Opportunities in Urban

Agriculture:

Aquaculture and

Aquaponics Steve Naylor, OMAFRA

steve.naylor@ontario.ca

NOA Aquaponics Workshop August 19, 2015

In the next 20 minutes…

Overview of Aquaculture in Canada and Ontario

Aquaculture & aquaponics opportunities

Asian Live Fish Markets

Organic fish & aquaponics farming in Canada

Do I need licenses, permits or …??

Further aquaculture & aquaponics educational opportunities

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Future Supply

Aquaculture is the

fastest growing

food sector on the

planet

“By 2020, ½ of all

fish and seafood

will be derived

from aquaculture” (FAO 2000)

at 48% in 2010

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Canadian Aquaculture (farm-gate)

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008

Tonnes

Value (x$1,000)

Tonnes Value

Distribution of Trout Farms in

Ontario

Pond Culture

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Raceway Culture

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Circular Tank Culture

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Early Rearing Raceway Pilot test with Largemouth Bass

Designed by Gintas Kamaitis (gkamaitis@gmail.com)

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Agrimarine – Aberfoyle Quarry

Aquaponics in Ontario

What is AQUAPONICS?

Aquaculture

Hydroponics

Aquaponics

A sustainable method of agriculture where

fish and plants and grown together in a

hydroponic system

Aquaponics is a hydroponic method

Feed the fish

Effluents fertilize water

Water pumped through a

hydroponic system

Plants use nutrients filtering

the water

Clean water returned to the

fish

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Four Seasons Greens – Muskoka

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Fresh City Farms, Toronto

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Fresh City Farms, Downsview, Tilapia tank

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Aqua Greens

Mississauga

Indoor, Stacked,

Lighting

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aquagreens.ca

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Trend Aqua – Niagara-on-the-Lake

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GTA live fish markets

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The Live Tilapia Market in Toronto

• Live tilapia market in the GTA is 2 - 2,500,000 lbs a year

Farm-gate price ~$2.75 lb (wholesale price – large quantities)

• Currently supplied by 1 farm and a co-operative in the US

and a tilapia farm in Ontario that supply 2 fish brokers who

control the live fish market in the GTA

• 6 commerical RAS tilapia farms have failed in Ontario in the

last 15 years that were supplying some of the live market.

• Flawed retrofits, inefficient & poor design, high energy costs,

small farm size… and the competition got fierce with very low

price of live tilapia coming up from the US.

• Sandplains Aquaculture in Ingersoll area started production

early 2013. They are a major supplier to the 2 live fish brokers

in the GTA.

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Aquaculture Regulation

Principal Government Agencies

Municipal

Conservation Authorities

Ministry of Natural Resources

Ministry of the Environment

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Health Canada 36

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Aquaculture License – Aquaculture

Regulations (664/98) under the FWCA

You need a licence(s) to culture/buy/sell

fish and transport live fish in Ontario.

The only exemption from the need for an

aquaculture licence is if the fish are cultured

in an aquarium for personal use or the

aquarium trade (O.Reg.664/98 s.24). There

is also an exemption from the need for a

licence to buy/sell goldfish, koi and tilapia if

they are bought or sold for the purpose of the

aquarium trade (O.Reg.664/98 s.24(2)).

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Size of a commercial operation is not a

factor. Raising fish in an aquarium, but

selling them for anything other than the

aquarium trade, an Aquaculture Licence

is still required.

The small, plastic or concrete lined

ornamental water garden is considered

an aquarium (if for personal use or

aquarium trade), and would not require a

licence.

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Target Marine – Sechelt, BC

White Sturgeon, Coho Salmon

Organic Aquaponics

If you would like more information on

organic production …

• Organic fish feed – current Canadian feed mill

supplying organic feed is Taplow Feeds, BC

• to get copies of the proposed standards go to the

Canadian General Standards Board @

• http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ongc-

cgsb/publications/nouvelles-news/biologique-

organic-eng.html

• Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance @

www.aquaculture.ca

– Under “environment” tab

• Certifier – Cormac O’Sullivan at Global Trust

• cormac.osullivan@saiglobal.com 1-800-465-3717 x8752

Alma Aquaculture Research Station

Getting Started in Aquaculture & Aquaponics Workshops

• At the Alma Aquaculture Research Station – limited to 20, Full-day, $100

• Next workshop: November 19, 2015

• Contact Dave Bevan at the Aquaculture Center at the University of Guelph

• dbevan@ontario.ca

• or steve.naylor@ontario.ca

• www.aps.uoguelph.ca/aquacentre/aquacentre/getting-started-in-aquaculture.html

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NOA Fisheries - 3 DAY AQUAPONICS COURSE December 27-29, 2015 – Whitby Farm

This exciting course will give you all of the information you need to design and maintain

an aquaponic system of any size.

Dr. Nick Savidov – Lethbridge College Dr. Kevin Fitzsimmons – University of Arizona

John Derksen – Lethbridge College

Fred Rutman – Professor of Marketing and Finance

Steve Naylor – Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Cara McCreary – Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Sarah Zeldman – Social Media Trainer

Registration $899, Student $399

Jason or Tamar @ 416-546-6623

- See more at: http://www.noafisheries.ca/aquaponics-workshop

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http://www.ncrac.org/files/MarketMaker-Pub-0034.pdf

Email me if you’d like a copy of the presentation with links and

contacts

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Steve Naylor

OMAFRA

steve.naylor@ontario.ca

(519) 826-3172