Atlantic halibut is a marine, cold-water fish that is currently being developed as a commercial aquaculture species in Atlantic Canada. At present, one aquaculture operator in Nova Scotia is North America’s only year-round supplier of fresh halibut. Atlantic halibut is native to the Atlantic Ocean, is a valuable species harvested commercially on Canada’s east coast and in high demand globally making it an attractive species to develop through aquaculture.

photo courtesy of the National Research Council

Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, have a large mouth and forked tail, with an elongated flat body that is greenish-brown to dark brown on its upper-eyed side, with the ‘blind side’ ranging from white to gray. Interestingly, the left eye of a young halibut moves over the top of the head towards the right side until both eyes are completely relocated on the right side of the head (~44 mm long) leaving it ‘blind’ on one side of its body. Atlantic halibut has a lean, mild, sweet taste that is flaky and tender, though still firm when cooked.

As of 2006, five countries were reporting some level of Atlantic halibut aquaculture production: Canada, Norway, UK, Iceland and Chile.

Researching the potential for halibut aquaculture in Canada began in the mid-1990s. Challenges plagued the industry early-on such as developing a domesticated strain of Atlantic halibut for commercial-scale production. A great deal of collaborative research between government, industry, research centres and universities worked to address high mortality rates of halibut during the larval period. Scientists also strived to understand the effects of early rearing conditions such as feeding, digestion, nutrition, and disease or some combination of these factors to improve long term survival, growth, maturation, pigmentation and fish health to successfully develop a commercial-scale industry for this species.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) contribution to the commercialization of farmed halibut is through scientific research and development, primarily through the department’s Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program. The Marine Finfish Reproduction and Broodstock Development Program at DFO’s Biological Station in St. Andrews, NB is providing a leading contribution to the development of a commercial halibut aquaculture industry in Atlantic Canada. A current research project focuses on three possible methods of improving egg quality in halibut.

A $3.3 million multi-partner research project, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced August 9, 2006, involves the placement of 50,000 juvenile halibut in sea cages to complete a series of performance-based trials over a four-year period, ultimately identifying the profitability of farming halibut in the Bay of Fundy. The research will focus on scientific and economic factors in the commercial farming of halibut.