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VIU’s sturgeon centre drawing international attention

Aug 29, 2016 | 3:22 PM

NANAIMO — A unique facility at Vancouver Island University is maturing into an international draw for students and researchers alike.
 
The International Centre for Sturgeon Studies, which is now five-years-old, is near the top of the list in its field, according to Don Noakes, VIU’S dean of science and technology.
 
He says there are not many captive brood stocks of the protected fish out there, noting VIU may be the only university with a program with white sturgeon.
 
“There’s a lot of interest from B.C. students, but there’s a lot of interest internationally from students that want to come here, as well as other researchers that want to come and work with our sturgeon here,” says Noakes.

Noakes says one of the key aspects of their fisheries and aquaculture program is training students how to raise a variety of fish, noting the biology of the sturgeon is such that it gives graduates a wide-range of skills that can be applied in many different fields.

The facility at VIU’s Nanaimo campus will likely remain in a class of its own, according to Noakes, because you can’t go out and simply find sturgeon brood stock and it takes about 15 years for the sturgeon to mature to the point where they can spawn.

VIU, Noakes says, has been working with the over 200-million-year-old fish for 25 years.

“The opportunity for students to actually study sturgeon is pretty limited.”

Another fascinating part of VIU’s curriculum is aquaponics, where plants are grown in a soilless environment using waste from the sturgeon, instead of chemical fertilizer.

An unintended spin-off for the centre has been the inclusion of their product on some fine dining menus.

There is limited space for the fish once they hit a certain size, so Noakes says they are sending the sturgeon to be smoked and canned.
 
Nanaimo’s Westwood Bistro, Pacific Prime Restaurant and Lounge in Parksville and Edible Canada on Granville Island have all incorporated the product into various dishes, according to a release from the university.

“The chefs like them, the people who have been eating it are very pleased with the product. It’s a white fish, firmer than halibut, it cooks up very nicely.”

Noakes notes there haven’t been any discussions around expanding that side of the business, with their focus remaining on teaching and research.

VIU’s website states they host over 1000 visitors a year at their hatcheries.