Tag salmon

The British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association releases its first annual Sustainability Progress Report as the Global Aquaculture Alliance hosts its GOAL conference in Vancouver, B.C. The group intends to share progress on environmental, social and economic impacts. 

At the GOAL 2015 pre-conference workshop in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a panel of aquaculture management experts determined that producers sharing water resources must work together to prevent the spread of disease and to become more attractive to investors. 

Canada exports farmed seafood products to more than 22 countries and is the main seafood supplier to the U.S. market. Finfish, primarily salmon, production is strong and shellfish production is growing, but diversification will be imperative to maintain competitiveness. 

A study to evaluated operating practices and system designs that could potentially enhance depuration of off-flavors from Atlantic salmon cultured in a semi-commercial-scale freshwater recirculating aquaculture system. 

Cathepsin D alone and in combination with other cathepsins presents the greatest proteolytic activity on some fish muscles. 

In a study, Atlantic salmon fed diets with red seaweed had significantly higher levels of antiviral activity against the infectious salmon anemia virus than fish fed a control diet. 

A study was performed to determine the effects of puerarin, a biologically active ingredient in the roots of kudzu, on stress modulation in farmed salmon. 

A unique pilot project supported by northern Chile’s biggest power-generating company and the Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture is raising cobia in a recirculating aquaculture system in the desert. 

Sea lice are a significant threat to the Chilean salmon-farming industry. Chilean salmon farmers also understand that prevention and good management practices based on biosecurity measures are the best tools to minimize outbreaks of disease. 

Greater knowledge of fouling organisms and their settlement can help lead to greater effectiveness for cage net-cleaning machines. If cleaning is done regularly at certain times of the year, biofouling may be easier to remove or kept from settling on nets. 

Although state-of-the-art research has led to breakthroughs in cost efficiency, productivity and sustainability, further advances will be needed to support expansion of the industry to meet growing seafood demand. The North Atlantic Seafood Forum identified challenges and proposed solutions for varied issues. 

Protein hydrolysates can be produced by acid, base or enzymatic hydrolysis processes. Acid hydrolysis produces salt that makes the product unsuitable for food and destroys some essential amino acids. An optimum process for one fish or shellfish by-product may not be optimum for another. 

Innovations in key technologies have contributed to productivity growth in salmon farming. Manual production tasks have been automated, while improvements in feed and disease management also increase efficiency. 

Oral vaccination can be done with virtually all fish sizes and is a relatively stress-free and inexpensive approach. The authors developed a novel oral vaccine delivery system that was found effective against infectious salmon anemia and salmonid rickettsial septicemia at salmon farms in Chile. 

Although not universally practiced, the potential benefits of selective breeding in aquaculture outweigh all other options for improving animal performance. The genetic potential of aquaculture animals is plastic and can be improved over a relatively short timeframe.