Arctic Char In Aquaculture

Arctic Char were first investigated as an aquaculture species because it was expected that they would have low optimum temperature requirements and would grow well at the cold water temperatures present in numerous areas of Canada. It was also "correctly" anticipated that the Arctic Char would be welcomed as an alternate selection to Rainbow Trout and thus could provide producers with a unique product and a niche in seafood markets.


Canadian Arctic char are farmed in the Yukon Territory, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Quebec and Manitoba. Operators in Iceland, Norway and the USA also raise Char. There are several different strains of Arctic Char being used in aquaculture. The most common strains used in Canada are derived from Nayuk Lake and Fraser River stocks.

Good Aquaculture Attributes

The majority of Arctic char produced today are raised in land-based systems. Arctic char eggs are hatched within specialized hatchery facilities where the young fish remain until they reach ~100 grams and can be transferred to larger grow - out tanks. The initial early rearing stages of growing can take almost a year for the juveniles to reach 100 grams. Once in the production farm Arctic char exhibit a rapid growth spurt from juvenile to adulthood, with most stocks reaching market weight (1-2.5kg) within the next 12 months.

Well Suited to Land Based Aquaculture

Land-based Arctic char rearing systems are considered to be among the most environmentally responsible fish farming designs. Facilities that utilize designs based on the principles of Recirculation Aquaculture technologies are among the most cutting edge farms. Arctic Char exhibit unique characteristics that make the species favorable to land based secure production, chief among those is its natural desire to shoal and live in high density populations. Read More Here

Excellent Market Reception

The Arctic Char is highlighted as a “Best” choice by the Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide for Healthy Oceans. The New England Aquarium lists farm raised Arctic Char as an ocean friendly species. They call it an excellent choice. Read more here

Moratorium on Aquaculture Licenses in British Columbia - Will it lead to Benefits ?

An article in the Vancouver Sun Jan 28, 2010 states that B.C. has slapped a moratorium on issuing new finfish aquaculture licences and won't accept new applications for shellfish aquaculture, the province announced Thursday.

The move follows a court decision on Tuesday in which the B.C. Supreme Court granted an extension to the transfer deadline for finfish aquaculture to federal regulation until Dec. 18, 2010. As part of this extension, the court ordered a suspension on approvals of all new marine finfish licenses in B.C.

Full Story Link

A related story by Mike Barber of Canwest news service Sept 9 , 2010 titled "Diversity needed on Canada's fish farms, researcher says"

Talks about the Need for Canada to diversify into production of alternative aquaculture species. That article points out that half the fish the world eats is now raised on farms, presenting an opportunity for Canada to exploit a growing global hunger for seafood, according to a study published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by a team of international researchers.

But critics say Canada is ill-prepared to cash in on the growing trend because of a fixation on farming salmon -- a species that is expensive to raise, takes a long time to grow and is not to the taste of people in the world's rapidly developing markets.

Tony Farrell, one of the report's contributors, said the findings indicate a demand for protein-rich, affordable fish.

"The world is not eating wild fish, and they're switching to cultured fish," said Farrell, chairman of the University of B.C.'s Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research. "Canada can either move with the times, or not. As an exporting nation, we need to make decisions about this."

But relying on salmon -- carnivores that take more than two years to mature -- as the country's chief farmed fish would likely prevent the Canadian aquaculture industry from harnessing the continued growth, said Farrell.

"I think diversification is a great way of thinking about this. You put all your stocks and bonds in one thing, and when it crashes, you'll have a rude awakening," Farrell said. Full Story

This blog has always promoted alternative aquaculture systems and the need for further development of other species. While there are many issues effecting the industry two of the main concerns are the potential for environmental conflicts and the need to address sustainable industry growth.

Diversification into alternative farm designs producing other species using sustainable and intregrated methods, is certainly an area that needs attention.

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