The Aquaculture Imperative

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Development of Marine AquacultureA National
Imperative - A San Diego Opportunity
Presented to Center for Maritime Systems and
Security January 23, 2009
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
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HSWRI Founders
envisioned an independent, highly creative and
results oriented scientific research organization
Since 1963 to return to the sea some measure
of the benefits derived from it.
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Core Areas of Research
Ecology Understanding the oceans and its
inhabitants
Bioacoustics Its not a silent world
Physiology and Health Understanding how animals
respond to a changing world
Aquaculture Helping to feed a hungry world
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Sportboat Catch of White Seabass
Aquaculture Fisheries Replenishment
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Location of White Seabass Hatchery and Satellite
Growout Facilities

• Santa Barbara

• Port Hueneme

Santa Barbara

• Channel Islands Harbor

• Marina del Rey

Los Angeles

• King Harbor

• Huntington Harbor

• Newport Bay

Catalina Island (2)

• Dana Point Harbor

• Agua Hedionda Lagoon

• Mission Bay (2)

San Diego

• Hatchery

• San Diego Bay (2)

• Growout Facility

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The Aquaculture Imperative
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The Economic ImperativeU.S. Seafood Trade Deficit
More than 80 of US seafood is imported
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The HSWRI Proposal

• Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute proposes to
• Permit, install and operate a commercial scale
  fish farm
• Location to be five miles off the coast of San
  Diego in federal waters (EEZ)
• Project to assess ability to increase domestic
  supply of seafood in an environmentally
  sustainable manner
• San Diego has the opportunity to lead the
  nation in the development of offshore aquaculture
  
• The project and related activities could
  significantly increase ocean-related revenues to
  the City, the Port and the Southwest Region

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Species to be permitted
Striped Bass
White Seabass
California Yellowtail
California Halibut
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Siting Requirements

• Need
• Greater than 100 feet and less than 350 feet deep
• Clean water with consistent current
• Southern California area offers a nearly ideal
  climate
• Consistent (i.e., predictable) water temperature
• Infrequent extreme weather and wave conditions
• Avoid user and habitat conflicts
• Outside busy coastal zone (and contaminants)
• Sandy bottom (no kelp or hard-bottom habitat)
• Close to existing infrastructure
• Commercial fishing industry
• Market and distribution centers

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Proposed Project Location
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Technology Exists and has been Engineered to the
Proposed Site
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Californias Living Resources Industries

• Between 1990 and 2000 California has lost
• 725 jobs in fishing, aquaculture and seafood
  processing
• Over 40 million in wages and
• Over 160 million in the Gross State Product

• Reasons for Economic Decline
• Declining fish stocks results in more time at sea
  to collect fewer fish
• More stringent fishing regulations and MPAs
• Skyrocketing cost of fuel (48 in last year)
• Competition from foreign fleets

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2006 Landing Weight and Value by Port
S. Calif. Landings
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Potential Increased Value to San Diego
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Use space efficiently
S. Calif. Fishing Areas 194 x 100 sq. mi.
19,400 sq mi
Commercial Fishing 100K mt worth 59 MM/19K sq
mi 3,041/sq. mi.
Offshore farms 100K mt/yr in 40 farms in 20 sq.
mi. worth 300 MM at 3/kg 15 million/sq. mi.
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San Diego has Everything Needed
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Next Steps

• Federal permits
• Army Corps of Engineers Section 10 NEPA Review
• Environmental Protection Agency NPDES
• State reviews
• Dept. of Fish Game aquaculture registration
• Coastal Commission consistency certification

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Opportunity in the Global Market
40 million more tonnes of aquatic food will be
required by 2030 to maintain the current per
capita FAO 2006
Courtesy Jingjie Cho, NOAA Aquaculture
At a landed price of 3/kg this is 125
billion. At retail prices - 500 billion.
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Growing marine plants as the primary crop

• Opportunity to produce more marine vegetables
  for fresh and processed foods for people?
• Can seaweeds be processed into ingredients for
  aquaculture feeds?
• As Biomass for other industrial processes?

Chen 2006 FAO 2007

• Slide courtesy of John Forster-Forster Consulting

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Maximizing value by processing

• Slide courtesy of John Forster-Forster Consulting

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Current world seaweed production
Fang, 2008

• Total production 15.7 mmt.
• China produces 77.
• Most eaten by people, or processed for marine
  colloids.

Chen - pc
Chen - pc

• Slide courtesy of John Forster-Forster Consulting

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How much seaweed could we grow?

• China produced 801,000 mt dry weight of Laminaria
  on 41,000 Ha of coastal waters in 2004.
• Or 19.5 mt per Ha/yr.
• To produce 6.1 billion mt would need 313 million
  Ha.

Chen - pc
Or 0.87 of the oceans surface.
That is to double our agricultural plant
production
Fang, 2008

• Slide courtesy of John Forster-Forster Consulting

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Laminaria hatchery in Yantai China. Produces
20,000 seedling ropes per year, enough for
300,000 mt of Laminaria production per year
Seaweed seedlings on seedling rope in Chinese
Laminaria hatchery. There are 50,000 seedlings on
this rope.
Fresh kelp noodles and salad products from Ocean
Approved www.oceanapproved.com

• Slide courtesy of John Forster-Forster Consulting

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Michael Richard, Glitnir Bank
NOAA Aquaculture SummitJune 2007, Washington,
D.C.

• If we dont make the right decisions as a nation
  in the coming years, we are going to have another
  situation where scientific advances that happen
  here fund economic development overseas.

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Questions?

• We must learn to farm the sea as we farm the
  land. Jacques Cousteau,
  Conservationist
• California is a world leader in agriculture, why
  cant we be a world leader in aquaculture?
  Dr. Devin Bartley, CA Aquaculture
  Coordinator
• Aquaculture can help preserve the historic ties
  that fishing communities have to the oceans and
  create a new and vibrant means for job creation
• Honorable Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce