University of Maine gets USD 2.2 million RAS award as Kingfish Maine celebrates first harvest

The University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) has received a USD 2.25 million (EUR 2 million) award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) research.

The funding will allow ARI to expand its staff to continue making advancements in effective RAS, with the program based out of the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Franklin, Maine, U.S.A.

“We’re committed to expanding our knowledge and expertise in RAS to culture fish and shellfish in a way that’s productive and profitable, while ensuring the highest standards of animal well-being,” ARI Director Deborah Bouchard said. “The goal here is to optimize production, efficiency and sustainability.”

A new reproductive physiologist will be hired that will address Atlantic salmon reproductive inefficiencies, and a fisheries biologist will be hired that will address off-flavor and water quality as it relates to salmon grown in RAS, according to National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center. Brian Peterson.

Megan Sorby, the operations manager for Kingfish Maine, which is seeking to build an RAS kingfish farm in Jonesport, Maine, called the grant “a fantastic development.”

“It shows there is recognition of the industry growing and not just in a single species – this is funding that's not just salmon-focused, his is all-species focused,” she told SeafoodSource.

On Tuesday, 2 Maine, Kingfish Maine hosted a celebration of its first harvest of U.S.-grown yellowtail kingfish, featuring chef Barton Seaver. Its fish were raised at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, a facility founded in 1999 by the University of Maine to research and develop aquaculture in the state. 

“It's a big milestone for us after almost four years of work,” Sorby said. “To be able to say that, despite challenges from very specific opponents, that that we still have achieved a fully permitted site and that we have still managed to produce products of the highest quality and get it out to the marketplace, it’s worthy of celebration. It was a thank-you to everyone for their commitment to making this happen, especially our partners and how they've stuck with us through what has been a lengthier road than we originally anticipated.”

Sorby said the fish has been sent to selected chefs around the U.S. and that it has seen “hype build and a fantastic social media response” following the release. Sorby said Maine is still on its way to establishing itself as an aquaculture hub, even with the struggles Kingfish Company, Nordic Aquafarms, and Whole Oceans have encountered in their efforts to build land-based farms in the state.

“I absolutely think that there are enough positive and informed people in the space that they can help push this same work that we've been doing forward, and it's our responsibility as an industry to continue to educate and correct misinformation and show up when misstatements or unfactual things are presented to the legislature or at public meetings about our sector,” Sorby said. “That's why events like we held [last] week are so important, because it gives some background and context to distributors, to wholesalers, to chefs, to supporters in our community, on the full story of what we've been through and some assurances that all of us are in it to create a positive story in the state.”

Sorby said Kingfish Company’s switch in CEOs has not slowed or troubled the Maine project in any way.

“Our new CEO comes with a great background in operations. It is a natural progression of the company into this next phase where we are focusing on the challenging areas and being the most efficient we can be in terms of cost-management, new growth, and development,” she said. “Vincent [Erenst] has only been with us now a few short months but he's already making great strides, and hopefully we as a company can rally around him and continue to push Kingfish as a whole forward.”

Asked about whether and how Nordic Aquafarms’ recently announced switch from Atlantic salmon to kingfish at its California RAS will impact the U.S. market, Sorby said she ... 

Photo courtesy of The Kingfish Company