Frequently Asked Questions

Land-Based RAS Farming

  • Environmentally Conscious: Traditional open-water salmon farming has many negative impacts on the environment and welfare of captive animals due to the direct connection between the local environment and the farm, which can lead to disease, fish escapes, ecological degradation, and excess feed and fish waste releasing into the environment changing the chemical make-up and biological diversity of the surrounding water. This RAS farming system will use clean, treated seawater, and about 99.5% of the system's flow will be treated and reintroduced into the tanks so water waste remains minimal. Any waste contaminants are carefully treated before discharge. The Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program promotes RAS technology with waste treatment as the most sustainable option for consumers of Atlantic salmon.

    Design Control: RAS facilities are isolated from the natural environment, with fish grown in large, indoor tanks. The tanks can be closely controlled and monitored to maintain ideal conditions to support animal growth, health, and welfare, all resulting in a higher quality product.

    Proximity to Markets: By being situated close to the markets we intend to serve in France and throughout Europe, the carbon emissions associated with transportation will be reduced. This also means a longer shelf-life, reducing food waste. Land-based facilities can be established near markets around the world, capturing the demand for locally grown and traceable food supply that support healthy lifestyles and are grown sustainably.

    Alleviate Pressure on Unsustainable Wild Caught Fisheries: Wild fish stocks are not able to support the rising demand for fresh, high-quality, sustainably sourced fish. According to the State of World Fisheries 2022 (The Food and Agriculture Organization), the percentage of fishery stocks fished at a biologically unsustainable level has been increasing since the late 1970s, from 10% in 1974 to 35.4% in 2019. Additionally, each year, the French consume an average of 33.5 kg of fish per person, the most popular species being salmon . Land-based farming has been applied to several species on a commercial scale and has helped alleviate pressure on ocean fisheries.

  • Energy Use: Constantly recirculating and filtering water and ensuring optimal conditions require more energy than traditional methods, leading to higher costs. However, France currently derives around 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy (World Nuclear Association 2022), and LOF intends to utilize this, as well as renewable energy sources already available through the local power grid to drive toward zero-carbon dependency.

    Staffing: Due to the technical nature of recirculating aquaculture systems, there is a need for highly trained industry staff to monitor and operate the systems. LOF intends to invest in training and promoting local talent in what will be the most modern, technologically advanced, sustainable, and highest quality method of salmon farming. LOF anticipates creating 70 direct, long-term jobs. In addition, the facility will also provide hundreds of contracting opportunities for plumbers, electricians, drivers and more.

  • Several locations throughout Europe, and more specifically France, were identified as possible sites. The current proposed site was found to be optimal from an environmental and social standpoint. Boulogne-Sur-Mer is the obvious choice for LOF because our local business model requires being close to the market. Boulogne-Sur-Mer is centered in a large, existing seafood processing park and it is a short trip to Paris and other major domestic markets while being just across the English Channel from London.

    The local electricity grid used by the facility is powered by locally-produced, zero-carbon-emitting nuclear energy, as well as renewable energy sources. The average seawater temperature in the region is the ideal temperature for salmon farming (12 deg C), which allows for the use of high-efficiency heat exchange systems to reduce energy use. There is good access to clean seawater and very reliable waste management systems in the area. The current site allows the construction of an integrated reverse osmosis system that will generate our freshwater from seawater. This will reduce our reliance on the regional water department, which is already under pressure and in high demand from residents.

  • LOF has been working tirelessly to bring sustainable, land-based aquaculture to Boulogne-Sur-Mer for the past three years. LOF is currently in the detailed design phase, and we have recently submitted our applications for environmental and building permits. Once we complete the permit process, LOF plans to start construction and be operational within 18-24 months of breaking ground on the site. This process has been purposefully lengthy and thorough, as LOF discusses with key local authorities to find optimal solutions that will benefit everyone in the area.

  • The Local Ocean France (LOF) team has significant direct experience in designing, building, and operating RAS farming facilities. LOF has experience in the creation and construction of large companies and vertically integrated, multi-factory processing. LOF also has extensive experience in the development and management of super-premium, organic and sustainable food brands.

    Furthermore, LOF has surrounded itself with a team of aquaculture professionals, researchers, teachers, and entrepreneurs to change the way we raise fish, buy, and consume seafood. This includes French construction firm Vinci, French architect Rudy Ricciottii, and Billund Aquaculture, the world leader in the design of RAS facilities with 130 projects to its credit. LOF has also called on various engineering and consulting firms like EGIS, Kalies, and Créocean to ensure the success of the project. Global companies, complemented by local industry experts, together make a best-in-class team.

  • Local Ocean France plans to build and operate an Atlantic Salmon aquaculture farm in the port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer with a production capacity of just under 9,000 tons per year.

  • The safety and health of our workforce and community is the first consideration in operating the LOCAL OCEAN business. Our philosophy is that all workplace injuries and illnesses can be prevented. To achieve this, management will maintain a comprehensive safety, health, and environmental compliance program. Management is committed to continuous improvement of workplace safety, environmental stewardship, hygiene, health, and wellness. Managing risk comes down to three basic elements:

    1) People | Global companies, complemented by local industry experts, together make a best-in-class team. The Local Ocean operations team is uniquely experienced in designing, building and successfully operating marine RAS farms.

    2) Process | The installation must function as a production line. Each process within this line must maintain its production for the process to maintain its momentum. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) will be utilized to ensure proper operation and risk management.

    3) Technology | The LOCAL OCEAN design has mechanical, electrical, and control systems to ensure safe operation. Redundancy is systems (i.e., power, oxygen, etc.) are built in for contingency planning and risk mitigation. The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system will inform operators as to the status of all systems at all times. Regular maintenance of the site's equipment will be carried out to ensure readiness.

General Operations and Design

Fish Related Questions

  • Atlantic salmon is the leader of the global finned fish seafood market and fresh salmon accounts for 73% of all imports into France. Each year, the French consume an average of 33.5 kg of fish per person, the most popular species being salmon . In 2020, France was the 4th largest importer of fresh or chilled salmon , reaching approximately 180,000 tons of imported products, at a value of over 1.3 billion euros2. The local market appreciates a premium quality that is sustainably produced and LOF intends to deliver this.

    Additionally, salmon spend most of their lives in salt water. By minimizing freshwater culture time and using recirculation technology for all phases of culture, we minimize our impact on the local freshwater resource. To further reduce impacts on freshwater resources, LOF intends to employ desalination techniques, converting seawater into the necessary amounts of freshwater required for the facility.

  • All captive animals must be regulated to promote animal welfare. Prioritizing fish welfare involves avoiding stress and providing an environment that promotes socialization and exercise. LOF RAS technology allows us to optimize conditions for fish welfare. As opposed to net-pen operations, RAS eliminates threats of sea lice and predators and maintains ideal water quality conditions.

    The tanks are designed to quickly remove suspended solids from the recirculated stream so that they are not further broken down and resuspended in the culture water. Advanced oxidation ensures that water clarity remains high and good visibility is maintained for animals to feed and interact. Biomass densities are maintained at levels that fish are comfortable with, leaving enough space to ensure that fish are not overcrowded. Water in the tank moves in a circular rotation at a precise speed, allowing the fish to swim naturally and sustain the flow of water through their gills. Low lighting and noise levels outside the tanks also help to reduce stress levels.

    All these factors are critical to maintaining stress-free environments that promote fish well-being and ultimately healthy fish populations. Each RAS system is carefully monitored for all critical parameters to ensure fish health and well-being.

  • Feed manufacturers have developed sophisticated diets for salmon to ensure highly efficient conversion of feed to consumable biomass, known as the “Feed Conversion Ratio” (FCR). These salmon feeds have been developed specifically to support the use of RAS technology and to minimize the use of wild fish oil and fish meal. Local Ocean intends to minimize the amount of fish oil and fish meal used in our feeds.

    Fish meal alternatives, such as algae-based ingredients, yield excellent salmon health and quality. LOF is currently creating a sustainable, custom-formulated fish feed for its RAS farm that’s healthy for the system, and the fish.

  • Land-based RAS facilities are designed to be escape-proof. All fish are raised inside LOF’s secured building. The facility will have numerous physical barriers to prevent fish from escaping and all discharge and wastewater treatment facilities are impassible by fish.

  • Land-based RAS technology is designed to mitigate the risk of disease introduction by isolating the fish tanks from pathogenic organisms present in an open ocean environment. This technology allows us to carefully monitor our tanks to optimize conditions for fish health and welfare. By optimizing environmental conditions like temperature, salinity, and oxygen, our system reduces stressors on salmon which helps to keep the fish disease free. Our objective is to prevent the need for external measures, like vaccines and antibiotics.

    Vaccines | A vaccine is any biologically based preparation intended to establish or improve immunity to a particular disease or group of diseases. Vaccinations are advantageous over antibiotic use, as they are a biological material that leaves no residue in the product or environment and are regulated to ensure safety and efficacy . Many other RAS facilities choose to vaccinate as a precautionary measure. However, we plan to rely on our advanced technology and biosafety standards to prevent the need for vaccines.

    Antibiotics | Antibiotics are medicines used for the prevention and treatment of bacterial diseases. Excessive use of antibiotics in aquaculture has caused concerns due to the development and dissemination of bacterial resistance, food safety hazards, and environmental issues . For these reasons, antibiotic treatment in salmon production has been reduced by 99% since 1987 in Norwegian farms, and LOF plans to adhere to these new standards and not use any antibiotics in our facility.

    Growth Hormones | Growth hormones are naturally produced by animals to stimulate their growth, and additional drugs can be administered to livestock to increase this natural occurrence. While this may be the standard for terrestrial livestock, LOF will not use growth hormones in our fish feed.

  • LOF will not use genetically modified organisms in our systems. Instead, we will purchase eggs from a broodstock program that utilizes selective breeding to obtain the most desirable salmon traits.

  • Our project plans to raise 100% French salmon with French processing and quality control. The result will be a great product that is in line with the French values of independence, health, and sustainability. By increasing the local production of salmon rather than continuing to source from abroad, LOF bolsters the local economy while contributing to the decarbonization of the seafood industry.

    Our facility will create around 70 direct, long-term jobs, with opportunities for hundreds of indirect contracting jobs during construction and operation. This job creation will have important socio-economic benefits for the Boulonnais Agglomeration Community and the Hauts de France region, participating even modestly in lowering the unemployment rate, which is sadly very high (9.4% in the first quarter of 2021).

    Our project aims to be an example of a circular and sustainable economic model for value creation and distribution, use of water resources, renewable energy, waste treatment, and, more globally, valorization of French agri-food know-how.

  • LOCAL OCEAN FRANCE (LOF) plans to incorporate a visitor center and reception area where members of the community can examine the facility’s operations safely and hygienically. LOF intends to be heavily involved with community outreach and is interested in collaborating with local institutions like Nausicaa Aquarium and Ifremer.

    Additionally, LOF intends to work closely with local regulatory agencies to ensure all parties are satisfied and in support of the project. LOF frequently organizes meetings with agencies to gain feedback and ensure our project is held to the highest environmental standards.

Involvement of the Local Community

  • LOCAL OCEAN FRANCE (LOF) has submitted applications for both a building and environmental permit to regulatory agencies for review. Additionally, LOF has summited an application with AECM (Authorization to Exploit Marine Cultures) seeking authorization for the seawater requirements in the facility. All LOF operations are within the requirements of the permits and LOF is working closely with instructing agencies to address any questions and concerns. LOF’s goal is to be as cooperative as possible to ensure all parties are satisfied during the permitting process. All permit applications will be available to the public upon approval.

  • Limiting the Number of Kilometers Traveled: by locating in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, the project is strategically located to serve both local markets and neighboring regions.

    Limiting the use of Fluorinated Refrigerants: by modifying the cool water supply from the sea, LOF was able to size its project so that only a few additional chillers were needed.

    Choice of Seawater Heat Pumps: SWHPs can combine heat pump technology with seawater to produce sustainable, green energy for heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems within the facility.

    Choice of an Electric Boiler: a boiler, mainly for heating the offices, will be installed, and powered by electricity, which is low-carbon energy in France.

  • The project is in the commune of Le Portel, in an area already classified for industrial use in Boulogne-Sur-Mer port. While there will be truck activity related to transporting the finished product, the LOF project will seamlessly be integrated into an area already occupied by other industrial facilities.

    In addition, the world-renowned architect Rudy Ricotti will be leading the design of the building on site. The group specializes in the design, sustainability, and aesthetics of buildings and site development.

  • The chosen parcel is mainly a backfill that has been realized by the state throughout the 50s till the 70s. The backfill is mainly constituted of industrial and building residues and excavations deposits. The site is currently unused and contains a fair amount of pollutants, thus resulting in a wasteland.

    A thorough study of the existing protected species of flora and fauna has been carried out by LOF and its environmental consultants. The results are that some species of protected plants and birds have been spotted mainly on the back-fill area that is currently used for earth removal backfills, which reduces the species’ potential to develop in this area.

    LOF has designed and agreed with the local authorities to remove the existing debris pile and create specific sanctuarized tranquility areas (1,80 hectares) where no human activity will be allowed, favoring the future development of the protected species.

    As a result, this project aims to:

    • Bring activity in a disused wasteland

    • Remove debris and pollutant from the seafront

    • Create a sanctuary for the protected flora and fauna

  • While 99.5% system's flow will be treated and reintroduced into the tanks, there is a remaining small percentage of water that will be thoroughly cleaned, filtered, and treated prior to discharge.

    The nutrient discharge concerns associated with this facility are Nitrogen, primarily in the form of Nitrate-Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Biological and Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD/COD), and total suspended solids (TSS). These pollutants are the byproduct of the fish’s metabolism of feed containing protein, lipids, and indigestible solids. Solids separating technology eliminates TSS, BOD, COD, and Phosphorus from the effluent stream at a rate of 90% of the production rate.

    Backwash from the mechanical drum filters, which contains most of the solids, is processed through a dewatering system to separate the solids from the aqueous component. This removes most total suspended solids (TSS) (95%) and total phosphorus (70%) from the wastewater stream leaving the facility. Anaerobic denitrification reactors will convert the Nitrate-Nitrogen into inert nitrogen gas at a rate of 70% of the production rate. The separated solids and associated phosphorus, BOD, and COD are removed from the marine discharge and further processed offsite. Local waste recovery programs will perform this offsite processing using sustainable methods like anaerobic digestion to reduce the solids content and capture usable products, such as methane.

  • Several actions can be taken in the rare event of a non-compliant discharge.

    1. All the regulated pollutants are associated with fish metabolism of feed. To reduce the effluent concentrations, the feed can be restricted until filtration mechanisms are restored.

    2. Water flow can be increased to dilute the concentration before mixing into the environment.

    3. Water flow can be closed and recirculated back to the RAS systems for further treatment. The saltwater holding capacity is accommodated by two tanks that each hold 2815 cubic meters of water. This is about 6 hours of storage capacity at the maximum process water flow rate of 960 m3/hr. Freshwater storage is accommodated in two tanks each holding 1180 cubic meters of water. This is approximately 29 hours of storage capacity at the maximum freshwater usage rate.

  • Continuous monitoring of water quality will be performed at the inlet and outlet of the facility for the following parameters: dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and salinity. Daily samples of the following parameters will be collected and analyzed: alkalinity, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, and biological oxygen demand. Additional environmental monitoring will be conducted in the vicinity of the effluent discharge to establish baseline conditions and assess the impact of the effluent discharge over time.

Environmental Considerations

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