AquaBounty sees opportunity in egg sales, pulling back on China plans

AquaBounty has identified new opportunities in selling salmon eggs to aquaculture operations, AquaBounty CEO Sylvia Wulf told SeafoodSource.

Wulf said her company has identified an opportunity in its egg-production capabilities, to the point that it’s converting its facility in Prince Edward Island, Canada away from salmon production. 

“We had two cohorts [of salmon] that were harvested [there] and sold, similarly to what we do in the U.S. We have since made the decision to convert that facility to egg production,” Wulf said.

The company has begun production cycle with non-transgenic "normal" salmon eggs that have nothing to do with the company’s genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon brand. 

“Because we don’t have a vertical integration demand for all those eggs, we’ve made the decision to sell non-transgenic eggs,” Wulf said. “The facility is pathogen-free, and there is a demand for non-transgenic salmon eggs, so we’re pursuing that and in conversations with a number of different companies that are producing non-transgenic salmon, both net-pens and potentially those that are building RAS facilities in the U.S.”

The company sees an opportunity in selling eggs thanks to ... 

Photo courtesy of AquaBounty