RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SALMON NETWORK (RAS-N)

Over 90% of the ~500,000 metric tons of Atlantic salmon consumed in the US annually are imported from overseas, for a value of around $3.6 billion. As the challenges surrounding domestic production of salmon in floating coastal net-pens mount, we have witnessed in the US increased interest and major investments in land-based, environmentally-friendly production of salmon, using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Responding to these trends, NOAA/National Sea Grant funded the RAS-N collaborative hub, consisting of research and industry partners. RAS-N’s overarching goal was to establish a holistic hub of knowledge that will integrate past, current and future research as well as extension, outreach, education, training and workforce development to promote the successful growth, stability and economic feasibility of the Atlantic salmon RAS sector and, more broadly, US aquaculture. A major deliverable of RAS-N was to engage in dialogue with industry in order to identify gaps in knowledge and impediments to the development of the industry, ultimately resulting in prioritized R&D needs. Six working groups were established consisting of researchers and industry stakeholders, which periodically met virtually and in-person to discuss program objectives and develop strategies to achieve them. Joint public-private panels were conducted at RAS-N and other national meetings in an effort to develop broad and inclusive priorities. These activities culminated in the generation of a “Concept Paper” aimed at helping policymakers, federal and state agencies and industry identify and responsibly allocate resources to build capacity and promote an economically feasible and environmentally sustainable land-based Atlantic salmon industry in the US. The following 8 stakeholder-driven objectives were identified:

1. Understand and mitigate off-flavors in RAS platforms
2. Establish domestic, year-round egg production from North American strains
3. Understand/reduce early maturation, develop methods for reproductive sterility
4. Develop RAS-specific and alternative feeds
5. Study/optimize microbiome in salmon RAS for efficient biofiltration, waste treatment/conversion, containment, fish health and environmental compatibility.
6. Engage in economic and market analysis
7. Develop education programs - K-16, RAS Certificates, workforce development
8. Create effective extension programs – outreach, community engagement, public awareness, technology transfer

The RAS-N hub led to the establishment of a broader research consortium, funded in 2021 by USDA-NIFA, to implement the RAS-N findings and recommendations. This national program, “Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon” (SAS2), is a multidisciplinary, synergistic, “hands-on” partnership in which leading aquaculture scientists, in collaboration with all major US producers, carry out research focusing on the above industry-identified impediments to the expansion of the salmon RAS industry.