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Research Brings Cod Aquaculture Closer to Reality

A major research and development project is taking place at the Sea Forest Plantation cod hatchery at Jerseyside, Placentia Bay. The announcement was made today by Jean Payne, MP St. John's West, on behalf of Lawrence MacAulay, Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Veterans Affairs, and John Efford, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

This project will help the aquaculture sector to conduct research into the problems of mass producing juvenile cod for grow-out in aquaculture operations. The goals of the project are to refine cod hatching, to improve growth and survival rates, and to develop techniques to intensify hatchery production. This information will be used to develop a network of cod grow-out operations throughout the province. The project is supported through an investment of $957,123 from the Canada/Newfoundland Agreement on Economic Renewal.

Ms. Payne said: "Sea Forest Plantation Ltd. has pioneered cod farming in this province. Today Sea Forest has the facilities, the talent and the experience needed to scale up this activity, to turn an experimental industry into a commercial one. This research will assist in the long-term growth of the cod farming sector."

Minister Efford said: "The people of rural Newfoundland and Labrador have built up a set of skills that are ideal for codfish aquaculture. We know the techniques, the locations and the markets. This research could make our province the leader in an industry capable of employing hundreds of people. Our goal is to deliver high-quality farmed cod to lucrative markets."

John Maher, Mayor of Placentia and Chairman of the Argentia Management Authority (AMA), expressed support for the project saying: "Sea Forest Plantation is on the cutting edge of world research in the aquaculture field. This investment ensures a continuation of research while strengthening our efforts to diversify the local economy."

The cod hatchery is managed by Jonathan Moir of Sea Forest Plantation, who narrated a five-minute video on the hatchery operation and spoke on behalf of the company. "Sea Forest has been developing cod aquaculture techniques since 1988, and we have trained our staff in Norway, which is the world leader in the field. We've already produced fingerlings on a small scale, and we're now growing them out. This research will allow us to carry our work a step further."

Representing the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, Executive Director Marc Kielley explained the significance of the investment to the future of cod farming in the province. "At present we are commercially farming salmon, mussels and trout," he said. "Cod has significant potential, provided we can find answers to the technical questions associated with breeding cod on a commercial scale. We already have a great deal of the infrastructure and skills we need to build a cod farming industry. This research could be the final piece of the puzzle."

The Canada/Newfoundland Agreement on Economic Renewal is a $100 million, five-year, federal-provincial program designed to generate long-term economic benefits for the province primarily in the growth areas of advanced technology, tourism and aquaculture.

Contact:

• Josephine Cheeseman
  Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
  (709) 729-3733

  Bonnie Mewdell
  Department of Fisheries and Oceans
  (613) 992-3474

  Jonathan Moir
  Sea Forest Plantation Ltd.
  (709) 227-2097

  Ellen Alcock
  Canada/Newfoundland Agreement on Economic Renewal
  (709) 772-5116

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BACKGROUNDER

• Sea Forest Plantation Ltd. (SFP) was incorporated in 1986 to research and develop commercial cod aquaculture in Newfoundland. The company has successfully developed the process of rearing wild-caught cod which double in size and quadruple in market value in three months.
• SFP produced up to 350 tonnes of farmed cod per year from 1986 to 1991, however, the subsequent collapse of the trap fishery and the cod moratorium eliminated the supply of wild cod preventing continuation of profitable commercial operations.
• The cod moratorium dictated that SFP seek alternative avenues to continue the development of the cod farming industry in Newfoundland. Hence, the company established the cod hatchery in Jerseyside and, with support from ACOA and the Argentia Management Authority (AMA), mounted a comprehensive development program to supply juvenile cod to the industry.
• The Jerseyside hatchery utilizes leading edge technology that represents technology transfer from cod research in Norway, fish hatchery technology from Israel, and ground breaking research completed in Newfoundland.
• SFP produced 20,000 juvenile cod in 1996. Some of these have been given to three farms for grow-out and the remainder are being held to complete research on growth and diets in 1997.
• SFP's 1997 goal is to produce up to 500,000 juvenile cod and complete research on the operational protocols developed in 1996.
• When in full production, the Jerseyside hatchery can supply sufficient juvenile cod to 300 independent farmers to create a 6,000 tonne industry that will generate $25 million in sales employing over 800 people.
• SFP has trained over 300 fisherpeople in 80 communities to be cod farmers. The fisherpeople / cod farmers will form the basic core market for the hatchery produced juvenile cod.
• The cod farm product is targeted at the premium fresh high end market on a steady year round supply basis.
• The future return of healthy wild cod stocks will not eliminate the need for a cod hatchery. A steady supply of juvenile cod on a timely basis is necessary to ensure the success of the cod farming industry.

Aquaculture component
Canada/Newfoundland Agreement on Economic Renewal

The investment of $20 million in aquaculture allows a range of projects to be undertaken in the following five strategic directions:

• Financial and Marketing ($1 million): to facilitate development of the industry based on the identification of sound, sustainable competitive advantages, e.g. benchmarking, inter-firm comparisons, market demand analysis, investment prospecting, and generic promotion.
• Coastal Zone Aquaculture Planning ($1 million): to assist in maximizing sustainable development opportunities by reducing the potential for conflict, harmonizing policies and procedures, and providing data analysis tools. This component will be achieved through development of a GIS data base to facilitate government and industry planning; review of government policies and procedures; and collection, analysis and distribution of relevant data.
• Communications, Advocacy and Education ($1 million): to improve skills, knowledge and awareness within the industry; to support the industry association in meeting its mandate particularly in the production and delivery of educational materials and training programs.
• Applied Research and Development ($9 million): to establish research programs to provide a basis for achieving sustainable development of the industry. This will be accomplished through the establishment of research facilities aimed at ensuring the sustainability of finfish and shellfish aquaculture in the Newfoundland environment.
• Extension Services ($8 million): to provide for expansion of the industry through creation of supporting infrastructure and industry services. Programs include provision of extension and fish health services, collection of regional site suitability information, and establishment and operation of demonstration facilities.