{"id":5089,"date":"2015-12-09T17:12:04","date_gmt":"2015-12-09T22:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/open-blue-and-the-innovation-of-open-ocean-fish-farming\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T17:12:04","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T22:12:04","slug":"open-blue-and-the-innovation-of-open-ocean-fish-farming","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/open-blue-and-the-innovation-of-open-ocean-fish-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Blue and the Innovation of Open-Ocean Fish Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"

8 miles off the north coast of Panama, in the Caribbean Sea, you will find the largest offshore fish farm in the world.\u00a0 Each month the farm harvests and ships 250 tons of Cobia – a mild white fish – to destinations all throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas.\u00a0 It\u2019s an impressive feat considering the Company is merely 6 years old, but more impressive perhaps is Open Blue\u2019s ability to stay true to its humble mission: provide a healthy and sustainable food source that can feed a growing population.<\/p>\n

The Business\u2019 Origins<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2009 at the age of 29, Brian O\u2019Hanlon founded Open Blue.\u00a0 O\u2019Hanlon long believed there was a need to develop new methods of fish farming.\u00a0 He believed he could farm a healthier, more sustainable fish than those being\u00a0farmed on-shore and\u00a0in controlled pens in shallow coastal areas.\u00a0 In these legacy methods, fish are exposed to disease and pollutants from local runoff of PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) and mercury and the habitat becomes congested with unsustainable levels of fish feed and biomass (i.e. fish poop) that eventually come to cripple the entire system.\u00a0 O\u2019Hanlon thought he could eliminate these problems by farming in the open ocean.\u00a0 Using natural dilution to prevent disease and pollution, O\u2019Hanlon believed he could revolutionize the fishing industry and create a long-term healthy food source \u2013 free of pesticides, mercury, hormones and any other contaminants.<\/p>\n

The Operations<\/strong><\/p>\n

O\u2019Hanlon chose Panama because it was home to the operation\u2019s key ingredient: Cobia.\u00a0 Cobia, also known as black salmon, is often described as a mix between swordfish and Chilean sea bass.\u00a0 It\u2019s buttery with a firm texture and loved by chefs for its versatility.\u00a0 More importantly, it can go from egg to 10 pounds in about a year, whereas it takes salmon roughly three years. \u00a0Yet Cobia provides roughly the same nutritional value as salmon and other popular fish and is full of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.\u00a0 Additionally, cobia growth isn\u2019t affected or stunted by confinement and population density, making it a perfect candidate for fish farming.<\/p>\n

Open Blue controls the entire life cycle of the cobia they farm, from egg to market.\u00a0 The company spawns the fish in captivity where the eggs spend 3 weeks in Blue Open\u2019s hatchery.\u00a0 The larvae then move onto the nursery where they spend 60-90 days growing to roughly 150 grams.\u00a0 Once the appropriate size, they are vaccinated and transferred to their open ocean aqua-pens.\u00a0 The fish are then raised in a custom designed, vertically integrated platform 8 miles off the coast of Panama where the water depth measures between 210
\nand 230 ft.\u00a0 The pen sits about 30 feet below the ocean surface, surrounded by buoys and identified on nautical maps\"\" and GPS.\u00a0 Underwater cameras monitor the cobia\u2019s progress and assist with the feeding process.\u00a0 A specialized blower disseminates the feed, which is designed and cultivated by Blue Open and includes fishmeal, fish oil, plant proteins, vitamins and minerals to best replicate Cobia\u2019s natural diet.\u00a0 The fishes\u2019 diets are free of hormones, colorants and pesticides.\u00a0 Throughout their lives, the cobia are exposed to a high energy environment where the currents can exceed 3 knots.\u00a0 The result is a fitter fish and a high quality, healthier protein. \u00a0Rather than congest a contained body of water like other fish farming techniques, Pollutants and fish poop are washed away with fresh, clean water by the strong currents that engulf the farm.\u00a0 The fish \u201cnever see the same water twice,\u201d O\u2019Hanlon loves to say. \u00a0The water dilution effect allows for the natural biomass to build up at sustainable levels contributing to a healthy ecosystem.<\/p>\n

When it\u2019s eventually time to harvest the cobia, Blue Open uses a custom ship to crowd the fish in their pens and pump them onto the deck where they are immediately knocked unconscious, cut, drained, and placed in sea water ice sludge to preserve their meat.\u00a0 According to O\u2019Hanlon, it is the most humane way of killing the fish and it preserves the quality of the product.\u00a0 Most fish, when killed, become stressed and undergo rigor mortis, causing their muscles to tighten, creating a tough, pungent meat.\u00a0 Open Blues avoids this with specialized, enhanced technology.<\/p>\n

After they are killed, the fish are taken back to the Open Blue facilities where they are each assigned a unique identification code for full traceability and sent off to their destination where end consumers can use the tracking code to review the fish\u2019s life cycle.<\/p>\n

The Big Picture<\/strong><\/p>\n

The world population is growing at historic rates while climate change is limiting the resources to provide sustainable food sources.\u00a0 Food sources we consume today are incredibly inefficient to produce.\u00a0 Red meat, poultry – even salmon and chilean sea bass, the two most common fish – are exceptionally wasteful.\u00a0 O\u2019Hanlon believes that open-ocean aquaculture may be the only solution for long term sustainability.\u00a0 He has dedicated his life to improving the processes and efficiencies of the science. \u00a0In do so, he\u2019s also created an admirable business.<\/p>\n