Aquaculture Project News

2003 DMS

    A Beluga was just shipped to Volusia County this past June and experiments are on going at the Evans farm. This farm is on the cutting edge of research for the sub-tropics. We are raising the Siberian Sturgeon in our shop at DeLand Middle School and we have had great success so far with adaptability to this warm climate and water quality.

2004 DMS

On April 19th, 2004 in Pierson Florida, (from left) Matt Krajewski,
Gene Dulac, and Charles Bronson (Florida Commissioner of Agriculture)
met to discuss the future roll of Sturgeon in Florida Aquaculture.

Mr. Krajewski is the principal of DeLand Middle School and Mr. Dulac
is the Research Director and Instructor at DeLand Middle School.

 

Mark Zaslausky (President of Marky's Caviar) and Gene Dulac
discussed importation of Beluga caviar. 

April 19, 2004, Pierson Florida.

 

   

We have been raising Siberian Sturgeon since March 22, 2003.  Our shop has controls that vary the temperature in relation to room temperature and outside weather conditions.  We began with 21 lbs. of Sturgeon ranging from 1.5 to 2 feet in length.  As of May 3, 2004, our 22 fish have gained an average of 6 lbs. each. One Sturgeon is over 10 lbs. and is 5 feet long. These results are 4 to 5 times greater than gains expected in the wild.

Our 1500-gallon tank is monitored for P.H., temperature, alkalinity, chlorine, oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.  We maintain the water chemistry within strict parameters.  Feed with 36 percent protein meets the needs of the Sturgeon. We have adjusted our feeding to 3 times a day during the week and one time on the weekend. The two sand filters are backwashed once a day between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., and the biomass is large enough to meet the needs of two 1500-gallon tanks. The refill water is 300 to 400 gallons per day of de-chlorinated, city water. 

I believe the key factor to this unusual growth is the temperature of the environment. Our tanks reached a low of 60 degrees in the winter season and are in the 80's during the summer. The fish are not stressed by low winter temperatures. This factor will be important as the fish reach sexual maturity.     

 

       

 

Friday, April 30, 2004

On a rainy day at the Evans farm... Mr. Evans delivers fish
while Mr. Dulac introduces them to their new environment

Hard rain at the farm

Mr. Dulac and Mr. Evans unload the fish from the truck (right)
and place them in the pond (left)

Mr. Dulac puts the fish into their new pond

 

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Sturgeon News From Around the World

 

·         Hawaii - Sturgeon Hatchery: 2002- Sturgeon grown in sub-tropic culture in temperate climates grows 2 to 3 times faster than its native range. Siberian Sturgeon can be cultured because of its ready acceptance of a range of feeds and the possible availability of technology from France.

 

·         US Research 2003:  The current non-lethal process for age determination in Atlantic Sturgeon relies on removal of a section of the leading edge of pectoral fin spine and polishing a cross section to count growth annuli.  Most stomachs of Sturgeon were empty during both spring and fall periods. The question is why.

 

·         Russia: 2003: production of Caviar
 

    1981-2,270 tons
    1990-1,045 tons
    1995-   300 tons
    2001-   150 tons
    2002-   120 tons

2003 there was a high demand for beluga caviar and as you can see a very short supply.  Prices were at an all time high.
 

1.      University of Florida: Mysteries of Sturgeon Migration

Each fall, Gulf Sturgeon swim south, down the Suwannee River out, into the Gulf of Mexico. Where do they go in the winter? About 3,000 adult fish are believed to inhabit the river during the summer. Adult Sturgeon do not eat much during the 6 to 8 months each year that they are in the river, so they have to make up for it in the Gulf. The University is looking for a way to track them.

 

National Sea Grants

 

2.      $65,000 to hold a workshop to determine the ecological and economic risks for culturing non-native Sturgeon in Florida.

3.      A grant to use forensic identification methods using lipid profiles and DNA for Sturgeon. $25,000 each. Total of $50,000.

4.      A grant to change the Endangered Species classification of captive commercially raised short-nose Sturgeon. $15,000.

5.      A grant in larval rearing methods for non-native Sturgeon from European sources in conjunction with the University of Florida Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science  $20,000.

 

2005 Sturgeon News

 

Scoliosis

Scoliosis has become a problem among our sturgeon recently. Scoliosis is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine. We are researching the problem and believe it is related to nutrition and minerals not present in feed fed to juveniles. This curvature results in the death of 15 to 20 pound Sturgeon. This problem has been found in Siberian, Beluga, Osetra, and Seruga Sturgeon. A recent weighing of Sturgeon has resulted in excellent feed conversions. The Evans Farms have had a feed conversion of one pound of gain for every ten days of feeding. We feed the Sturgeon two percent of their body weight each day.

 

A Time Magazine news article about Beluga caviar