Archived – Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP)

June 2010

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The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), today announced that
$4.7 million in funding will be made available this year for the Canadian aquaculture industry through the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP).

AIMAP helps Canada’s aquaculture industry enhance its sustainable performance by refining management techniques and technologies.  The program’s overall goal is to support Canadian aquaculture and encourage innovation investments in this industry. AIMAP aims to enhance the global competitiveness and environmental performance of the Canadian aquaculture industry.

AIMAP funding is provided to innovative aquaculture projects that contribute to sustainable production (e.g. increased productivity or reduced production costs), increased species diversification, enhanced environmental performance, or market access.  

Federal Government funding through AIMAP influences and encourages further investments from a variety of public and private sector sources, promoting collaborative efforts in Canada's aquaculture industry and minimizing the duplication of effort.

The following 16 innovation projects are set to begin with additional projects to be announced over the next two-three months.

FUNDING BY REGION/PROVINCE

One project in Newfoundland and Labrador received a total of $400,000 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• Newfoundland Aqua Services Ltd. received $400,000 for the development and evaluation of a land-based net washing technology.  This funding helped to leverage approximately $650,000 from other sources including the proponent. 

Three projects in New Brunswick received nearly $489,000 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• Village Bay Sea Products Ltd. received $375,000 to construct and operate a state-of-the-art multi-functional land-based oyster cultivation facility that applies growth, enhancement and depuration technology and methods.  The AIMAP funding helped to leverage an anticipated total of over $1 million from other sources including the proponent. 

• Jaillet Aquaculture Inc. received $45,147 to develop an automatic flipper prototype technology for use with the OysterGro cage technology to control marine biofouling.  This funding helped to leverage an anticipated $140,000 in funds from other sources including the proponent.

• L’Étang Ruisseau Bar Ltd., Jaillet Aquaculture Inc., King Aquaculture Ltd. and Mills Sea foods Ltd. received $68,840 to develop Bay Scallop culture as a viable diversification for the aquaculture industry.  To complement the AIMAP funding, an anticipated $260,000 has been leveraged for this project from other sources including the proponent.   

One project in Nova Scotia received a total of $87,500 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd. received $87,500 for commercializing mooring and site engineering software for the Canadian aquaculture industry.  This project leveraged an anticipated total of close to $92,000 from other funding sources including the proponent. 

Three projects in Quebec received more than $127,000 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• MenuMer Ltée received $57,215 to develop a storage method for mussels during their spawning period.  With the AIMAP funding, an anticipated total of more than $54,000 was leveraged from other sources including funds from the proponent. 

• The Société de développement de l'Industrie maricole received $20,814 to develop a new method to collect mussel seed using a net. This funding helped to leverage an anticipated total of more than $46,000 from other sources including the proponent.

• The Société de développement de l'Industrie maricole received $49,062 to develop a new conservation method for giant scallops that is designed to improve their appeal to new markets.  In addition to AIMAP funding, this project will receive more than $110,000 in additional funds including contributions from the proponent.

One project in Central and Arctic Region received a total of $48,500 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• North Shore Fish Farms, located in southwest Ontario, has received $48,500 to aid in the expansion of the existing recirculating aquaculture system production model.  These innovations will generate an immediate increase in sustainable production output of Yellow Perch.  With the AIMAP funding, an anticipated total of close to $170,000 was leveraged from other sources. 

Eight projects in the Pacific Region received a total of close to $1.08 million in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP:

• Marine Harvest Canada received $250,000 in AIMAP funding to lead a project that will explore the use of an innovative treatment to disinfect or sterilize fish processing wastewater.  If successful, this project will also support a key supplier to enter the international fish processing market.  The AIMAP funding will be complemented by close to $1.8 million from other funding sources.

• Mainstream Canada received $200,000 in AIMAP funding to improve the quality of the wastewater being discharged from Pacific National Process Ltd., their fish processing plant located in Tofino, B.C. This project, with nearly $903,000 in leveraged funds, will involve acquiring and installing a unique environmentally-friendly technology that uses air and pressurized ozone to reduce pathogens and biological loading of processing wastewater. 

• Marine Harvest Canada received $200,000 in AIMAP funding to test alternative offshore salmon cage nets (pen nets) against traditional nylon nets.  A side-by-side comparison of the net types will test for biofouling, net durability and fish growth.  This project, which has leveraged nearly $1.6 million in additional funds, will be carried out in Marsh Bay (northern Vancouver Island).

• The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) received $59,000 in AIMAP funding to develop a pilot, web-based Fish Health Information System (FHIS) to support their fish health database.  The funding from the AIMAP program leveraged nearly $159,000, including in-kind support, for this project.

• Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd., operating in Courtenay, B.C., received $105,000 in AIMAP funding for a modular shellfish depuration (purification) technology project.  The end result would be to make the modular system available to the BC Shellfish industry.  Using the AIMAP funding as a base, Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd. has leveraged more than $55,000 in additional funding for this project.

• Island Scallops Ltd., located in Qualicum Beach, B.C., received more than $128,000 in AIMAP funding to develop efficient and cost-effective net washing technology that will clean cylindrical “lantern” scallop nets prior to re-use.  In addition to the AIMAP funding, more than $61,000 has been leveraged from other funding sources for this project. 

• Taylor Shellfish Farms Canada ULC, in Union Bay, B.C., will receive more than $64,341 to acquire technologies and practices from New Zealand, test them and refine them for use on oyster farms, and then commercialize the design concept.  This project has leveraged close to $245,000 to complement the AIMAP funding.

• Located in Union Bay, B.C., Fanny Bay Oysters received $70,000 in AIMAP funding to improve their current wet storage system by building a large scale closed-circuit, refrigerated, wet storage system that could also test and treat B.C. oysters for potential Vibrio Parahaemolyticus (Vp).  This project has leveraged more than $160,000 in additional funding from other sources.

One market access project received a total of $200,000 in funding from the Government of Canada through AIMAP is also set to begin:

• The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance received $200,000 in AIMAP funding for their project examining leveraging aquaculture standards and certification benefits for Canada under the Canadian Aquaculture Standards Forum (CASF). This project has leveraged an anticipated $69,000 in funding from other sources.
  

Applying to the program

AIMAP is a nationally competitive process, and requests for proposals are issued annually. Guided by priorities established with provinces and industry, the program will focus on short duration projects (one to three years) that will lead to industry-wide benefits.

For more information

Please visit the following website for more information on DFO’s aquaculture program, the AIMAP application process, a summary of projects already funded, frequently asked questions on AIMAP and contact information: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/sustainable-durable/innovation-eng.htm

News Release:

• Government of Canada Invests in Aquaculture Industry to Open New Markets

B-HQ-10-33(a)