A land-based fish farm is expected to be established in the Slocan Valley, in the mountainous western reaches of British Columbia, Canada.
Valhalla Aquaculture put forth a proposal to draw water from Trozzo Creek for a rainbow trout farm, where the fish would be kept in tanks and raceways, according to the Nelson Star.
Paul Hampaul, co-owner of Valhalla, said that the land-based model is able to avoid much of the criticism of net-pen farming in the ocean, which can spread illness to wild fish, according to detractors.
“First of all, it’s land-based. We can have better control of the water quality, we can manage disease, we can manage biohazard, what goes in, what goes out. It also just provides a better way of controlling the effluent, which unfortunately they don’t do in open water,” Hampaul told the Star.
The farm would draw 42 liters per second from the creek, and according to Hampaul, no fish waste would be returned into the creek. Instead, it will be used to make fertilizer.
Hampaul said that he initially considered raising livestock on the plot of land, but decided against it for ecological reasons, citing the possibility that cows and pigs could contaminate the water supply that he will be using to raise the trout.
Hampaul, whose primary business venture, Entramar Ltd., an energy consulting firm, is based in Calgary, owns a house and cabin in the area. He said care for the local environment is one of his highest priorities.
“We are very responsible land owners and farmers. We breathe the same air and drink the same water. The last thing we want to do is screw up anything. We also want to live in the community,” Hampaul said. “We are neighbors, we are part of the biome.”
Photo courtesy of the Nelson Star
