Project to produce 2 million salmon per year… in Outaouais

2024-11-13 15:36:00

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A Quebec company associated with international aquaculture partners aims to establish an industrial salmon farming farm in the Outaouais that could produce more than two million fish per year. The project, which is beginning the environmental assessment process, will have to pump and discharge up to three million liters of water every day into the Ottawa River. No such project currently exists in Quebec.

“We want to offer fresher, better quality and more environmentally responsible salmon, but at the same price. We want to replace what we import”, summarizes Duty the president of Samonix, Mathieu Farley, while describing the future land-based aquaculture farm as a “major project”.

The company wishes to build industrial salmonid production facilities in the small municipality of Litchfield, in the MRC of Pontiac, on land located on the banks of the Ottawa River. The objective of the project, which could become the first of its kind in Quebec, is to produce 12,000 tonnes of fish per year, which is equivalent to approximately two million 5 kg salmon.

This site located in a terrestrial environment would include different breeding tanks planned for the different stages of fish growth. “The first stages of development of the fish will take place in fresh water and the fattening stages and the depuration phase will take place in brackish water”, indicates the project notice submitted by Samonix to the Quebec Ministry of the Environmentin anticipation of the environmental assessment, which should include a review by the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE).

“Recirculation” of water

Mr. Farley specifies that an “intensive recirculation” water system is also planned. “The idea is to minimize rejections,” he emphasizes. The future production farm will nevertheless use two to three million liters of water per day, or up to one billion liters each year, to supply its facilities.

Water used in operations will be treated on site, before being discharged into the Ottawa River. “More than half of the installations will be water treatment systems,” argues the president of Samonix. “As for the sludge generated by the various treatment systems, it will be dehydrated, stored in containers and recycled off-site,” we can read in the project notice.

The establishment of this commercial production must nevertheless be subject to a rigorous environmental assessment, says Larissa Holman, director, science and policies for the Garde-Rivière des Outaouais organization. “We have concerns and questions,” she said, referring to the issue of the “quality of the water” that will be discharged, but also the risks associated with brackish water for this freshwater ecosystem. Species at risk are also present in the area.

Samonix will also have to obtain environmental authorizations in connection with the pumping and discharge of water. But, unlike Northvolt’s pumping and discharge project into the Richelieu River, the future salmon farm will have to produce an impact study that will address these questions, according to what emerges from the “directive” which was submitted to it by the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP).

Is there a specific standard in Quebec to regulate discharges from this type of farm, given that no such project is currently operating in Quebec? “Wastewater discharges from aquaculture sites are governed by standards specific to each project, which are determined by the ministry and included in the environmental authorization as a condition for carrying out the project,” responds the MELCCFP.

“The establishment of these requirements is based on several factors, including the components of the project, the characteristics of the discharges, the surface water quality criteria and the supporting capacity of the receiving environment,” adds the ministry.

Samonix will also likely have to obtain authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), under the Fisheries Act which protects fish habitat, in this case the Ottawa River. “If the promoter of the Samonix project plans activities that are likely to cause impacts on fish habitat, or the death of fish, he will have to obtain authorization,” argues the ministry by email. “Currently, no request has been submitted to DFO by the proponent. »

Replace imports

Even before the environmental assessment process began, the federal government granted $100,000 in funding to Samonix last August. “The Samonix project was supported as part of targeted support for economically vulnerable MRCs,” indicates Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The amount granted must be used to carry out “preliminary studies” for carrying out the project.

For its part, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food says it is “favorable to the development of this type of project in order to increase aquaculture production in Quebec”. The ministry has been “supporting the promoter in its project” since 2020. Samonix also wishes to obtain financial support from Quebec, according to what we can read in the company’s lobbying mandates registered in the official register.

Mathieu Farley believes that Quebec would have everything to gain from developing land-based salmon production farms. According to available data, Canada consumes 1 to 1.25 kg of salmon per citizen annually. This is equivalent to a consumption of nearly 10,000 tonnes in Quebec alone.

However, recalls the president of Samonix, this fish mainly comes from Chile and Europe. “We import salmon that travels 6,000 to 9,000 kilometers, even though it is a product that must be fresh,” emphasizes Mr. Farley. What’s more, production is concentrated in installations in marine environments, where the environmental impacts on ecosystems and wild species are increasingly demonstrated. Even Canada plans to ban this practice within five years in British Columbia.

“The future of salmon farming involves systems with water recirculation, in a terrestrial environment,” according to the president of Samonix, who adds that consumption of this animal protein is increasing year after year. He therefore hopes to obtain the green light to launch his project, with the aim of supplying the Canadian and American market.

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Mitting significant greenhouse gases during transportation.‍ Our ​goal ⁢is to reduce the carbon footprint associated‌ with salmon consumption while ‌providing a fresher, locally-sourced product,” he emphasizes.

The initiative to ⁢establish a land-based salmon ​farming operation could also have economic benefits for the region,⁣ creating jobs and stimulating local economies. Farley⁤ envisions the facility as not just a⁣ production site but also as a catalyst for innovation and sustainability within Quebec’s aquaculture sector.

Besides economic and environmental considerations, the project ⁤aims ⁢to address‌ not only local consumption needs but also potential ⁣export opportunities. By producing high-quality salmon‍ sustainably, Samonix hopes to position ⁢Quebec as a ​leading player in ⁢the North⁣ American aquaculture ‍market.

As the environmental assessment unfolds, ​the ⁢community⁤ and stakeholders are urged to engage in discussions regarding ​the project’s implications. ‌The outcome will‌ shape the future of ​aquaculture in ‌Quebec, with potential lessons‍ learned applicable to similar initiatives in⁤ the future.

This ambitious project highlights⁤ a growing trend in the⁤ aquaculture​ industry towards sustainable and responsible practices, responding to increasing consumer demand for transparency and ⁣ecological integrity in food production.