The cod, haddock, flounder, and halibut raised at our demonstration site are all native to the Gulf of Maine. (Currently, all open ocean aquaculture projects in the U.S. involve species native to the region in which the project takes place.)

The potential genetic impact of farmed fish on wild populations is a matter of debate in the scientific community. Since this matter has yet to be resolved, the fish we raise are the offspring of wild parents, insuring that any escapees would be genetically identical to local stocks.

We are not engaged in research to genetically modify fish, nor is this approach widely endorsed by the international fish farming community. The preferred method of broodstock development for marine fish farming is selective breeding. In the U.S., it is illegal to farm genetically modified fish in coastal waters.