A Look Into Sapphire Springs’ Aquaculture System

Sapphire Springs is on track to be the largest Arctic Charr producer in North America, with plans to increase the global supply of the delicious and nutritious fish by 50%. And it plans to be among the most sustainable aquaculture companies in the world. One of the company’s key decisions was to implement a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to ensure it can produce high volumes of fish with almost zero waste.

A RAS continuously filters and reuses water. With each pass of the water, filtration systems filter out solids, ammonia and carbon dioxide that are produced by the fish.  This maintains water quality parameters within set levels.  A RAS is incredibly sustainable because it can reuse over 99% of the water while capturing solids and byproducts for recycling in other ways. The system also reduces the risk of diseases in the tank and creates a comfortable living environment (at just the right temperature) for Arctic Charr.

Sapphire Springs has a RAS expert on the team. Justin Henry built the first greenfield RAS facility in British Columbia in 1998 and went on to create the Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture program at the University of British Columbia. He has three decades of experience studying and practicing aquaculture and has been responsible for many other “firsts” in the Canadian aquaculture industry, including developing the world’s first monosex female coho broodstock program. He was also responsible for creating the first certified Office International des Epizooties disease-free compartment farm for finfish in the world, and for having the first organic seafood on the market certified under the Canadian standard.

“A RAS really is the best option for Sapphire Springs. Since it recirculates over 99% of the water flow, the environmental parameters can be controlled, from the water’s temperature to its pH,” said Henry. “It means we can create the best conditions for the fish, giving them the greatest opportunity to thrive.”

The company chose to locate its first facility in Manitoba. Located near the geographic centre of North America means it will be able to ship fresh or frozen Arctic Charr anywhere on the continent within 36 hours.

“We are minimizing water use with a RAS and by centrally locating, we’re minimizing transportation costs and transportation carbon footprint compared to imports from offshore,” said Henry. “Being in the centre of North America will make Arctic Charr much more accessible and available fresh 52 weeks of the year.”

Another advantage to locating the first facility in Manitoba is that it will be using water from an ancient glacial aquifer than runs beneath the facility. This aquifer’s water comes out of an artesian well at 6.5 degrees Celsius. The natural heat generated by fish in the RAS combined with the friction and heat loss from pumps will gradually raise the temperature to 11 degrees Celsius, which is the ideal temperature for Arctic Charr. The best part about this is that it will require minimal additional heating or cooling, which will help the company keep energy usage to a minimum.

“I knew when first seeing the site for the facility that Sapphire Springs had something really special with loads of opportunity,” said Henry. “That combined with our innovative technology, our world-renowned genetics program, and our socially conscious practices will put Sapphire Springs on the map.”

All these factors considered, using RAS will ensure Sapphire Springs is operating in the most sustainable and ethical way while also producing the highest quality Arctic Charr possible. The company has plans to build additional RAS facilities in the future on the east and west coasts of Canada. This will help the company further minimize its carbon footprint for shipping in North America and internationally.

“RAS technology has been refined over the past couple of decades and it makes the most sense for Sapphire Springs to use RAS based on our goals, values, and location,” said Henry. “Sapphire Springs is on track to becoming one of the most sustainable Arctic charr companies in North America, and we’re really excited to continue to advance our production and increase accessibility to this delicious fish.”  

Click here to get in contact with Sapphire Springs and learn more about its Arctic Charr.