Canadian Farmed Halibut
Species farmed…
Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is a marine, cold-water flat fish that is currently being developed as a commercial aquaculture species. Halibut is a white-fleshed fish with high market value and demand; it is therefore an excellent species to complement and diversify the Canadian aquaculture industry.
Where they’re farmed…
Atlantic halibut are farmed in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
How they’re farmed…
To produce the highest quality farmed halibut, the very best adult female fish are selected each year as breeding stock. Halibut broodstock are maintained in onshore tanks. Each female produces several batches of eggs each season; in a single season, a female can produce well over 100,000 eggs per kg of body weight. These eggs are fertilized and incubated in the temperature-controlled tanks in a seawater hatchery.
Fertilized eggs hatch approximately 15 days after fertilization. Upon hatching, the halibut larvae are transferred to the ‘larval’ tanks. The newly hatched larvae are only 6 or 7 mm in length – barely recognizable as fish. During their first 50 days of life, the larvae receive nourishment from their yolk-sac. As the yolk sac is depleted, halibut farmers begin to feed the larvae a variety of small planktonic animals. This diet of plankton is gradually replaced with a high quality pelleted feed designed specifically for halibut larvae.
After approximately 50 days, the halibut larvae undergo a metamorphosis during which both eyes migrate to one side and they display the flattened appearance of adult fish. The young halibut are kept in circular tanks at the hatchery until they reach ~5 grams. The hatchery phase generally takes 6-7 months. Following this, they undergo a nursery phase until they reach a size of 100-200 grams and are ready for deployment in sea cages.
What they eat…
Halibut are fed pelleted feeds containing high quality ingredients such as fish oils, meals, vitamins and minerals that ensure an excellent feeding response and good growth. During the on-growing phase, halibut require only 1 to 1.5 kg of feed for every kg of weight gained.
Why they’re environmentally sustainable…
All approvals for halibut farms in Canada are subject to an intensive environmental review according to both federal and provincial legislation, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). Halibut farms can only be sited in areas where water currents provide optimal conditions for fish health and environmental sustainability.
Did you know…
An adult broodstock Atlantic halibut weighs between 50 and 125 kgs - larger than most humans. They are very powerful and one flick of the tail of a broodstock halibut can easily break a human arm or leg.
The shelf-life of fresh, head-on gutted halibut is up to three weeks on ice, much longer than most fish. The protective mucous on the fish’s skin contains hyppicin, a naturally occurring compound produced by the halibut that prevents bacterial development and reduces spoilage after harvest.
