Atlantic Salmon Growout Trials in Freshwater Closed- Containment Systems at the Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute

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1 Atlantic Salmon Growout Trials in Freshwater Closed- Containment Systems at the Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute Steven Summerfelt, Thomas Waldrop, John Davidson Christopher Good, P. Brett Kenney, Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, William Wolters

2 Acknowledgments Support for The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service 1 st salmon studies finished in 2011 Gaspe and St John River strain Atlantic Salmon Federation 2 rd Growout Trial finished in 2012 St John River strain salmon were harvested at months post-hatch Moore Foundation 3 th Growout Trial Cascade strain salmon now 20 months post-hatch

3 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture Land-based, closed-containment systems: Exclude chemicals & obligate pathogens No pesticides, antibiotics, & chemotherapeutics in closedcontainments systems w/ over 10 yrs operation at TCFFI Prevent escapees & disease interaction between wild & farmed fish Minimize water use & release of pollution Optimize water temperature & photoperiod Locate farm where electric & land are cheap US$ / KWH

4 Materials and Methods 2x2 Factorial Study: Strain x photoperiod Two Atlantic salmon strains: 1. St. John River from Cooke (mixed sex, diploids) 2. Gaspe from Troutlodge (all female, diploids) Two early rearing light regimes: 1. Continuous light 2. Continuous light with S 0 winter Atlantic Salmon Study #1 12h light, 12h dark for six weeks, then return to continuous light

5 Atlantic Salmon Study #1 Three 10 m 3 culture tanks in one freshwater reuse system Both strains and photoperiod treatment fish pit-tagged and comingled within each tank for n=3 replication

6 Atlantic Salmon Study #1 Rapid Atlantic salmon growth (4 kg in best trt) in freshwater to 24-month post-hatch at 13ºC Weight (g) Gaspe (Continuous Light + S0 Winter) Gaspe (Continous Light) St. John's (Continuous Light + S0 Winter) St. John's (Continuous Light) Days Post-hatch 24 months post-hatch

7 Atlantic Salmon Study #1 FCR during growout was 1.05:1 using 40:30 feed Survival during growout exceeded 95% Condition Factor averaged 1.7 (net pen fish ~1.3) Early TGC (March July) Gaspe (continuous + S 0 winter): 2.32 St. John s (continuous + S 0 winter): 2.19 Mid TGC (August November) Gaspe (continuous + S 0 winter): 1.61 St. John s (continuous + S 0 winter): 1.54

8 Atlantic Salmon Study #1 No sexually mature Gaspe strain, all females Nearly 1/2 of male St John River strain salmon were sexually mature 6+ kg female 7+ kg male

9 Atlantic Salmon Federation Funded Growout Trial Atlantic Salmon, Saint John River strain (Cooke) Jan Eyed eggs arrive March First Feeding May 1, 2011 Stocked into growout at 340 g Feb 27, 2012 First harvest at 4 kg/fish

10 Precocious males (~10%) before start of production trial

11 CO2 stripping unit stacked over a LHO & sump tank Process Flow Drawing of Closed-Containment System 60% flow 10 HP reuse pumps fluidized -sand biofilter system overflow 40% flow pump sump make-up water strip LHO drum filter frequent discharge of backwash flow backwash water 4700 L/min supernatant 150 m 3 dualdrain culture tank 15% bottom drain flow radial flow settler intermittent (24 times/day) discharge of solids from base of cone

12 Closed-Containment System 150 m 3 Culture Tank Volume 4900 L/min recirc flow 30 min HRT 260 m 3 System Volume 12 to 140 L/min make up water flowrate 15 to 1.3 day HRT 99.8 to 97.2% flow reuse High flushing rate to keep water 16.5 C in summer

13 Water Temperature Control Makeup water flow adjusted to maintain water temperature at C Water Temp, C Temp Flow Makeup Flow, gpm /27/11 6/26/11 8/25/11 10/24/11 12/23/11 2/21/12 4/21/12 0

14 Grow-Out Trial Results: Water Quality Mean Water Quality in Culture Tank Temperature 15.5 C Dissolved Oxygen 10.8 mg/l Dissolved Carbon Dioxide 9.2 mg/l Total Ammonia Nitrogen 0.11 mg/l Nitrite Nitrogen 0.01 mg/l Nitrate Nitrogen 20 mg/l Total Suspended Solids 1.3 mg/l Total Phosphorus 0.87 mg/l

15 Atlantic Salmon Growth Weight (grams) Net Pen ASF Trial Salmon Age (Days) Net pens growth data in Maine (Wolters, 2010)

16 Late September Harvested Males Remove Males 2 kg, Sept 30, kg, Jan 20, 2012

17 Primary Harvests Harvested Premium Salmon from Feb 20 to May 2, kg mean size ~7 tonne produced = 15,000 pound

18 Mortality, Jumpers, and Culls Mortality 3.9% Culls 5.6% Jumpers 1.9% Total 11.4%

19 Salmon Biomass Density 40 Biomass Density (kg/m3) Age (Days Post-Hatch) vertical arrows indicate harvest events

20 ASF Grow-Out Trial Results St John River Strain Feed Conversion of 1.09 feed : 1.0 gain Commercial diet with 40:30 protein: fat 1.7 condition factor (net pen industry is final harvest

21 Escapees No fish observed in the effluent fish exclusion area.

22 Grow-Out Trial Results St John River Strain No kudoa (parasite that liquefies the fillet) No sea lice No obligate pathogens detected in screening No ISA virus No Pancreatic Disease No losses to seals/sharks No escapes to wild salmon rivers

23 Chemotherapeutics Used in Salmon Growout Trial No vaccination (saves $$ & stress) No antibiotics or pesticides used at any time No formalin used at any time Small amount of hydrogen peroxide used in the sac fry and early parr stage for fungus. Total salt used to treat fungus: 14,400 lbs.

24 Product Quality Results MUST DEPURATE salmon for 10 days after removing harvested fish from recycle system Depurate in partial reuse system with little biofilm Purges off-flavors, i.e., geosmin and MIB, produced by bacteria (actinomycetes)

25 Post-Harvest Slaughter Rapid & Humane Percussive Stunning MODEL SI-7 (Seafood Innovations)

26 Growout Trial Results: Product Quality High condition factor (1.7) Good fillet yield (58% skin-off & trimmed)

27 Growout Trial Results: Product Quality Good fillet color (28-30) & lipid content (16%)

28 Fillet Color Scores based on Salmo fan

29 Flavor Two blind taste test panels of seafood professionals in Seattle indicated preference for Freshwater Institute salmon cultured in RAS and depurated 10 days vs. commercially available ocean-raised A. salmon Cooked flavor Cooked smell Cooked texture

30 80% of male salmon matured early 40% of all fish removed as early maturing males approximately half at 2 kg and half at 3.5 kg Few sexually mature females Suggests use of an all female salmon or late maturing strain for freshwater growout Growout Trial Results: Early Maturing Male

31 Moore Foundation Funded Growout Trial Atlantic salmon - Cascade Strain eggs purchased from American Gold Seafood Jan 2011 Eyed eggs received March First feeding Aug-Sept 2011 Photoperiod manipulated to S0 smolt September Moved into advanced nursery system March 2012 Moved into growout system

32 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain Feed conversion of 1.01 feed : 1.0 gain Good fin condition No sea lice Obligate pathogens screening will be conducted before harvest

33 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain Mortality 0.8% Culls 1.1% Jumpers 0.2% Total 2.1%

34 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain Gaspe Bay 111 Cascades 109 St. John River 110 St. John River 1208 Gaspe Bay 109 St. John River Mixed Cohort Net Pen STJR Age (Days)

35 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain 37% of the population harvested Sept, 2012 biomass at 100 kg/m3 mean fish size at 2.64 kg. 5.4 metric tonne (12,000 lb) sold to a local processor for hot smoking.

36 Premium salmon: Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain mean size of 4 kg in early December months post-hatch biomass density will be 100 kg/m3 harvests begin in December, run through February, produce another metric tonne selling to Albion Fisheries Total Production Expected: tonne

37 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain No vaccination (saves $$ & stress) No antibiotics or pesticides used at any time No formalin used at any time Small amount of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) used in the sac fry and early parr stage to treat fungus. Total salt used to treat fungus: 8070 lbs.

38 CONCLUSIONS: Atlantic Salmon Growout Trial Good growth in freshwater Harvest 8-9 months sooner than net pens Good survival (90+%) and feed conversion (1.09:1) Density can reach 100 kg/m 3 Should use all female eggs to avoid precocious males We don t need seawater to farm Atlantic salmon

39 Additional Research Needs MINIMIZE EARLY MATURING FISH Identify the optimum photoperiod 18 hr light vs. 24 hr light during 1 st year (+ S0 winter) ASF & Moore Foundation funded study Cascade salmon are now 60 g in S0 winter Identify the best seedstock for land-based closed-containment systems Late maturing & rapid growing Norwegian strains All female eggs & triploids Need funding (eggs to arrive this winter)