Innovation & Investment

Since un-ionized ammonia-nitrogen and nitrite-nitrogen are toxic to most finfish, controlling their concentrations in culture tanks is a primary objective in the design of recirculating aquaculture systems. 

Aquaculture is a complex industry, but extensive knowledge of its varied facets exists. While the resources required for aquaculture face limitations, production efficiencies are improving. Today’s industry needs better information-based management strategies to increase its performance and sustainability. 

In systems recently developed for shrimp farms, passive acoustic-based technology enables sensor-based control of multiple automatic feeders. Improved growth and feed conversion have been recorded at commercial farms using the technology. 

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are increasingly used to raise fingerlings for stocking large fish in more traditional production systems. A number of unit processes are critical to the design of successful RAS systems. 

A newly developed technology for producing all-male populations of freshwater prawns by temporal silencing of the androgenic gland insulin-like gene marks the first RNA interference-based biotechnology to be commercialized in the field of aquaculture. 

Mahimahi is a fast-growing, high-value fish species with excellent potential for aquaculture. The technology for maturation, spawning, larval rearing, fingerling production has been mastered, yet progress toward commercial development has been slow. 

Today’s aquaculture industry is rapidly adopting recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for hatchery and nursery applications. Recently, there has been a move to combine RAS technology with the floating raft aquaponics. 

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. 

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. 

Studies on improving water quality in recirculating aquaculture systems has identified ozone as an excellent solution for an optimal water environment. 

A rectangular airlift can be compact and more space efficient than airlifts made with multiple cylinders as they can generate much higher water volume outputs. 

Optical scanning and associated imaging software reduces stress and increases accuracy as compared to traditional techniques for shrimp measurements. 

An Aquaculture Investment Workshop considered issues delaying aquaculture development in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

A virus that causes pancreas disease was patented, but when a vaccine produced by a patent licensee was found insufficient, another company developed a vaccine based on a different strain of the virus. The courts in Norway determined the work on the second vaccine was a patent law infringement. 

With aquaculture insurance, producers can substitute an insurance premium of a known cost for an unknown potential cost, the loss of stock.