Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

In Canada, aquaculture is an $840 million industry that has extensive operations in British Columbia (i.e., $426 million) and New Brunswick (i.e., $250 million) while Ontario accounts for less than $20 million (see Aquaculture.ca/economicbenefits, 2016). Rainbow Trout is the major fish species produced through commercial aquaculture and generates $18 million in Ontario, despite its status as non-native. However, Ontario possesses many assets for new aquaculture development such as proximity to the world's largest freshwater areas (the Great lakes), access to national and international markets, and the availability of research expertise, equipment, and infrastructure (Moccia, Naylor, & Reid, 1997). One native fish species that can be reared intensively and extensively is the Lake Whitefish (Lazenby, Kerr, & Hooper, 2001). Herbert Fisheries is a commercial fisheries company that have noted over recent years a decrease in landings, particularly Lake Whitefish, which was first pointed out by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (2005). The demand for Lake Whitefish been corroborated by fishery operators throughout the Great Lakes (see Kunninen, 2003). In order to supply this demand, cage culture of Lake Whitefish is the proposed solution. However, Research partners are needed that will be able to grow the fish from eggs to fingerlings in land-based hatcheries and to market size (i.e., 500 grams) at cage culture sites. Collège Boréal is a postsecondary institution that possesses the expertise and equipment needed to incubate the eggs and raise the Lake Whitefish fry until they reach fingerling status. Then, Open Water Systems Limited, a company that developed a new submersible cage prototype, is willing to provide their cage to raise the Lake Whitefish until market-size, while the college's research team continues to collect and analyse data related to the growing of Lake Whitefish in cage culture according to the Cage Culture Guidelines of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Together, the partnering of the college, two private companies, and the MNRF seek to study the feasibility of raising Lake Whitefish from egg to adults for commercial purposes.