of the Forum was essentially an open session where participants were given the opportunity to comment and ask questions on the upcoming call for proposals.
OBJECTIVE 1 - LIST OF KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS (in no particular order)
- Pre-commercial finfish: regionally and culturally important aquaculture species such as haddock, Atlantic halibut, Atlantic cod, black cod, wolf fish and sturgeon.
- Do available broodstock diets meet the nutritional requirements of the species with respect to reproductive output and larval quality/survival?
- Are there particular strains/populations that are more suitable for use in aquaculture?
- Are there adequate programs for the screening of broodstock for potential pathogens?
- Do current husbandry practices meet the needs of the different species and their developmental stages?
- What are the effects of different husbandry practices and rearing conditions on the physiology/stress response of larval and juvenile stages and how does this effect long-term growth performance?
- Do growth conditions experienced as larvae or juveniles affect later performance (e.g. juvenile quality, early maturation)?
- What measurements can be used as indicators of larval quality?
- What are the causes and solutions to the problem or early maturation? Are the causes and solutions similar for all species?
- What are the effects of the environment of the cage site on growth performance, survival and disease resistance? How can husbandry practices be used to overcome environmental problems?
- Are fish health management practices used for salmonids suitable for use in non-salmonid aquaculture? If not how do these practices need to be modified?
- What does the presence of pathogens mean with respect to the risk of disease outbreaks and risks of transfer of pathogens to new regions or wild fish? For example what does the presence of nodavirus positive broodstock mean with respect to health of their offspring?
- Is it possible to use commercially available vaccines and vaccination strategies suitable for salmonids in non-salmonid culture?
- What is the energy utilization of different species at different stages in their development? Do different species differ in their energy utilization?
- What are the optimal feeding strategies for the different species under different environmental conditions (e.g. effects of low temperature on feeding regimes)?
- What alternative sources of protein are suitable for use in diets for these species?
- What are the levels of nitrogenous and phosphorus waste generated from commercial feeds as it relates to environmental considerations?
- What are the real and perceived real risks of disease transfer to wild, or transfer between salmonid and non-salmonid fish?
- Are the environmental effects at sites culturing non-salmonids similar to those at sites culturing salmonids?
- Does the present regulatory frame-work require adjustment before application to non-salmonid fish?
- How can AquaNet through education and public awareness programs improve the perception and acceptance of aquaculture?
- What federal and provincial government programs can be created or improved to facilitate the financing, access to facilities and research in aquaculture?
- Are there any lessons that can be learnt from the agricultural sector?
- How can access to current programs be improved for people engaged in aquaculture (e.g. use of scientific tax credits)?
- Shellfish
- How do we improve the regulatory framework for site allocation and site management in an acceptable way that will allow sustainable development and expansion of aquaculture?
- What scientific, technological and regulatory policy can we use to identify invasive species, prevent future introductions, and mitigate present problems?
- What are the causes and indicators of unexplained mortalities and poor performance of stocks (e.g. winter kill of oysters and quahogs, summer kill of scallop, west coast mussels and oysters, mass mortalities)?
- What strategies should be developed to manage unexplained mortalities and poor performance and known diseases? (e.g. husbandry practices, development of genetic/physiological strains, stress indicators).
- What are some of the strategies allowing reliable, cost-effective and high quality production and availability of seed (wild and hatchery source)?
- What are the cumulative impacts of other resource users on shellfish production?
- What strategies can be used to enhance safety (e.g. biotoxins, bacterial and viral pathogens) and marketability (added-value, meat quality, nutritional value, reduced stress resulting from harvesting practices, shelf-life)?
- How can we solve the bottlenecks/impediments (biological and regulatory) in culturing alternate species?
- What are the economic and technological requirements for scaling up the shellfish aquaculture sector, e.g. process and handling innovations, industry structure (diversity and flexibility, market development)?
- Commercial finfish (salmonids)
- What is the extent of genetic variation in existing broodstocks?
- How does genetic variation affect the growth, physiological performance and disease resistance of cultured fish?
- What is the value of triploids in terms of the performance of existing stocks/strains and potential imports of new stocks?
- What are the important early husbandry issues related to disease, mortality, physiological variation and application of therapeutants?
- How can re-circulation and other rearing technologies be improved?
- How can we manipulate the phenotype of smolts and timing of entry into seawater to optimize their performance during the grow-out phase?
- How can we manage saltwater entry and grow-out in terms of growth, sexual maturation, disease resistance, feeding (and food), and market supply?
- How can we optimize harvesting, processing, and animal welfare to improve product quality, quantity, and food safety?
- How can fish and feed be traced through the whole growth/processing stream in the context of food safety and human health?
- What new tools can be developed to standardize methods of environmental assessment and monitoring of farm sites?
- What criteria should be included in the above, and what is their value in assessing near- and far-field impacts (hypoxia, etc.)?
- What indices should be applied to summarize these impacts?
- How should potential sites be assessed for culture suitability and potential impact?
- What are the public perceptions and issues regarding salmonid culture?
- How can we communicate scientific results to improve public perception?
- How can scientific results be used as feedback to government policy in terms of environmental regulation and rearing/grow-out/processing technology?
- How can the Canadian industry maximize marketing positions and marketing power?
OBJECTIVE 2 - RESEARCH PRIORITIES (1= highest priority)
- Pre-commercial finfish:
Species given priority were: haddock, Atlantic halibut, Atlantic cod, black cod, wolffish and sturgeon. Rankings were based on the state of commercialization: (first four species have commercial hatcheries in place or being built)
Husbandry:
| Priority 1: |
Improve larval rearing and juvenile production
| Short term: |
Studies on early larval survival, stress & physiology
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| Long term: |
Studies on impact of early rearing conditions on long term growth survival and early maturation |
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| Priority 1: |
Improve the performance of juveniles and adults during ongrowing
| Short term: |
Studies on husbandry and environmental effects on growth, early maturation and fish health
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| Priority 1: |
Develop approaches to monitor and improve fish health
Short &
Long term: |
Studies needed to modify and improve fish health management strategies/biosecurity, to improve diagnostic tools and test vaccines for efficacy.
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| Priority 1: |
Improve energy utilization and develop improved feeding strategies
| Short term: |
Investigate dietary energy utilization of different developmental stages with the aim of improving energy utilization, develop improved feeding strategies and develop estimates of phosphorous and nitrogen loadings.
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| Long term: |
Evaluate the potential of alternative dietary protein sources |
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| Priority 2: |
Develop broodstock programs
| Long term: |
A critical activity in the long run but not of high priority at this time |
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Environmental Integrity:
| Priority 1: |
Determine the interactions between cage facilities and the environment
Long term
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| Priority 2: |
Determine the risks of disease transfer from wild to farmed fish, vice versa and from non-salmonids to salmonids |
Socio-Economic Aspects:
| Priority 1: |
Survey the current regulatory framework with the view of making it more amenable to new species development
Short term
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| Priority 1: |
Examine Federal & Provincial programs and see if these can be used to support aquaculture
Short term
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| Priority 1: |
Educate government, NGOs and other stakeholders about aquaculture.
Short & Long term
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- Shellfish
| Priority 1: |
Improve regulatory framework for site allocation & site management in an acceptable way that allows for sustainable development and expansion of aquaculture.
| Short term: |
Regulatory issues
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| Long term: |
Evaluate and communicate impacts (positive or negative) of shellfish aquaculture on the environment |
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| Priority 1: |
Identify invasive species using innovative scientific, technological or regulator policies and prevent future introductions and mitigate present problems
Short & Long term
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| Priority 1: |
Determine causes and indicators of unexplained mortalities and poor performance of stocks (e.g., winter kill, of oysters and quahogs, summer kill of scallops, west coast mussels and oysters, mass mortalities). Develop strategies to manage these and known diseases (e.g. husbandry practices, development of genetic/physiological strains, stress indicators) (Emphasis should be on species suited to the harsh Canadian environment and on development of increased tolerance for species at their northern limit.)
Short & Long term
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| Priority 2: |
Develop strategies to allow reliable, cost-effective and high quality production and availability of seed (wild and hatchery sources).
Biological/production approaches (identification and performance evaluation of genetic stocks, and nutrition requirements of various life history stages). Short and long-term.
Biological, social and regulatory issues (risk management, protocols). Short-term.
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| Priority 2: |
Determine the cumulative impacts of other resource users on shellfish production
Short & Long term
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| Priority 2: |
Determine strategies to enhance safety (e.g. biotoxins, bacterial and viral pathogens) and marketability (added-value, meat quality, nutritional value, reduced stress resulting from harvesting practices, shelf-life). Short and long-term. |
| Priority 2: |
Solve the bottlenecks/impediments (biological and regulatory) of culturing alternative species.
(This should be combined with alternative finfish species)
Long term (lower priority then others)
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| Priority 3: |
Determine the economic and technological requirements for scaling up the shellfish aquaculture sector.
Short & Long term
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- Commercial finfish (salmonids):
Husbandry:
| Priority 1: |
Develop sterile stocks from new and existing genetic sources (3 yrs)
| Need: |
Evaluate performance of triploids
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| Project: |
Focus on disease, stress tolerance and growth of triploids compared to diploids produced from the same genetic source |
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| Priority 1: |
Determine the environmental and genetic triggers of grilsing (3 yrs)
| Need: |
Delay or prevent grilsing
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| Project: |
Combination of physiology, genetics and husbandry approaches |
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| Priority 1: |
Optimize the quality of the product in the context of animal welfare (3 yrs)
| Need: |
Maximise flesh quality
Maximise attention on fish handling
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| Project: |
Review current methodologies
Recommend new methodologies |
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| Priority 1: |
Develop approaches to manage the health of smolts (2 yrs)
| Need: |
Determine the most appropriate type and timing of prophylactic application before ongrowing in cages
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| Project: |
Test new and existing prophylactic treatments |
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| Priority 3: |
Develop protocols for the traceability of fish and food
Industry issue
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| Priority 3: |
Develop new cost effective feeds based on alternate protein sources
| Need: |
New cost effective feeds based on alternate protein sources
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| Project: |
Diet development and trials (Industry issue) |
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| Priority 3: |
Develop and enhance recirculation and other rearing technologies |
Environment:
| Priority 1: |
Develop tools for evaluating and monitoring of the potential impacts of aquaculture facilities (1-2yrs)
| Need: |
Indices, criteria, far field & near field
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| Project: |
Synthesis of existing data
Impacts and suitable indices
Criteria for regulation
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| Priority 2: |
Develop criteria for the suitability of new sites (long term) |
Policy:
| Priority 1: |
Determine public perception of Aquaculture (1-2yrs)
| Need: |
What is the public view of Aquaculture?
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| Project: |
National survey (why eat salmon? food safety, environmental concerns) |
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| Priority 1: |
Improve public education (1-2yrs)
| Need: |
Pre-emptive, aggressive and balanced
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| Project: |
none here - Education arm of AquaNet |
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| Priority 2: |
Apply scientific information to development of government policy
| Need: |
Dependent on outputs from above
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| Priority 3: |
Improve marketing positions & power
Company/association responsibility |
Appendix 1 - Participants and Roles:
- Development of new marine finfish species, an international perspective – Grethe Adoff, Bergen Aquaculture, Norway
- Development of new marine finfish species, a Canadian perspective – Brian Rogers, Rogers Consulting Inc.
- Challenges facing the Canadian shellfish industry – Carl Reynolds (Reynolds Mussel Farm, Charlottetown, PEI) and Tim DeJager(DeJager Aqualogic, BC)
- Challenges facing the European shellfish industry – Joseph Mazurie, Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (IFREMER), France
- Challenges facing the salmon industry from a global perspective - Jim Gracie, Stolt Sea Farm Inc., St. George, NB
- Challenges facing freshwater aquaculture in central Canada –Sylvain Lareau, AAQ
New directions: new species of marine finfish:
- Stewart Johnson (NRC-Institute for Marine Biosciences, Halifax, NS) - Health
- Santosh Lall (NRC- Institute for Marine Biosciences, Halifax, NS) - Nutrition
- Helga Guderley (Laval University, Montreal QC) - Physiology/Growth
- Joe Brown (Memorial University, St. John’s NL) - Husbandry
- Faye Woodman (Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS) - Socio-economics
- Brian Blanchard (Scotian Halibut, Clark's Harbour, NS) - Physiology/Growth
- Gidon Minkoff (Teleostei.com, Parksville, BC)
- Grethe Adoff (Bergen, Norway)
Shellfish: pre-commercial and commercial species:
- Monica Bricelj (NRC-Institute for Marine Biosciences, Halifax, NS) - Nutrition
- Tom Gill (Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS) - Human health
- Robin Anderson (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St. John’s, NL) - Environment
- Bruce McDonald (University of New Brunswick, St. John, NB) - Physiology
- John Kraeuter (Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers, NJ) - Physiology
- Jay Parsons (Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s NL) - Husbandry
- Cyr Couturier (Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s NL) - Husbandry
- Terry Mills (Black Gold Inc., Botwood, NL)
- Jason Mullen (Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS)
- Jean Côté (PecNord, Sillery QC and RMQ, QC)
- Keith Reid (Odessey Shellfish Ltd. and BC Shellfish Growers Association, Nanaimo, BC)
- Joseph Mazurie Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (IFREMER, France)
- Carl Reynolds (Reynolds Mussel Farm, Charlottetown, PEI and PEI Mussel Growers Association)
- Tim DeJager (DeJager AquaLogic, BC)
- Jean-Paul Vanderlinden (Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB) - Socio-economics
Commercial finfish :
- Moira Ferguson (University of Guelph, Guelph, ON) - Genetics
- Terry Drost (Corey Feeds, Fredericton, NB) - Nutrition
- Tony Farrell (Simon Fraser University, Vancourver, BC) - Physiology
- Dave Speare (Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, PEI) - Health
- Jim Grant (Concordia University, Montreal, QC) - Farm/Environmental Interactions (Behaviour, Ecology)
- Jon Grant (Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS) -Waste (Oceanography)
- Richard Apostle (Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS) - Socio-economics
- Bev Bacon (Research Productivity Council; Science Committee for NB Salmon Growers Association, Letang, NB)
- Ron Ginetz (BC Salmon Growers Association, Campbell River, BC)
- Sylvain Lareau (AAQ, QC)
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