Summerfelt.Salmon Farming in Land-Based Closed-Containment
Salmon Farming in Land-Based Closed- Containment Systems
Steven Summerfelt
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Land and Water Conservation
Community and Economic Development
Training and Education
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Global Fish Harvest & Farmed Production
• Fish provide between 40-60% of the world's protein • Harvest of fish species that provide fish meal & oil has remained static, i.e., 20-25 million mton/yr – Many capture fisheries are over-exploited • Human population and income growth has created a shortage of food fish • Aquaculture must grow to meet this demand
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Most Seafood Comes From Aquaculture
Salmon Shrimp Trout Catfish Tilapia
St Andrews Science Seminar 85% of U.S. Seafood is Imported October 12, 2012 United States Farm Production
• Fish production (approximate) – CATFISH 210 million kg/yr – TROUT 16 million kg/yr 0.5% of terrestrial – SALMON 18 million kg/yr animal production – TILAPIA 9 million kg/yr • Terrestrial Animals – POULTRY 17 billion kg/yr (#1 in World) – CATTLE 10.6 billion kg/yr (#1 in World) – HOGS 10.0 billion kg/yr (#2 in World) – TOTAL 37.6 billion kg/yr
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 United States Farm Production
• Terrestrial animal production is highly regulated & controlled – No point source discharge allowed – Physical barriers help prevent pathogen spread – Control of what the animal eats
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 United States Catfish Production
• Pond systems are relatively environmentally friendly – Solar/algae powered treatment within ponds – Point source discharge is heavily regulated
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Salmon Net Pen Production
• Like a CAFO, but – no discharge limits – no capacity to capture wastes – Inadequate physical barriers to prevent pathogens from spreading into or out of farm
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Fish Farming: Major Environmental Challenges
• Resource constraints: – Limited water supplies – Limited marine fish meal/oil supplies – Water pollution & impacts on watersheds • Separation of farmed fish from wild fish: – Transmission of pathogens into & out of the farm – Domesticated stocks escaping & interacting with wild populations
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Fish Farming: Major Environmental Challenges
• How do we achieve new efficiencies in feeding a growing global population with increasing environmental impact conflicts and looming resource constraints?
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
Production Technologies must protect the environment and the wholesomeness of the fish, while providing for economic opportunity
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Water Consumption
• Globally, agriculture consumes around 70% of available water – more than 80% of available water in the developing world. • Land-based closed-containment systems for fish farming do not consume water, but return it to the environment after its use – Small water requirements are less impacted by climate change
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Insufficient water resources for flow- through fish culture systems. • Closed-containment system can increase production on a limited water supply by 5 to 100+ fold
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Value of Water Rights in Western United States
• Blue Lakes Trout Farms sold their water rights for $30 million – About 2 million lb/yr trout production in Snake River Canyon, Idaho • Clear Springs Trout Farm might ask $300 million to sell water rights – About 20 million lb/yr trout production in Snake River Canyon, Idaho
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Land-based closed-containment systems are essentially giant water treatment facilities • Recirculating water is the engine powering the system • Water use is typically < 1% of flow-through culture practices
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture • Land-based, closed-containment systems: – Enhance separation of farmed and wild • Prevent escapees, disease, & interaction between wild & farmed fish – Optimize site selection • Move farms away from sensitive environments and closer to markets • Locate farm where electric & land are cheap – US$ 0.02-0.06 / KWH
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Land-based, closed-containment systems – Exclude pathogens – Minimize use of pesticides, antibiotics, & chemo-therapeutics • For 10 years & 200 ton production, we have not used – vaccines – pesticide – antibiotic – chemotherapeutic (other than salt)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
• RAS have a relatively small point source discharge – Must meet discharge permit limits • Place wastes into relatively small & concentrated effluent flows. – Increase waste treatment efficiency, > 90-99% waste capture is possible; – Improved waste capture will reduce TMDL discharged, • Total Maximum Daily Load; – Reduce the size and cost of effluent treatment,
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 182012 Containment is Necessary for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Reclaim nutrients – Agronomic application of biosolids to crops – Aquaponics (ultimate in local production)
Recent article: “Fertilizer is a better buy than gold”!
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Fish Production in a Controlled Environment
• Control water quality, photoperiod, fish feed, density, & swimming speed
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Commercial-Scale Closed- Containment Systems
• Adopt new innovative technologies – Commercial-scale is an agri-business – Most competitive economics of production
Bell Aquaculture’s
New 1000 ton/yr St Andrews Science Seminar Addition October 12, 2012 Taking Advantage of Large & Deep Circular Culture Tanks • Large and deep tanks are much more efficient in fixed & variable costs!
(Courtesy of Josh Goldman)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Culture Tank Hydraulics
Optimize water rotation & mixing
Dual-drains improve management of rotation and provide for solids separation at tank and optimized swimming speed for fish.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Fish Harvest Technologies • Sidewall harvest box – Clam-shell grader used to crowd fish so they slide into dewatering area
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Solids Removal • Integrate dual-drain culture tanks, settlers, and drum filters
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Large-Scale Biofilters
• Fluidized-Sand Biofilters achieve high TAN removal efficiency and maintain low NO2-N
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 CO2 & O2 Control
Cascade • Forced-ventilated cascade column Aeration Column – Strip 50-60% of CO2 each pass • Low head oxygenation
– Create O2 ≥ 200% sat. • Return flow to culture tank LHO
– Control CO2 ≤ 20 mg/L
– Maintain O2 of 100% sat.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms • Atlantic salmon smolt (MANY worldwide) – Marine Harvest’s Sayward South Hatchery (BC)
(designed by PRAqua Techn.) St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 282012 Farms Now Producing Salmon in Land-Based Systems
• Aquaseed – Sweetspring Salmon, Rochester, Washington (Coho salmon) • Teton Fisheries LLC – Miller Hutterite Colony, Choteau, Montana (Coho salmon) • Hill Fisheries LLC – East End Hutterite Colony, Havre, Montana (Coho salmon) • Yantai Salmon Farm – Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co., Yantai, Shandong Province, China (Atlantic salmon) • BDV SAS, Normandie, France (Atlantic salmon)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms
Courtesy of Per Heggelund
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms
• Teton Fisheries LLC and Hill Fisheries LLC
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Yantai Salmon Farm (Yantai, Shandong Province, China)
Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co. St Andrews Science Seminar (slide courtesy of Idar Schei, AquaOptima)October 12, 2012 BDV SAS (Normandie, France)
St Andrews Science Seminar (Photo courtesy of Jonas Langeteig) October 12, 2012 Potential Projects
• North America potential projects for salmon growout in land-based closed containment systems: – British Columbia 6 projects (2 in const; 5 planned) – U.S. 6 projects (3 built; 3 planned) • Europe – Denmark 2 project (1 in const; 1 planned) – Scotland 1 project (planned) • China (2 built, several planned) • Chile (2 planned)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Farms Preparing To Producing Salmon in Land-Based Systems
• Langsand Laks, Hvide Sande, Denmark (Atlantic salmon); construction ending this fall – Deborah Haust, Atlantic Sapphire • Namgis First Nation – K’udas, Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada (Atlantic salmon); construction ending this fall – Eric Hobson, The SOS Marine Conservation Foundation • Sustainable Blue, Centre Burlington, Nova Scotia, Canada (Atlantic salmon); converting to salmon with a 375-500 tonne farm planned – Dr. Jeremy Lee, Sustainable Blue
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Langsand Laks, Hvide Sande, Denmark • 1000 tonne/yr Atlantic salmon (16 m x 6 m deep culture tanks) – Atlantic Sapphire
Photos courtesySt Thue Andrews Holm Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Namgis First Nation’s Land-Based Salmon Farm, Port McNeill, BC • 300-500 tonne/yr initial module to expand to 2000-3000 tonne/yr • Construction to finish this fall
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Sustainable Blue’s Land-Based Atlantic Salmon Facility
Project Location: Centre Burlington, NS
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Farms Preparing To Producing Salmon in Land-Based Systems
• There are more than a half dozen farms in the design, permitting or financing stage (as reported by the press) – Atlantic Sapphire, mid-Atlantic USA (Atlantic salmon) – Palom Aquaculture, Gouldsboro, ME, USA (Atlantic salmon) – NeoSalmon, Los Lagos Region, Chile (Atlantic salmon) – Danish Salmon AS, Hirtshals, Denmark (Atlantic salmon)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms Yellow Perch Bell Aquaculture, Albany, IN
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms Bell Aquaculture, Albany, IN Vertically integrated
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms
• Barramundi – Australis Aquaculture, Turners Falls, MA
Courtesy Josh Goldman St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 422012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms • Tilapia – Blue Ridge Aquaculture, Martinsville, VA
(photos courtesy of http://www.blueridgeaquaculture.com/tilapia.cfm) St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 432012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms • Sturgeon – Northern Divine (Target Marine, BC) – Other farms in NC, FL, CA
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 442012 Examples of Existing Closed- Containment Fish Farms Virginia Cobia Farms
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Acknowledgments
• Support for The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute: – U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service • 1st salmon studies finished in 2011 • Gaspe and St John River strain – Atlantic Salmon Federation • 2rd Growout Trial finished in 2012 • St John River strain salmon were harvested at 24-26 months post-hatch – Moore Foundation • 3th Growout Trial • Cascade strain salmon now 20 months post- hatch
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Atlantic Salmon Federation Funded Growout Trial
• Atlantic Salmon, Saint John River strain (Cooke) • Jan 2010 - Eyed eggs arrive • March 2010 - First Feeding • May 1, 2011 Stocked into growout at 340 g • Feb 27, 2012 – First harvest at 4 kg/fish
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Process Flow Drawing of
CO2 stripping unit stacked over a LHO & sump tank Closed-Containment System
4700 fluidized strip L/min -sand biofilter LHO 150 m3 dual- 60% backwash drain culture flow 40% flow water drum tank filter 10 HP 15% bottom pump drain flow reuse sump frequent pumps discharge of backwash flow radial make-up supernatant flow system water settler overflow
intermittent (24 times/day) discharge of solids from base of cone
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Closed-Containment System
• 150 m3 Culture Tank Volume – 4900 L/min recirc flow – 30 min HRT • 260 m3 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 St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Water Temperature Control
• Makeup water flow adjusted to maintain water temperature at 14.5-16.5˚C
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Atlantic Salmon Growth
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 5000 5000
4500 Net Pen 4500 4000 4000 ASF Trial 3500 Salmon 3500 3000 3000 2500 2500 2000 2000
Weight (grams) 1500 1500 1000 1000 500 500 0 0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Age (Days)
Net pens growth data in Maine (Wolters, 2010) St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 HarvestedLate MalesSeptember 2011- Remove Males • 2 kg, Sept 30, 2011 • 3.5 kg, Jan 20, 2012
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Primary Harvests
• Harvested Premium Salmon from Feb 20 to May 2, 2012 – 4 kg mean size – ~7 tonne produced = 15,000 pound
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Mortality, Jumpers, and Culls
• Mortality 3.9% • Culls 5.6% • Jumpers 1.9% • Total 11.4%
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Salmon Biomass Density
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 Biomass Density (kg/m3) Biomass Density 0 400 500 600 700 800 900 Age (Days Post-Hatch)
vertical arrows indicate harvest events
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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 ~1.3) @ final harvest
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Escapees
• No fish observed in the effluent fish exclusion area.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Post-Harvest Slaughter
Rapid & Humane • Percussive Stunning – MODEL SI-7 (Seafood Innovations)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Growout Trial Results: Product Quality • High condition factor (1.7) • Good fillet yield (58% skin-off & trimmed)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Growout Trial Results: Product Quality • Good fillet color (28-30) & lipid content (16%)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Fillet Color Scores based on Salmo fan
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Growout Trial Results: Early Maturing Male
• 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
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Moore Foundation Funded Growout Trial • Atlantic salmon - Cascade Strain – eggs purchased from American Gold Seafood • Jan 2011 – Eyed eggs received • March 2011 - First feeding • Aug-Sept 2011 – Photoperiod manipulated to S0 smolt • September 2011 - Moved into advanced nursery system • March 2012 – Moved into growout system
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain
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• Feed conversion – 1.01 feed : 1.0 gain • Good fin condition • No sea lice • Obligate pathogens screening will be conducted before harvest
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain
• No vaccination • No antibiotics or pesticides used at any time • No formalin used at any time
• Small amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) used in the sac fry and early parr stage to treat fungus. • Total salt used to treat fungus: 8070 lbs.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain
• Mortality 0.8% • Culls 1.1% • Jumpers 0.2% • Total 2.1%
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 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.
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Moore Foundation Trial Results to Date - Cascade Strain
• Upcoming harvests of premium salmon: – mean size of 4 kg in early December 2012 • 22 months post-hatch – biomass density will be 100 kg/m3 – harvests begin in December, run through February, – produce another 15-18 metric tonne • selling to Albion Fisheries • Total Production Expected: 21-23 tonne
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 CONCLUSIONS: Atlantic Salmon Growout Trial
• Good growth in We don’t need seawater to farm freshwater Atlantic salmon – Harvest 8-9 months sooner than net pens • Good survival (90+ %) & feed conv. (1.01:1 to 1.09:1) • Density can reach 100 kg/m3 • Should use all female eggs to avoid precocious males St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Additional Research Needs
MINIMIZE EARLY MATURING FISH • Identify the optimum photoperiod – 18 hr light vs. 24 hr light during 1st 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) St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Concept Design and Cost for a 3,300 MT/yr Closed-Containment System
Total RAS Systems $21,126,000 Processing $1,878,000 Total Buildings $8,379,000 TOTAL ± 30%
$31,383,000
Growout Building 21,320 m2 (5.3 acre) Building 34,180 m3 Culture Volume 40 Tanks: 16 m dia. x 4.25 m deep 94.6 m3/min recycle flow per RAS 90 weeks production cycle to 5.0kg St Andrews Science Seminar Brian Vinci October 12, 2012 Production-3,300 MT HOG
Overall density averages 48 kg/m3 Production:Biomass is 1.8 : 1
St Andrews Science Seminar Brian Vinci October 12, 2012 Cost of Production
$3.46 per kg HOG ($3.90/kg HOG)
($0.11/kg eggs) 82% HOG
St Andrews Science Seminar Competitive with costs in Norway October 12, 2012 Resource Metrics
Buildings – 7 acres (28,191 m2) Land – 8 to 20 acres Water Supply – 2,015 gpm (7.6 m3/min) Max Weekly Oxygen (LOX) – 54,000 kg Max Weekly Feed – 90,000 kg Max Weekly Biosolids Captured – 28,000 kg (includes more than ~90% of TP & ~67% of TN) Electricity – 2,250 Max kW (primary pumps + ozone generators)
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Assumptions
• Model assumes an all-female eggs source, w/ eggs available every three months – Could be met by Norwegian egg supplier – Not currently available in the U.S. • Growth similar to Cascade strain at TCFFI • Costs can change with site selection due to differences in power and oxygen costs or other factors
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Conclusions: Atlantic Salmon Production
• Research suggests that land-based closed- containment systems for Atlantic salmon are: – technically viable – biologically feasible, and – economically sustainable at 3000 ton/yr scale • pilot and commercial-scale projects must demonstrate economic viability
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Conclusions
• Closed-containment systems have improved food security & reduced environmental impact: – Small water footprint • Water supply is less impacted by climate change – Efficient, with feed conversion near 1:1 – Near zero waste discharge – Reduced antibiotic & chemotherapeutic use – Zero escapees - prevent genetic impacts on natural populations – Locate near the major markets, local production
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Conclusions
• Land-Based Closed-Containment Systems – Confidence in technology is increasing – Scale of investment has increased to $5-25 million/ project – Current N. American projects being built or planned with projected capital investment of ~$50-100 million • Atlantic salmon, Coho salmon • sea bream, yellow perch, cobia, sturgeon • Arctic char, walleye, sablefish, rainbow trout
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Conclusions
• North America’s annual production of food- fish within closed-containment systems could increase by 10,000 to 50,000 ton in next 5 yrs • Global annual production increases could total 100,000’s tons within closed- containment systems in next 5 yrs – Much growth in Atlantic salmon production in North America and China
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012 Conclusions
• Advantages of fish farming in North America – Availability of enormous soy, grain, and protein byproducts for use as fish feed ingredients – Inexpensive electricity in some areas: $0.02-0.06/ kwh • Much cheaper than China at $0.13/kwh – Close to major markets • Low CO2 footprint for shipping fresh product – Skilled work force – Reliable 3-phase power
St Andrews Science Seminar October 12, 2012