Harnessing the Environmental and Economic Potential of Kelp Aquaculture

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Ahous Business Corporation (ABC) was incorporated by the Ahousaht First Nation to drive economicdevelopment that is socially and culturally appropriate. ABC has a keen interest in sustainable aquaculture andwould like to develop a new economically and environmentally beneficial kelp aquaculture enterprise. Thegoals of this project are to inform ABC of the kelp production potential and cultivation requirements specific totheir tenure locations, and to provide ABC staff with kelp aquaculture skills training. The project will comparesugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) growth, tissue quality, and nutrient composition at two sites in ClayoquotSound, British Columbia (off the west coast of Vancouver Island). One site is a vacant aquaculture tenureowned by ABC; the second site, approximately 700 m away, is an operational salmon farm owned by CermaqCanada - a close partner of ABC and a collaborator on this project. The training and results from this projectwill build capacity within ABC by developing a new environmentally sustainable revenue stream with newemployment opportunities. Kelp aquaculture development will also help strengthen the partnership betweenABC and Cermaq Canada.