Montreal urban fish farmers say their Arctic char cuts greenhouse gases and waste
BNN Bloomberg
A warehouse basement in an industrial area of Montreal, near the intersection of two highways, feels about as far from a fish habitat as it gets. But walk through the doors of Opercule's self-described "urban fish farm," and the unmistakable smell of fish fills the air.
But walk through the doors of Opercule's self-described "urban fish farm," and the unmistakable smell of fish fills the air.
After donning rubber boots and lab coats, visitors are greeted with the constant hum of the plant's filtration system. Inside the dimly lit warehouse basement, thousands of sleek, speckled Arctic char swim in a dozen or so round pools, their fins smoothly breaking the surface or sending up alarmed splashes as they scurry away from people who approach the tanks.
The business is the creation of David Dupaul-Chicoine and Nicolas Paquin, who met each other when they were studying aquaculture in college on Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula. What began as an experiment raising fish in Dupaul-Chicoine's garage has turned into a commercial operation that they expect will soon produce between 25 and 30 tonnes of Arctic char per year.
