It's not something you find in every classroom. A finfish aquaculture recirculation system is giving students at Morell Regional High School some hands-on experience in the Prince Edward Island aquaculture industry.
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Greg Deighan visited the school today to see the system in operation. The Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment provided funding for the fish rearing system, which was designed and installed by Island manufacturer Waterline Ltd. It is currently stocked with rainbow trout donated by the Cardigan Fish Hatchery.
"Aquaculture is a growing industry in Prince Edward Island. It is creating new opportunities in many of our rural communities," said Minister Deighan. "With this pilot project at Morell, we want to make young people more aware of the opportunities that aquaculture presents – and perhaps encourage some of them to pursue a career in this field."
In the past decade, the aquaculture industry in Prince Edward Island has grown from a small developmental industry to one that is a significant contributor to the provincial economy. In 1990, aquaculture landings were just under 10 million pounds with a value of $6.5 million. Those figures doubled by 1995. Today, landings exceed 45 million pounds and have a value of $30 million. Employment in the aquaculture industry has grown dramatically over the same time period with approximately 1,500 Islanders now employed in the growing and processing sectors.
Water recirculation technology is being used more frequently in the aquaculture industry, in fish hatcheries and for some grow-out operations.
The aquaculture recirculation system at Morell Regional High School was installed this winter. It introduces students to basic principles of aquaculture including system design and management, water quality parameters, and fish husbandry. That makes it a natural fit in the agri-science curriculum which includes a component on aquaculture. However, the new teaching tool will also be used in other parts of the curriculum such as physics, biology, chemistry and math.
Teachers at Morell Regional High School have been familiarizing themselves with the recirculation system over the past couple of months, and planning on ways to use it in the classroom. Steve Wynne, physics teacher at the school, said he believes the biggest benefit will be the hands-ons experience it provides students.
"If you show somebody how to do something, they're going to learn much faster," he said. "When they're studying biology, students can watch the growth of the fish and see factors that influence growth. In chemistry, they can test the water for things such as ammonia and oxygen levels and see what causes fluctuations and how that impacts on the fish. It's a great learning tool for students and a valuable teaching tool for staff."
The Department of Education, the Eastern School Board and AVC Inc. provided in-kind support for the pilot project at Morell. Staff of the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment will continue to provide technical advice to the school on the operation of the system.