A group of communities in southwestern Manitoba is investigating the potential of fish farms in a bid to lure more economic development to the area.
“We see it as a huge diversification opportunity for the region,” says Rick Verspeek, spokesperson for Turtle Mountain Sustainable Ventures, formed by the towns of Killarney and Boissevain and four adjoining rural municipalities to explore economic development opportunities.
“We hope to see some movement in 2004.”
Fish farms already exist in the province, but the industry is not as large as it is in provinces such as Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Rainbow trout and Artic char are the most common aquaculture species in Manitoba.
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For his area, Verspeek envisions ventures that would raise fish indoors in large tanks. He said a number of operations would be needed so that if one were affected by a disease outbreak, production from the others would assure a steady supply.
The ventures could be a good fit with livestock operations wanting to convert existing barns to a new use, Verspeek added, which would cut down on the capital costs required to create fish farms.
“Those are two pluses I see there.”
Turtle Mountain Sustainable Ventures helps identify economic development opportunities and is willing to advise those who pursue those opportunities, but Verspeek said it wouldn’t take a direct financial stake in such enterprises.
Although they may sound like straightforward ventures, Verspeek said anyone wanting to establish a fish farm would first need to consider marketing and distribution, as well the technology needed to ensure efficient, reliable production.
“There are some unknowns out there,” he said.
The Turtle Mountain area also has been exploring ethanol production, strawboard manufacturing and wind farms as potential economic engines. Verspeek said a local ethanol plant could provide a spin-off benefit for fish farms because waste heat from ethanol production could be captured to help heat the fish farms.
Twenty-five people are licensed to operate fish farms in Manitoba. Some raise fingerlings to sell as seed stock to other aquaculture ventures and others raise fish to a mature size and harvest them for Canadian and export markets.
Although it is easy to get caught up in romantic notions about raising fish, Barb Scaife, manager of the Manitoba fisheries branch’s aquaculture program, said competition in the industry is keen.
Part of the competition is based on the West Coast, where large operations raise fish in net-type cages suspended in the ocean.
“The seafood market is very competitive,” Scaife said. “There is no getting around that.”
Last year, Manitoba fish farms sold 190,000 rainbow trout fingerlings and harvested 16,050 kilograms of rainbow trout and 47,000 kg of Arctic char.
