Dr. Tillmann Benfey

Fish farming has been the mainstay of the aquaculture industry in New Brunswick for almost thirty years. Mostly salmon production, competition from other salmon farms worldwide has had an economic effect on the industry here. That’s the basis of Dr. Tillmann Benfey's research as he works on developing ways to introduce new species of fish to the province’s fish farming operations, like halibut. But making that happen is easier said than done. Salmon spawn in fresh water and bury their eggs. Halibut spawn in salt water and let their eggs float. Dr. Benfey and his team’s work aims to develop the technology necessary to breed and grow halibut that meets size, quality and standards of the seafood industry.

Dr. Benfey is also developing fish breeding techniques that produce sterile offspring. Doing this has a number of commercial and ecological advantages. First, the fish are not able to reproduce if for some reason they escape into the wild. Second, the superior quality of the stock cannot be reproduced. It can only come from breeders that license the use of the technology. And thirdly, it ensures that farmed fish maintain the high quality flesh associated with being immature. This research is being done with several species, including salmon, trout, charr and, most recently, cod. Dr. Benfey is additionally working on techniques for producing single sex populations of fish because in many species, including halibut, females grow faster and larger.

In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Benfey serves on the boards of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and the Aquaculture Association of Canada. He has published more than 70 scientific papers and is an editorial advisor for the scholarly journals Aquaculture and Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.

What happens if farmed fish escape and reproduce in the wild? Dr. Tillmann Benfey at the University of New Brunswick has eliminated the need for that question. Well, where his fish are concerned. He’s found a way to reproduce fish that are sterile. If they do escape into the wild, there will be no offspring. But they might make for a good underwater feast.

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