Contained-fish project deemed a success

Dan MacLennan
April 7, 2012
Times Colonist

AgriMarine Industries officials say they're pleased with the first harvest of chinook salmon from their solid wall containment pilot project at Middle Bay, even though the fish had to be harvested early because of storm damage to the huge 3,000-cubic-metre tank.

"We didn't achieve the biomass that we'd like to have," AgriMarine president and CEO Richard Buchanan told the Courier-Islander. "Because of the storm we've stopped this growout. (We had) amazing growth in the 13 months. We didn't believe that salmon could grow so quickly. It's really proven that the quality of the rearing system for fish is excellent."

The Middle Bay Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative (MBSAI) saw AgriMarine fill a floating solid-wall tank with roughly 50,000 six-inch chinook in late January 2011. The plan was to harvest the fish 18 to 20 months later when the fish reached an average four kilograms in size. The plan changed quickly last month when the powerful storm that dropped trees all over Campbell River March 12 also caused cracks in the tank. In order to properly assess the damage, the tank had to be raised and inspected, meaning the fish had to come out.

Buchanan said more than 95 per cent of the original stock were harvested and sold to Safeway in the United States.

"There is some damage and we don't want to take a chance on any structural failure so we're going to remove the tank and check the damage," he said. "We've changed the design. Future designs are different than this. We learned what we needed to learn."

AgriMarine's Rob Walker was pleased with the end result. He said the fish averaged two kilograms.

Click here for the full story in the Times Colonist . Also in Courier Islander; April 6, 2012; "AgriMarine happy with fish size, health in forced harvest"

See related stories:

• Campbell River Courier; April 6, 2012; "AgriMarine happy with fish size, health in forced harvest"
  
• CTV News Coverage; July 6, 2011; "Unique fish farm aims to dash environmental concerns"
• Times Colonist; January 19, 2011; "Arrival of aquaculture tank makes history, draws praise"
• Courier Islander.; June 3, 2011; "Agrimarine has tentative Safeway deal"
• Courier-Islander.; May 13, 2011; "C.R.-based closed-containment project impresses CAAR members"
• Business in Vancouver; March 15, 2011; "Agrimarine signs MOU for eastern Canada fish farm venture"
• Courier Islander; February 2, 2011; "First closed-containment fish have been put in project tank"
• Courier Islander; February 2, 2011; "History in the making?'
• Courier Islander; January 21, 2011; "'Contained' economics get better and better"
• Courier Islander; January 21, 2011; "Middle Bay project means an end to open net cage farms - Donnelly"
• Times Colonist; January 19, 2011; "Arrival of aquaculture tank makes history, draws praise"
• Courier Islander; January 19, 2011; "Closed containment one step closer"
• Vancouver Sun; January 19, 2011; "Campbell Rivers' floating fish tank draws praise"
• Fisheries Information Service; January 18, 2011; First closed containment aquaculture tank launches in BC"
• CBC News; January 17, 2011; "Closed-pen salmon farm launches in B.C."
• Straight.com; January 17, 2011; "Alexandra Morton applauds B.C.'s first closed fish-farming tank"
• National Post; January 17, 2011; "Fishermen outraged over Chinese fish farm using B.C. salmon eggs" 
• Earth Times; January 17, 2011; "AgriMarine and MBSAI Complete Launch of First Marine Closed Containment Tank in BC"
• Courier Islander; January 13, 2011; "First on in the world"
• Courier Islander; January 13, 2011; "Big is bigger"