RAS Talk Podcast
We started a podcast in 2020 as a new way to engage stakeholders and extend our work on land-based recirculating aquaculture systems. The podcast is produced in partnership with Annex Business Media, the publisher of aquaculture industry publications Hatchery International, Aquaculture North America, and RAStech. Freshwater Institute director Dr. Brian Vinci co-hosts the podcast with the editor of Hatchery International and RASTECH publications. Together they tackle the important issues in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems with prominent industry leaders. Click below to listen the most recent episodes.Last July, Kingfish Maine was forced to go head-to-head against an anti-aquaculture group that wanted to put a stop to all aquaculture development in Jonesport, Maine. The aquaculture moratorium was put to a vote and local residents rejected the proposal 201 to 91. Now that the road is clear for the company to begin construction, Dianna Fletcher, communications consultant, shares how the company earned its social license through targeted public relations strategies.
Guest: Dianna Fletcher
When the island country of Singapore imports more than 90 per cent of its food supply, this new RAS project hopes to be a local solution. Esben Johnsen is the chief executive officer of Singapore RAS. Coming from Norway’s oil and gas industry, he understands the power and possibilities of land-based aquaculture.
Guest: Esben Johnsen
Atlantic Sapphire CEO Johan Andreassen called 2021 the company’s “annus horribilis.” From losing the chillers in Miami to the devastating fire in Denmark, Atlantic Sapphire made headlines for mass mortalities caused by a chain of unfortunate events. In this episode, Andreassen talks to our co-hosts, Jean Ko Din and Brian Vinci, about lessons learned from last year and how the company plans to move forward in transforming the industry’s future.
Guest: Johan Andreassen
Vismar Aqua is a Ukrainian RAS design firm that built the largest RAS shrimp farm in Europe, Merman’s House. When Russia’s invasion forced the farm to close after only four months in operation, the company decided to donate its first batches of shrimp to the Ukrainian army. Founder and chief technology officer, Lubomir Haidamaka, sits down with co-hosts, Jean Ko Din and Brian Vinci, to share his story from his office in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Guest: Lubomir Haidamaka
Aquaponics is often described as the combination of recirculating aquaculture with hydroponics. Many favour it as the ultimate circular food production system, utilizing waste from the production of fish to be used as nutrients for the production of plants like leafy greens and tomatoes. In our world today, the aquaponics model is still appealing and is an example of the circular food systems that we’ll need for a sustainable future.
Currently, there are a few moderate to large aquaponics operations running in the U.S.: Superior Fresh in Wisconsin, Springworks Farm in Maine, and Traders Hill Farm in Florida. In this episode of RAS Talk, co-host Brian Vinci, director of the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, sat down to talk all things aquaponics with Tracy Nazzaro, principal and president for Traders Hill Farm.
Guest: Tracy Nazzaro
Past RAS Talk episodes have had a particular focus on various salmon and trout species because they’re known to be some of the more ‘established’ aquaculture species in Europe and North America. However, globally, barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, is an aquaculture-established species. Production is especially established in Australia, where MainStream Aquaculture, said to have the largest warm water aquaculture farm of its type and is also the largest Barramundi fingerling supplier in Australia and the world, has its five facilities. In the final RAS Talk episode of 2021, Dr. Paul Harrison, co-founder and chief scientist at MainStream Aquaculture gives listeners a peak into the aquaculture industry in Australia and MainStream Aquaculture’s operations.
Guest: Dr. Paul Harrison
Looking to raise awareness and educate Americans on the benefits of regularly eating seafood to achieve a healthier diet, as well as advocate for the recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) sector and aquaculture industry to achieve an overall more environmentally-friendly and sustainable seafood industry, Linda Cornish, Founder and President of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP), sat down with hosts Catarina Muia and Brian Vinci for this episode of RAS Talk. Linda discussed the important goals the SNP is looking to achieve, and how the RAS sector and aquaculture industries can help achieve these goals.
Guest: Linda Cornish
There are a good number of water reuse systems and intensive RAS at public fish hatcheries today, but few public fish hatchery programs have adopted intensive RAS like the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. During this episode of RAS Talk, Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Jeff Milton, Sport Fish Hatchery program supervisor, and Travis Hyer, Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery manager, give us some insight on how their public hatcheries have successfully moved toward RAS.
Guests: Jeff Milton and Travis Hyer