LAND-BASED PSICULTURE AND SALMON FARMING

We own Fresh Water Rights from a River, 500 liters per second, that can be used for Electricity Generation and Fresh Water for the Smolt Size Stage and also for inland Salt Water Pools in our Land. The site is located 8 miles from the Main Port of Aysen, and has two coves from the Fjord, where salt water can be pumped trough our own energy generation and forget about all the problems that carries the normal Floating Cages.

The facility itself will consists of eight circular, Fiberglass Tank. Seawater will be pumped into the tanks through a series of pipes and valves.

Project Description

Patagonia Investment project involves trials of a land-based system for growing Atlantic, Coho and Chinook salmon. It sought to provide insights into the biological, economic, and structural issues associated with raising fish using such a system, and to compare results with similar measures for conventional net-cage systems. A major focus for this project is the economic utility of rearing fish in high enough densities to offset higher production costs associated with this production method.

Performance Indicators and Measures

Economic performance is the principle factor that limits the viability of land-based production facilities and therefore is the primary performance indicator. Capital and operating factors that will influence the viability of the land-based project include:

• Land value;
• Construction costs;
• Oxygen and oxygen delivery technology; and
• Pumps and pumping costs.

Sources of potential increases in production revenues relative to traditional net-pen technologies include:

• Increased survival;
• Lower conversion factors;
• Higher rearing densities; and
• Lower stress levels.

These systems eliminate:

• Solid waste to the marine environment
• Contamination of the area under the tanks
• Escapes from the rearing facility
• Marine mammal kills due to interactions with farmed fish and nets

They appear to eliminate:

• Disease and parasite (e.g. sea lice) transfer between wild and farmed fish
• Farm losses due to environmental factors

They significantly reduce:

• Water column pollution
• Feed waste
• The need for antibiotics and chemical treatments of the fish

Closed containment in practice

Closed containment salmon farming on a small scale has been practiced in Canada, Washington State, and Tasmania. The leaders in this technology are AgriMarine, Eco-Farm, Mariculture Systems, and Future Sea Technologies.

AgriMarine — Since 2001, this company has raised "eco-salmon" commercially in land-based concrete tanks. Encouraged by savings opportunities and higher sales, AgriMarine hopes to get additional financing for a new farm of floating concrete tanks that "will yield all-year-round crops of ecologically sound salmon, raised in environmentally safe [closed] facilities — a first in an entire industry."

Eco-Farm — This Norwegian-owned company operates a contained re-circulation system for salmon with a number of important advantages. It:

• eliminates the waste problem "by concentrating, treating and disinfecting all wastes and waste water,"
• reduces feed requirements by 30-40 percent,
• has "zero escapes,"
• does not require "any antibiotics and other chemicals such as delousing treatments," and
• is 21 percent cheaper than conventional salmon farming in open net pens.