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June 01, 2006
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Once scallops, mussels, sea cucumbers and kelp are introduced adjacent to the fish farms, these creatures can live off the waste released by the farm, says Cross. They could be sold commercially, creating new employment and business opportunities for coastal communities. As, well, the environmental impacts of the industry could be reduced since some of the fish waste would be captured and used as a food source for other sea life.
“This kind of system, called integrated multi-trophic aquaculture or IMTA, has been used for thousands of years in Asia and China, but the pilot-scale research that my colleagues and I are conducting will be the first of its kind in British Columbia,” says Cross.
Cross and a team of researchers from UVic are partnering with industry and local First Nations to implement a pilot IMTA facility in Kyuquot Sound off northwestern Vancouver Island. Beginning this month, the researchers will analyze baseline conditions at the site, design and install the system, introduce each species and then measure the system’s performance in terms of organic waste extraction and productivity.
Cross recently received a $200,000 Aquaculture and Environment Innovation Award from the BC Innovation Council in support of this research. The goal of the award is to support long-term collaborative research that aims to produce environmentally sustainable aquaculture systems for British Columbia.
For more information on Cross’ research visit, www.aquametrix-research.com.
Media Contacts:
Dr. Stephen Cross (Geography) at (250) 338-9255 or (250) 703-1511 (cell) or sfcross@mail.geog.uvic.ca
Suzanne Connell (Social Sciences Communications) at (250) 472-4496 or sconnell@uvic.ca
UVic media releases and other resources for journalists are available on the World Wide Web at http://communications.uvic.ca/media
June 01, 2006
Media tips & leads
UVic Research Aims to Reduce Impacts From Fish Farms
The organic waste generated by fish farms can be used to create direct and indirect employment in coastal communities while at the same time reducing the environmental impacts of the industry, says Dr. Stephen Cross, a University of Victoria researcher.Once scallops, mussels, sea cucumbers and kelp are introduced adjacent to the fish farms, these creatures can live off the waste released by the farm, says Cross. They could be sold commercially, creating new employment and business opportunities for coastal communities. As, well, the environmental impacts of the industry could be reduced since some of the fish waste would be captured and used as a food source for other sea life.
“This kind of system, called integrated multi-trophic aquaculture or IMTA, has been used for thousands of years in Asia and China, but the pilot-scale research that my colleagues and I are conducting will be the first of its kind in British Columbia,” says Cross.
Cross and a team of researchers from UVic are partnering with industry and local First Nations to implement a pilot IMTA facility in Kyuquot Sound off northwestern Vancouver Island. Beginning this month, the researchers will analyze baseline conditions at the site, design and install the system, introduce each species and then measure the system’s performance in terms of organic waste extraction and productivity.
Cross recently received a $200,000 Aquaculture and Environment Innovation Award from the BC Innovation Council in support of this research. The goal of the award is to support long-term collaborative research that aims to produce environmentally sustainable aquaculture systems for British Columbia.
For more information on Cross’ research visit, www.aquametrix-research.com.
Media Contacts:
Dr. Stephen Cross (Geography) at (250) 338-9255 or (250) 703-1511 (cell) or sfcross@mail.geog.uvic.ca
Suzanne Connell (Social Sciences Communications) at (250) 472-4496 or sconnell@uvic.ca
