Manitoba Aquaculture

Aquaculture, or fish farming, has been practised in Manitoba since the late 1960's. It began with experimental studies on "pothole" lakes in the Erickson area in south western Manitoba. To date, Manitoba operations have primarily taken the form of hobby farming, involving the release of fingerlings onto farm dugouts or ponds on private lands, or into small lakes on Crown lands. These fish are then used primarily for recreational purposes. A government published source of information on this type of activity, referred to as "extensive" fish farming, is the booklet "Guide to Intensive Aquaculture in Manitoba", available from the Fisheries Branch of the Manitoba Department of Conservation.

"Intensive" aquaculture, which takes the form of fish rearing in cages, tanks, or raceways, is relatively new in Manitoba, and there are currently only a few commercial aquaculture operations of this magnitude in the province. However, increasing interest has been expressed in developing larger commercial operations, creating a demand for better advice and guidelines on how to start an intensive aquaculture business.

As mentioned above, Aquaculture was initiated in Manitoba in the late 1960's, largely through experimental stocking by the Freshwater Institute and the Manitoba Government of very productive potholes located in south western Manitoba. Rainbow trout quickly became the species of choice due to their rapid rate of growth and their general hardiness. They continue to be the primary species raised in Manitoba.

In the early 1990's, there were four private hatcheries that sold fingerlings; three of these operators also sold eggs. These producers were also "grow-out" operations, selling "pan-sized" fish (greater than 6 inches long) for eating. Generally, these fish were in the 1/2 to 3/4 pound range. At this point, prices for rainbow trout were dropping and Arctic char was rapidly becoming of major interest to Manitoba operators.

AgPro Fish Farms in Winnipeg, established in 1986 under the name of Elders Aqua Farms, was originally the only intensive grow-out operation in the province for trout and Arctic char.

In the mid-1980s, the Freshwater Institute (Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans) in Winnipeg began experimenting with production of Arctic char at their Rockwood Hatchery located in Manitoba's Interlake region.

Subsequently, as part of a technology transfer agreement between Elders and DFO, the company converted its malting plant into a grow-out facility to initiate intensive Arctic char and rainbow trout production. The company later began experimenting with Kokanee salmon. Despite AgPro's apparent success, the Head Office in Saskatchewan decided to close down the Winnipeg operation in 1994 while maintaining a cage culture facility on Deifenbaker Lake in Southern Saskatchewan. Around the same time, a long-time fingerling producer located at LaBroquerie, southeast of Winnipeg, also closed its doors. Today there are about 30 licensed commercial operators who raise fish for sale. They primarily farm private waters, although a few are licensed to use Crown waters.

There are four major operators in Manitoba. The federal Rockwood Hatchery at Gunton has been sold to private interests and has changed hands a number of times. Agassiz Aqua Farms now operates a hatchery and grow-out operation at this site. One fingerling producer, Arctic Aquafarms, located near Garson, also operates a grow-out facility and a fee-for-fishing operation. The Manitoba Rainbow Trout Farmers Association at Erickson and Clear Springs Aqua Farms near Roblin, are primarily brokers who import fingerlings from the US. and distribute them in the spring.

Commercial fish farming operations and the services they offer are listed in more detail in the brochure "Manitoba Fish Farming Operations", available from the Manitoba Department of Conservation.