In a July 29th press release AquaBounty Technologies (AQB) announced that it intends to establish a land-based aquaculture project in Pioneer, OH. The facility in Williams County will located above I-80 in the northwest corner of Ohio close to the Michigan and Indiana borders. Buildings and installations will cost $200 million and will extend over 500,000 square feet.
Projected annual output when completed in 2023 will be 10,000 metric tons of salmon. This far exceeds the production of an existing facility in Albany, IN. erected as a semi-commercial pilot plant.
Sylvia Wulf, CEO of AquaBounty stated, “We are excited to announce Pioneer, OH. as the location of our next farm.” She added, “She added the State of Ohio, Williams County, the Village of Pioneer and JobsOhio and the Regional Growth Partnership have all been a pleasure to work with and highly supportive of the economic benefits we plan to bring to the community”.
AquaBounty Technologies has developed a genetically engineered salmon with growth characteristics that contribute to sustainability and financial return. Location of production facilities in a landlocked area precludes the possibility of accidental release of GMO fish to the environment. In any event, salmon produced by AquaBounty are all sterile females. AquaBounty operates a patented Recirculating Aquaculture System that is designed to prevent disease, maintain containment and allow for antibiotic-free production.