St. Andrews New Brunswick, May 20th, 2008
St. Andrews, New Brunswick: Officials of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC) and Genome Atlantic joined with representatives of government, research institutions and industry today to celebrate the opening of a new multi-million dollar, high-tech fish cultivation facility in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
The new state of the art facility, located at the HMSC St. Andrews location, will be used to raise Atlantic Cod. It is equipped with tank arrays, a new seawater supply system and mechanical rooms. A second broodstock facility has been configured next to the hatchery to house the parent broodstock, and a new filtration building will soon be under construction. The new hatchery complex is an important element of the Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project (CGP), an $18 million, 4 year project managed by Genome Atlantic. This element of the CGP was funded by Genome Canada, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Atlantic Innovation Fund, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, and the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture & Aquaculture.
The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, participated in the official opening on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of ACOA and on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry.
“Our Government is committed to taking research and development out of the lab and into the marketplace,” said Minister Thompson. “A thriving aquaculture industry has the potential for significant and sustainable opportunities for southern New Brunswick - and the entire region.”
While the traditional fishing industry in Atlantic Canada has been a major contributor to the region’s cultural identity and economy, declining fish stocks have created a challenge to this industry. The growth of salmon aquaculture has helped to revitalize the local economy, but aquaculture industry experts agree that diversification to other finfish, such as Atlantic Cod, is one of the keys to a sustainable future.
A major challenge for cod aquaculture has been the reliance on wild populations for breeding (broodstock). Other aquaculture industries, like salmon, have developed breeding programs where fish are selected for performance according to traits such as growth or resistance to disease and stress. Researchers with the CGP have been building an elite broodstock program for cod through the application of selective breeding and genomics.
According to Huntsman Executive Director Bill Robertson, “This hatchery gives us the platform we need for our future finfish research and development programs. With worldwide food shortages looming on the horizon, we see our broodstock work at the Huntsman becoming increasingly important—and relevant to Canadians.”
Genome Atlantic President and CEO, Dr. Steve Armstrong, agrees. “We are excited to see the successful completion of this important CGP milestone and applaud Huntsman and all the funding partners for their parts in making this happen.” He went on to say, “This hatchery will not only enhance the level of ongoing research, but it will also prove pivotal to achieving the ultimate goal of the CGP—which is to help enable a sustainable cod aquaculture industry in Atlantic Canada.”
“Demand for fresh seafood is increasing worldwide and this facility will help New Brunswick be a leader at the forefront of innovation in developing alternate species for aquaculture,” Agriculture and Aquaculture Minister Ronald Ouellette said. “Investments in innovation are essential in order for the aquaculture industry to continue to be an important player in the objective of New Brunswick achieving self-sufficiency by 2026.”
For more information:
- Jill Murrin
- Communications
- Genome Atlantic
- (902) 421-5683
- jmurrin@genomeatlantic.ca
Previous news releases can be found at Genome Atlantic