The University of New Hampshire is using floating pens to sustainably raise steelhead trout, boosting local seafood supply.
NEW CASTLE, New Hampshire — Researchers at the University of New Hampshire believe a new type of aquaculture will help raise local fish and support local fishermen.
They’re using a floating pen called Aquafort to raise steelhead trout at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, where Maine and New Hampshire meet.
They say they’re raising sustainable fish that could help increase local supply in an industry struck by declining stocks and strict regulations.
A small fish farm sits just a few hundred yards offshore from New Castle, New Hampshire.
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems have raised thousands of steelhead trout in two net pens over the past five years. The fish start at a freshwater farm inland, then thrive when moved to colder saltwater.
“They grow so fast that the 300-gram fish we stocked out last November is now two to three kilos,” Michael Chambers, an associate research professor at the center.
The AquaFort is about 28 by 52 feet. Kelp and blue mussels grow along its edges, where they absorb nutrients and help prevent disease. The team calls this project a community seafood system. It can help local fishermen or co-ops raise fish and increase the supply of locally grown seafood. The trout is already popular at local restaurants and seafood markets.
Rich Pettigrew owns Seaport Fish, a family-run market in Rye, New Hampshire, that has been around since the 1970s. He says the trout is a customer favorite.
“There isn’t enough wild fish to meet what we consume in the US, so having locally raised farm products is huge,” Pettigrew enthused.
The fish is used to make a new line of smoked steelhead trout. Each month, more than 100 pounds of frozen fish is donated to Gather, a food pantry in Portsmouth. Some is also used in precooked meals for those in need.
“Those who may be unhoused can take this trout, not have to cook or heat it, and enjoy it straight from the packet,” Taina Marino, Gather’s Culinary Director, said.
These donations are arriving at a crucial time. The pantry, which serves 110 towns from Rochester, New Hampshire, to Kennebunk, is seeing more people in need because of the government shutdown and SNAP cuts.
Other platform projects are underway. Belfast-based Innovasea built the third generation of the Aquafort at its plant in Maine. The parts were shipped and are being assembled by the team in Dauphin Island, Alabama. The system will eventually grow red drum, oysters, and seaweed. All are part of a goal to help other communities raise their own seafood.
“We see small-scale farming opportunities that could be planted next to every city,” Chambers added.
In an effort to help the US become less reliant on imported fish in an environmentally sustainable way. The UNH team is also working on a platform project in Guam. The Aquafort site hosts regular public tours and tours for local fishermen.
