Maybe this could be done in our area striped bass farm

[crookedbucktail]

Check this out I think someone should come with this in the east coast.

https://www.pacificoaquaculture.com/

[bulletbob]

meh.. I doubt it would be cost effective to start an operation such as that... Hybrid Striper/White bass are widely cultivated for food already in the US, and are being produced at about 10 million pounds a year. North Carolina alone has 14 aquaculture farms producing hybrids.. I saw them on ice for sale at the local Wegmans here in Ithaca..... It would cost millions to set up an operation like that at sea for Stripers,, I doubt they would ever make their money back unless all of a sudden people started going insane over raw Striped bass sliced razor thin and dipped in soy sauce/wasabi at $150 for a 2 ounce serving.. Could happen I suppose, but I like to think people aren't that stupid... bob

[Angler Paul]

This is not a good idea. A year or so ago this company was seeking to ship their true strain stripers to New Jersey. The owner of this reputable company flew out to NJ to meet with JCAA officials and gave a very nice presentation. However, NJ law prohibits the sale of true strain stripers whether they are wild or farm raised so the law would have to be changed. Even though these stripers would be tagged there was no answer as to how these tags would be accounted for or what would happen to the tags after the fish was sold. This could lead to wild stripers that were caught locally being sold through back doors, etc. JCAA explained this and we told him that we would oppose any change in the law that would allow true strain stripers to be sold in NJ. I have not heard anything since so I doubt if they will be coming to NJ.

Paul Haertel
Past President JCAA

[bulletbob]

If they want to cultivate salt water fish, have at it, but flatfish are the way to go.. We do some in the US but its very limited. Other countries in europe and Japan and china raise flatfish in quantity.. From what I have read, they do very well, and even halibut can be successfully reared to market size readily via aquaculture.. Personally i would prefer Halibut steaks to striper steaks any day, and the price per pound would be a lot higher for the producers... bob

[reason162]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

If they want to cultivate salt water fish, have at it, but flatfish are the way to go.. We do some in the US but its very limited. Other countries in europe and Japan and china raise flatfish in quantity.. From what I have read, they do very well, and even halibut can be successfully reared to market size readily via aquaculture.. Personally i would prefer Halibut steaks to striper steaks any day, and the price per pound would be a lot higher for the producers... bob

The vast majority of aquaculture around the world is unsustainable because they are rearing apex predators instead of species lower in the food chain.

The Omega reduction fleets are harvesting bunker to feed their salmon farming operations in Canada, for instance. Not to mention the runoff/pollution involved.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by reason162

The vast majority of aquaculture around the world is unsustainable because they are rearing apex predators instead of species lower in the food chain.

The Omega reduction fleets are harvesting bunker to feed their salmon farming operations in Canada, for instance. Not to mention the runoff/pollution involved.

Not sure I would consider most flatfish an Apex predator, they are prey for a lot of species until full grown but I digress.
Not sure what else can be done.. the appetite for marine finfish worldwide is insatiable and the higher the prices get, more and more people will cash in on already overly exploited stocks.. Its been happening in our own backyard for decades, and getting worse.. until people are satisfied eating fish from "land based" aquaculture, Swai, Catfish, Tilapia etc, I would prefer to see some marine finfish produced by aquaculture, and not netted... bob

[reason162]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Not sure I would consider most flatfish an Apex predator, they are prey for a lot of species until full grown but I digress.
Not sure what else can be done.. the appetite for marine finfish worldwide is insatiable and the higher the prices get, more and more people will cash in on already overly exploited stocks.. Its been happening in our own backyard for decades, and getting worse.. until people are satisfied eating fish from "land based" aquaculture, Swai, Catfish, Tilapia etc, I would prefer to see some marine finfish produced by aquaculture, and not netted... bob

Everything is prey until fully grown...

The solution is to eat lower from the food chain: herring, small mackerels, sardines etc. They're also lower in PCBs/mercury.

Raping the ocean of prey species for aquaculture is certainly not the answer, even if your primary goal is to save wild populations of game fish.

[Charlie B]

I'm not sure farm raising fish is a good idea. There have been problems for the environment and the fish produced not being that healthy to eat. I am not saying it is all bad but there have been problems...Charlie

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by reason162

Everything is prey until fully grown...

The solution is to eat lower from the food chain: herring, small mackerels, sardines etc. They're also lower in PCBs/mercury.

Raping the ocean of prey species for aquaculture is certainly not the answer, even if your primary goal is to save wild populations of game fish.

People will pay huge prices for flatfish, sea bass and similar,Grouper and similar, Red Snapper, Tog in our area, and some others .. they are all more per pound than Lobster these days.. They won't pay for and don't particularly want more oily smaller fish such as those you mentioned.
People will pay $100 and up for a couple pound Sea bass in a good Chinese restaurant.. they won't pay that for herring or sardines.. Its all about the money.... People harvest what other people are willing to pay for.... bob

[reason162]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

People will pay huge prices for flatfish, sea bass and similar,Grouper and similar, Red Snapper, Tog in our area, and some others .. they are all more per pound than Lobster these days.. They won't pay for and don't particularly want more oily smaller fish such as those you mentioned.
People will pay $100 and up for a couple pound Sea bass in a good Chinese restaurant.. they won't pay that for herring or sardines.. Its all about the money.... People harvest what other people are willing to pay for.... bob

Yeah, you've described the problem, but again...removing forage species that game fish depend on to feed farmed fish is not the solution.