Hawaii Leads The Way In Offshore Aquaculture
Local Institute Developing New Technology
POSTED: 1:35 p.m. HST November 29, 2000
OFF EWA BEACH, Oahu, Hawaii -- Two miles off of Ewa Beach and about 40 feet underwater, there is success being realized in Oceanic Institute's submersible fish cage.
With the help of the institute, Hawaii has become a world leader in developing offshore aquaculture and is also recognized as the leader in submersible fish cage technologies.
As of this month, it has harvested nearly 65,000 pounds of moi, the pacific threadfin fish that has struggled in the wild.
After being born and grown at the institute, the fish were pumped into the cage when they are two months old (pictured, below).
The Oceanic project is demonstrating the technical feasibility of farming fish in the cages while researching it's long term sustainability.
"Despite the fact we have large numbers in the cage, we have been unable to determine any effects on water quality," project manager Tony Ostrowski. "That's simply because we have only one cage and our effects that we have out there are just a drop in the bucket compared to the vast ocean that we're working in."
Just five months after the fingerlings are put into the sea cage, they are harvested at an average weight of one pound.
It has been determined that most of the fish are healthy and that their growth rate is twice what it would be in the wild.
"This seems to be the appropriate size to get them out to market and also for the economics of the production of the animal," Ostrowski said.
All the moi that are raised in the sea cages are packaged and shipped to the mainland where a market is being developed for pacific threadfin.
Since Oceanic provides fingerlings to local land-based moi aquaculture farmers, it doesn't want to become a competitor. From a marketing point of view, there is a huge upside in fish farming.
"We can offer a given amount at a given time and we can tell a guy if we are going to have it on a given day," Oceanic marketing director Joe Tabrah said. "People really appreciate that in the marketing business."
As for the possibility of having dozens of submersible fish cages in Hawaiian waters with different species of fish, that may be where the potential truly lies.
"That's the $64,000 question," Ostrowski told KITV4 News. "That's what this research project is all about. I think it has great potential."
With the help of the institute, Hawaii has become a world leader in developing offshore aquaculture and is also recognized as the leader in submersible fish cage technologies.
As of this month, it has harvested nearly 65,000 pounds of moi, the pacific threadfin fish that has struggled in the wild.
After being born and grown at the institute, the fish were pumped into the cage when they are two months old (pictured, below).
The Oceanic project is demonstrating the technical feasibility of farming fish in the cages while researching it's long term sustainability.
"Despite the fact we have large numbers in the cage, we have been unable to determine any effects on water quality," project manager Tony Ostrowski. "That's simply because we have only one cage and our effects that we have out there are just a drop in the bucket compared to the vast ocean that we're working in."
Just five months after the fingerlings are put into the sea cage, they are harvested at an average weight of one pound.
It has been determined that most of the fish are healthy and that their growth rate is twice what it would be in the wild.
"This seems to be the appropriate size to get them out to market and also for the economics of the production of the animal," Ostrowski said.
All the moi that are raised in the sea cages are packaged and shipped to the mainland where a market is being developed for pacific threadfin.
Since Oceanic provides fingerlings to local land-based moi aquaculture farmers, it doesn't want to become a competitor. From a marketing point of view, there is a huge upside in fish farming.
"We can offer a given amount at a given time and we can tell a guy if we are going to have it on a given day," Oceanic marketing director Joe Tabrah said. "People really appreciate that in the marketing business."
As for the possibility of having dozens of submersible fish cages in Hawaiian waters with different species of fish, that may be where the potential truly lies.
"That's the $64,000 question," Ostrowski told KITV4 News. "That's what this research project is all about. I think it has great potential."Copyright 2002 by TheHawaiiChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
