Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Jan. 20, 2016, edition 1 / Page 2
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Community Aquaculture holds promise for area farmers BY PETER WILLIAMS The Perquimans Weekly Nobody is saying p-mv mg tish will evn replace the growing of crops in north eastern Nprth Carolina, bm industry cxpctis say aqua culture is here and is likely to only grow larger. "Its more than you’d think." said John Aydlett about aquaculture m the northeast. He works m the N.C. Department of Agricul ture and Consumer Semces northeast marketing center m Elizabeth City. i >ne reason the industry may grow is the demand to tetsi ni( ire |ieop]e and tig]iter rules on wild-caught sea t’i h id. According in the I "nitcd Nations U, ,t i. i Population (Vi |S|K Vt.s re] „ >[1 tile w <II |,| population isrnnvnth grow ing by approximately 7-l mil lie m | it‘i i[lit■ jit'i u-iir. Fish are more efficient than other animals when it comes to how much food they need to produce a jx mud t'l meat According to one federal statistic, it takes s ~ pi Hinds ■ if t‘<x «| to ; irodiii i i nie pound i if th•*• f. r'l if J x Ilk the ratio Is I Mil - to Aft poumis in fi x mI. t darkens iiiv tai' mote etficieni at l.i* to one. Salmon need about l 2 [rounds of fthxl to pro duce one pi mnd i if meal. Steve < ialxd, an Kdenton nased extension specialist who works with aijtiacnJ ttire thinks fish farming will grow Ixxause resincrions on wild-caught seafixxl will * >nly ini tea.se SUBMITTED PHOTOS An aerial photograph shows a sprawling Artesian Aquafarms LLC in South Mills. "There is a limited amount dial can he raised m the wild." (label said. "I tlunk you'll see more m the future with the restnetions on the w ild caught industry. It w ill i >nl\ get tighter and the pr<s ton has got to come In tin st >meu here." i ail>lt■ luis U*en an agricuh '1 ire ;lii't a it ft >r •' M years ant 1 moved to pitlenton in 1DSS. ! Iis current jolt as ;ui aqua ulture specialist for the N .( extension Service puts linn ■overing a 22-county area rom Wake County west to 'unittick and south to Beau < tit. Cable starttxl working n extension while living in jowisiana. He said one fish anner explained why he shifts I from crops to cat fish. "He stid if a hurricane came through it didn't moss with lum. If it gets t<x> wet. I'll drain and if it gets too dry. I'll pump." Local fish humors paint a picture of agriculture that in cludes fiiiiutcial rewmds. hut also includes a lot of work and the prospect they could get wiped out. (lary Sawyer hums hybrid stripul bass in South Mills. "When you lose money, you lose lots of money in a hurry." Sawyer said. "If you're’in it for the long haul, you can in;ike it.” (Ian Sawyer got started m aquaculture in ldtM. “We had built fish ponds for other people using a bull dozer and dragline." He had a 100-acre hum, which ht> admits “wasn’t a huge farm to make it in agri culture." He now tends or> acrt's with 2d ponds growing hy brid stript'd iiass for sales to northern nuukets. Saywer sold lus operation tot ’limit's Vordery. the presi dent of Sydnor Hydro, a well drilling company bast'd in Richmond, Vu Sawyer still nuuiages tite fish farm and ships about .'500,000 pounds ;t yo;ir to wholestile markets in New York and Maryland. “If they like hard work. It's very intense ;md you can't leave the farm in the summertime. But it's been SUBMITTED PHOTO A net lifts hybrid striped bass out of a fish farm pond in South Mills. b»i iS as the estimate r for 2005. Growers are work gO( xt We’ve always managed to sell whatever we produced, but lately the markets have been getting real crowded. If everybody decided to grow fish, I don't think there is a market for it.” ' Finding the market — that's the key —Gabel says. “Don’t come up with ;m attitude that if I grow them, someone will buy them," Gabel said, “(ret your mar ket first. And more sure you have the right water.” The Fish Connection Co operative in Washington, N.C. helps growers find a market for their fish. Aydlett said the southeast ern part of the state is bigger and in the western part of the state trout production Ls strong. State estimates show the number of North Carolina aquaculture sites is down slightly, but the value and tonnage of the products Ls up. The total value of the state's aquaculture industry in 2014 was estimated at $58 million. That's up from $50.9 million in 2008, but the same ing on ways to increase production and add fish that don't normally thrive well in captivity. ■'in ponds yc >q canprc kIik -e a pound of fish for evety 250 gallons." Gabel said. “In a closed (tank) system, you can produce1 a half (pound) to three quarter of a pound (offish) per gallon." It's possible that in the fu ture, fish f(x>d, fish and fish processing can all lx> done in the same place. 'There is something close to that now with Carolina Classic in Ayden.” Gabel said. They have their own fix'd mill to produce catfish fix'd which they're produc ing.” (hie popular fish —floun der —is on the decline in the wild, so limits have txx'n placed on catching them. Gabel said some people on working to produce farm raised versions in tanks. “The big problem is they don’t use the whole water column, just the bottom. Striped bass swimming in tanks will use the whole wa ter column." WATER FIXES Continued from 1A rail'sHi >w ,U'|| said. Ihc oiln-i reason. he sal*i was T) It-* enmity Wat IT sys|(.-i',’s si ifii-niny, prot> 1*t11 1'"may 11flu lids knew Mil1 si; il r w ( ii i|i 1 tie i >|'i j* • [ my rh.myes in 11|(. water system ;uni they intended ye! all*-ail "I that by set ting rates 11itili rnnueli ihal til*- Wilier I'm II | Wnlllil beym I" Ufi lU some reser* es fm capital prii|eeis 1 Ii*' i rillliltk J iew W alel rale W lie : W <-I it u ,! t , e) |e* l •ii!let tins ||si-ai yeai i.s s. u1 *. ■! , i it it i naili a is s-j | I".' )1K m Ha|]< ms i Tiie mini ni'im liiii for the first J.iKNi u,iil"its is sly mu! ilieii ii s s* I >*•: a, till a is l’i it eat h 1 I UK I run 'ii- ailef 11t;t! iii<- ei mi it y in _!(«iA raise* i 'i.e rate a* s:i lor 11 n• fiivi J 1Kki nail*ms and liit-n si l"-l i IKK) Halloas. Thai Was ' 1 * f * *i 1,1 X H) Haiiol ls lii y’tKis the rate remain*■<I at $0 for tin* firsl 2.000 gal lons hut was increased to vl.->0 per 1,(XK) gallons after tin* firsi 2.0(H). That brought the hill for 4.000 gallons to SjS 'll Howard s,ud that even with the rate increase tht* ' < 'init\ s w att*r rates are still 1‘ iwcr than those m nearby eolintles heeause Chowan operates an efficient sys 'em In tin*'area.' inly the Town <'! hdenton at $2-'i.2a mid 1 tales t onniy at S22 have it 'Wer hills ft.) .">.000 gallons than ( h' ai. s >.ip I'he highest lull for o.lKHI gallons iri the ;uea is Sh] in \Vashnigion t'oimiy. Other coi n it ies nit din le Penn li mans at s j.; ( iil l'll tick Mainland at Slg.oO TmtcII at slO.'H); CutTituck 'inter Hanks at S. ,7Mm Hate at Sf. ns !Uid Hetlle at $:i.7. Although prolilenls with the county water s\stem Iia\ e I n'l'ii in tlie new s a lot dunng the past few months, the issues actually are not STOP Foreclosure STOP Lawsuits STOP Car Repossession STOP Tax Levies and Garnishments Call Allen C. Brown Attorney #252-752-0753 Ci,- p • ■- ■ — = j Life isn't perfect Bur it has perfect moments. 311 South Broad St. Edenton. NC 252-482-3525 new. 1 li m aid i.i >1<1 tin* audience dial it was in Wilt) that the county fust received a letter I rout state officials about the discharge of wastewater from the water treatment plant. Wastewater was infiltrat ing; the holding pond and the state told the county it hail to fix the problem. ■ The f<illiiwing year, state olQciaJs directed the coun ty to relocate the discharge to Rocky Hock t reek or apply lor a non-discharge I lermit hi an initial effoii to fix the problem the county spent STTUi tiiW-lO.di in (,n a plan to discharge at Harris Linding. Howard said. But then state officials told the ' ounty that the salt concen tration m the wastewater «ir effluent was too high to discharge into a freshwater sc mi ce I h >w an I said. 1 he county is looking ha ways to make use of the planning it has already done, since it has money tied up m those plaits. 1 he county manager said dial Impel ally the county will be able to go back to the Harris landing plans, with the additiiin iif an on sin Inildmg tank. When audience mem i"us ask'•< I w hy the i <unity h.idn t ticeii pitlactn e abinit the vvalei system issues. 1 hiw ard said he believes the cimnty has been proactive but has been given moving targets by the state Bill 1 hehl. the engineer who consults with the. c ounty on water system concerns, said the county needs to sot aside money to fund whatever project is pursued. But the county is looking for clear direction front the state heft ire moving forward with any capital project for the water system. "We don't want to do any thing until the state is sure what they . ant us to do. ' Diehl said. I iiohl said he believes the county will ho allowed to continue softening the wa ter as |< >ng as it has a plan moving forward. Bale keisey. a Republi can candidate for county i i Mumissi' mor in ('howan's dud I list ct. asked about the possib lily of pursuing a joint projei ■ with the Town ofKdenton Howard said the town currently is doing its own study on a solution for its w ater pi i itilenis. 1 le and I »iehl explained that the town ai ! omity face different kinds oi prob lems. In the county 's case. I >iehl said, the water e<lining out of customers' faucets meets all state standards ■ Kdenton actually has is sues with the quality of wa ter coming out of the tap. I belli s;ud. I belli said getting water from (iates ('ounty at a rate adequate to meet county needs would require an e.\pensi\ e project of con structing a transmission line .dl the way to the plant in northern < iates ('ounty. The county's goal had lieen to set aside money in the water fund over the next couple of years in or defTnliavT'funding for the xN° ANIMAL "OSp •r. Benton. Riston Howell Kelley Dlrlman Christian Ford DVM DVM | JVM Small Animal Medicine & Surgery BOARDING AVAILABLE ' fc Appointment Preferred Hours: Mon-Fri. 8:00 - 5:30 • Sat. 8:00 - 12:00 noon 1515 PARADISE ROAD, EDENTON www.chowananimalhospital.com • 252-482-4113 required upgrades. But that didn't go as planned. Shortly after the rate increase tcxok effect, the county received a letter front the state calling for im mediate remedial action. “We didn't even have half a month worth of savings in the bank from that he new rate increase when we got the letter," Diehl said. Howard said the county does not expect to be fined because it is working with the state to enter into a special Older by consent that will enable the cormlv to avoid lines as long as it meets slate mandated timetables t<>r e<>m■<Iive ac tions. Diehl agreed that the purpose of an Stic |s to buy time to fix die problem without being fined. Hubert Kilby, a civil on gineer who was in the audi ence at the meeting, asked it the county should noi be looking at buildinga reverse osmosis treatment plant as the long-term solution. He noted that Diehl had mdi cated ;ui R() pl;uit w as the only practical way to elmn nate total dissolved solids, which is what causes white deposits t<i form on plumb ing fixtures. Diehl s;ud that maybe by dtldo the county could have an Id ) plant on line d it struled planning now lot it. But the county doesn't have nearly that much time to address the states man dates regarding discharge, he s;ud. Tlte stale is going to make the county do something now, Diehl said. 1’he imme diate solution is Likely to involve a holding lank at the plant tuid a new discharge line to a state-approved ills charge point But Diehl srud the mi r mediate solution wouldn't necessarily be wasted effort and wasted money, since a future R(> plant at the cur rent location to remote total dissolved solids could mtike use of a pipe to Harris Landing. Howard said the county is expect ins’ to set aside *-SHOOtto a year with the new rates in place. In addition to the neces sary upgrades to the treat incut plant. Diehl said, the county also will need to do million or so in line re placement work over the next couple of budget years in 1 >rder I< i rej>la< e w<>m-<>ut dtst ribution lines, "1 here are a lot i if t ■< ists that we are looking at." I Me h! sanI As the process moves lorward. county officials will si in ly in ipletut ail ing fes \ eJ'se i is| ni isis at the i U1P 'III I ikuil In lns.1 the county built .1 new treatment plant that generaled SOP gallons of watei a minute. <Her the years that rapacity has been expanded through upgrades ■ it the plant and now stands at l.OOiMiPM. I be original permit lot 'be plant called for Iheefflu cut to he discharged into a madsidr ditch lb it sometime in the late lPMK oi early It (Pits, con structiihi and grading <in I lighway iL! made it imp<is sible lor the county to con . "nue (list barging into the ditch A letter from state envi ronmental officials in lbPb noted wastewater from the treatment process “in filtrates the groundwater within the settling pond." * ounly and state officiids have heen working on the problem since then, pursu mg a workable solution. CHOWAI'/HERALD d'Sl’S 106-380) Vol. HI. No. OH Published Every Wednesday Cooke Communications North Carolina, EEC entered as a second class matter August ,'iO, 19."H at the Post Office of Kdenton. North Carolina, under Act of March :i. 1870. SUBSCKI1T10N KATES Daily Advance home delivery area $27.00 (Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, parts of Gates) Elsewhere in continental United States $4H OO POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: The Chowan Herald • PO. Box 207 • Edenton, NC 27982 Telephone: (252) 482-2623 Fax: (252) 482-1410 rponderu ncweeklles.com
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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Jan. 20, 2016, edition 1
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