Pacific Salmon Aquaculture

In the California Central Valley, fall‐run juvenile Chinook salmon rear typically from January to June. However, in some years, the rearing period may be reduced due to high water temperatures in April. Growth and survival rates of juvenile Chinook salmon are affected by water temperature and cover (e.g., substrate pore spaces, gravel interstices, boulders, snags, over‐hanging vegetation, root wads, under‐cut banks, and macrophytes). Cover is important for protection from predation, flow displacement, water temperature stress, and the fish caloric intake optimization. Human-induced sources of stress to the riverine ecosystems include: “(1) overfishing (i.e., extracting larger quantities of fish than the system can sustain naturally); (2) nutrient

The main intention of this experiment is to distinguish whether the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) has effects on Atlantic Croaker fish. Samples from Atlantic Croaker were taken from both tributaries, one being a Bisphenol A (BPA) free tributary, and the other being filled with Bisphenol A (BPA). In which data was recorded, analyzed, and had astonishing results. The results displayed that when the female Atlantic Croaker hepatic system were exposed to high dosages of Bisphenol A they showed physical abnormalities

“How to Farm a Better Fish” by Joel K. Bourne, Jr. was published in National Geographic’s June, 2014 edition magazine. This particular article characterizes the differences between the various types of aquaculture, as well as what species to feed and the ingredients that make up the food given. The reporter who composed this editorial informed the reader of the advantages and downfalls of an indoor fish tank vs. an outdoor fish pen. The reporter pointed out the numerous ways an aquacultural company may feed their harvest of fish. He even explained that some fish farms have a whole ecosystem of aquatic animals and plants that they feed instead, to supply the whole food chain with enough nutrients. This is a rather important article because

The biggest attraction of British Columbia to me, is the wide variety of wildlife that is present. First of all, moose are one of the province’s most popular large mammals in British Columbia. The moose is the largest member of the deer family. They may weigh up to 1,300 pounds and stand seven feet tall. An interesting thing about moose is that their body types differ from the regions they live in (“Moose”). Another amazing animal of British Columbia is the Pacific salmon. Salmon is the traditional sportfish of the province. Just a few of the many species of Pacific salmon include the King, Coho, and Sockeye. Adult salmon may travel up to an astonishing 2,000 miles to spawn. Some specific salmon species use the Earth’s magnetic field to find

This paper observes the efficiencies of three different feed types fed to Epinephelus coioides. These feed types include a soy-based plant protein pellet (AQUA-LIFE), fish meal pellets (Ridley Aqua Feeds) and whole Pilchards. The fish had their dry weight and length measured prior to the commencement of the trial. 12 tanks, with 5 fish per tank were fed the three different feed types. All fish were fed every day of the 5 week trial period. The results showed the fish meal pellets had the most efficient food conversion ratio (FCR) value (0.84), with a standard growth rate (SGR) of 4.28 grams per week. This FCR value was substantially more efficient compared to the value of 2.20 and 2.98 for the Pilchards and plant based protein respectively. Several mortalities occurred in the fish being fed plant based protein, possibly due to high aggression as a result of a lack of nutrients. Water quality parameters were also not ideal for the growth of the fish as all nitrogen levels were above the ideal threshold, with nitrate reaching 89 ppm before a water change was conducted. In conclusion, the fish meal pellets proved to be the most

This article took a very extensive and narrow look at the peril of wild caught salmon versus farmed salmon. The detail heavy paper was well thought out as the author pointed out the issues but then provided ways to fix these issues. The marketing of quality over quantity for the wild salmon fisheries of Bristol Bay has been at the forefront of changing sustainability issues for a declining salmon population (Hébert 2010). The rise in fish prices could be seen as a direct reflection of tapping into a quality market by wild salmon fisheries. Farmed salmon is a lower quality therefore they make up for quality in quantity, however the influx of farmed salmon did effect the market price for fish, so the wild salmon fisheries had to come up with

One of the most commonly shared beliefs about aquaculture is that it has potential to amplify and transfer disease/parasites to wild fish populations, but strict management practices and guidelines have been utilized and supplemented to ensure that US farming operations mitigate current and potential environmental risks associated with aquaculture (NOAA, 2015). Among these practices are regular diver-led inspections to investigate the integrity of nets and net infrastructure, surveillance cameras and even public webcam feeds that monitor the fish farms and in particular monitor efficient use of feed, regular health inspections in efforts to have a head start on disease prevention and detection, and “comprehensive sanitary and biosecurity programs to prevent the introduction and/or spread of pests or diseases from one farm site/cage to another or into the environment.” (NOAA, 2015). Additionally, movements are being made to stop the spreading of disease and to limit oceanic pollution by containing salmon in solid tanks rather than in netting. “In Washington State, Domsea Farms has launched a land-based, freshwater system to produce coho salmon.” (David Suzuki Foundation, n.d.) This method is not only environmentally sound, but it opens up aquacultural boundaries. By containing fish in these large tanks, there is potential for salmon aquaculture to

There are misconceptions on farmed-raised fish. A lot of people read an article on Yahoo and think that is the norm. Customers stay away from farm-raised fish and tend to go for the wild-caught option. Yes there are a lot of bad farms and farming practices in the world but it isn’t fair to stigmatize the entire industry. There are good farms with good practices. After all, we do eat farmed-raised poultry, beef and pork and we don’t think twice about eating it. So why are many consumers afraid to eat farm-raised fish? Many consumers are misinformed. I’m going to discuss how Whole Foods Market has raised the bar when it comes to farm-raised fish with their Responsibly Farmed standards.

Lou Gonzales, of Sonora, recently returned from a salmon fishing trip to the Kenai River in Alaska, near Soldotna. Due to low return numbers, the Kenai River had been closed to the taking of king (chinook) salmon for the past few years. Gonzales was amazed at how good the fishing was since the closure. Gonzalez and friends released over 30 kings during the trip, keeping the biggest of the allowable one per day limit, which weighed 48 and 50-pounds. Numerous silver (coho) salmon were also caught. While on the Kenai, the friend with whom he was fishing had a rule - to release kings under 30-pounds. Gonzales has been there on trips in the past, but never saw it quite this good. A few years back, he caught a huge king in the 70-pound class. The

Walmart has a large retail seafood business and it is always a challenge to reduce cost and promote sustainability. With upward trend for the demand of sea-food, depletion of the seafood supply is inevitable unless Walmart have a deep engagement of their supply chain. One strategy that Walmart wants to promote to their suppliers is for all of them to take up the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification program. This process will be time consuming, expensive and complex. The depletion of some fish poses a threat to Walmart and its seafood supply chain.

Approximately 1.3 million U.S. households are home to salt water fish (Pet Statistics). These fish are not swimming about in oceans or other salty bodies of water; instead they are confined to small tanks where their lifespans can be shortened by over ten years. But how did these fish end up here? Illegal activity has brought “up to 90 percent of the 11 million tropic fish” (Bruckner 17) to the United States each year, causing detrimental effects to both the fish and surrounding marine life. The marine aquarium industry is in desperate need of reform and is one of the most pressing enviornmental issues today, despite its easy solution. The aquarium fish trade needs to be regulated in order

Farmed salmon from around the world has, on average, a PCB concentration that is eight times higher than what is found in organic salmon. While this level of contamination is considered safe by the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency disagrees. If EPA guidelines were to be followed, consumption of farmed salmon should only be limited to once per month. Are you willing to eat poison?

Another global effect of overfishing is fish farming or aquaculture. It was first started to help preserve the ocean and hoped to help people to obtain a reliable fish source. Unfortunately, what many came to realize is the downside of fish farming. One example is water contamination, where consequently waste products such as foods eaten, feces and other dead fish, are all dumped into our main water supply which contributes to water pollution. Moreover, chemicals that are used to treat the fish farms like antibiotics and algaecides are all released into the ocean; which is a real cause for concern for our oceans. Fish that come from the fish farms are pumped full of drugs, to prevent sickness in the fish but this is not healthy for us to eat. There is also a great environmental impact which includes the fact that to sustain fish farms, portions of

At the end of World War II, fishing became exacerbated as fishing technology improved; technology allowed for more catch, at a quicker rate, at an increasing distance from near shore waters. Fishing became a larger portion of the world’s food supply and economy. However, fish abundance was short lived. The United States, along with the rest of the world, found itself in a conundrum. By the 1960’s, fish stocks exhibited dramatic decline and major fisheries around the U.S. were overfished. 2 Legislation was needed for better regulation, and in 1976 the first comprehensive bill was passed to protect fishing areas farther offshore and prevent further decline. The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) promoted the U.S fishing industry’s optimal exploitation of coastal fisheries by consolidating control over territorial waters through the establishment of eight regional councils to manage fish stocks, which are controlled largely by industry representatives.3, 4 The ultimate focus was, and is to this day, to protect the fishing industry, while also protecting fish stock. 1,5,6 The MSA helped to prevent foreign fisherman from fishing inside U.S. waters. Other nations developed similar laws and management practices.2

(2003) found that acceptance of aquaculture activities was greater where socioeconomic benefits were perceived to be high and there was a lower incidence of concerns about environmental pollution from the industry. Women, community groups (particularly those with conservation interests), ecotourism industries, some researchers, local governments, some state agency staff and informed members of the general public were more likely to focus on aquaculture’s negative (environmental, economic and social) risks and seek improvements in aquaculture planning and management to substantially reduce those risks ( Nicole et al; 2008)