VANCOUVER, CANADA – Sea Pact, a group of leading North American Seafood Companies dedicated to driving stewardship and continuous improvement of social, economic, and environmental responsibility throughout the global seafood supply chain, announces the recipients of their fourth round of grants. Grants in full will be distributed this month to three organizations advancing seafood sustainability.
Two existing grant recipients received renewed funding: University of North Texas (UNT), for a research project utilizing probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics for improving growth and survival in marine finfish aquaculture, and the Downeast Institute in Maine, for work with clammers in the town of Freeport to conduct large-?scale, manipulative experiments to test hypotheses involving predator exclusion (invasive green crabs) and habitat modification – all in support of enhancing the number of both wild and cultured “spat” (juvenile clams). This fishery management, fisheries improvement, and aquaculture improvement project is designed to create a new mindset amongst clammers and local clam stewardship committees to think and see beyond traditional approaches to conserve the resource.
The newest grant recipient is a research project at the Vancouver Aquarium seeking to improve sea lice mitigation within the net-?pen farmed salmon industry. The project is evaluating the usage of Kelp Perch and Pile Perch within the net pens to control sea lice populations in place of using antiparasitic agents like SLICE. While similar research and trials have been conducted in the North Atlantic using wrasse and lumpfish, this project is unique in that it is utilizing native species, reducing the environmental risks associated with introducing another non-?native species.
“We are ecstatic with the quality and relevance of the projects that are being submitted to us.” says Guy Dean, chairman of the Sea Pact Advisory council. “It’s been three years since Sea Pact’s formation with a focus on making a positive change within the Industry and we are overwhelmed with our progress and the opportunity for the future. We continue to have a growing interest in creating new partnerships, memberships and funding opportunities and plan on hiring an Executive Director very soon to take advantage of these possibilities and help us in our evolution. We congratulate the three lucky grant recipients that were chosen from the more than 60 outstanding submissions this cycle.”
About Sea Pact:
Albion Fisheries, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Ipswich Shellfish Group, Santa Monica Seafood, Seacore Seafood, Stavis Seafood, JJ McDonnell and A.C. Covert and Seattle Fish Co. comprise Sea Pact and all share an active and progressive approach to their sustainability commitments.
Sea Pact receives sustainability counsel from non-?profit organizations FishWise, Resiliensea, and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). Sea Pact is a project under New Venture Funds 501c3 non-?profit status. To learn more about Sea Pact, visit their website at www.seapact.org. More funding opportunities will be available in 2016.
Source: Sea Pact