Episodes
69
Latest episode
Jul 2026
Language
EN
RAS Talk is a podcast about Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and land-based aquaculture. RAS Talk is hosted by Jean Ko Din, editor of RASTECH magazine, and Justin Henry, RAS consultant & expert. Each episode welcomes a new guest to discuss sustainable seafood production, technology developments and innovative ideas relevant to this rapidly expanding segment of the aquaculture industry.
Rob van de Ven, managing director of Landing Aquaculture, discusses his extensive experience in the RAS industry, emphasizing innovation and tackling challenging projects. He highlighted the importance of tailoring RAS systems to specific species. He stressed the need for standardization while maintaining flexibility, especially for new species.
Marcelo Shei, owner of Altamar Sistemos Aquáticos, discussed his extensive experience in the RAS industry in Brazil and Latin America. He highlighted major projects with marine species, including Genomar’s tilapia genetics facility. He also shares his work as president of the World Aquaculture Society’s Latin America and Caribbean chapter and translating the Yellow Book of Recirculating Aquaculture in Portuguese.
Steffen Nielsen is CEO of Danforel, one of Europe’s largest producers of rainbow trout located in Grindsted, Denmark. The farm produces about 4,000 metric tons per year. In this episode, Steffen highlights the farm’s close relationship with its owner and feed supplier, Aller Aqua. Since the acquisition, the farm and feed supplier have enjoyed a close collaboration towards an effective fish production. He also shares Danforel’s efforts to minimize off-flavours, produce fish oil, and utilize by-products for proteins.
CEO Ragnar Joensen discusses the Nordic Aqua Partners project in Ningbo, China. He highlights the facility’s strategic location near Shanghai which allows them access to 800 million consumers within 12 hours. The Atlantic salmon project started with a 4,000-ton capacity, expanded to 8,000 tons, and plans to reach 20,000 tons. Ragnar estimates profitability by the end of this year.
Carlos Lopez, commercial director of Spring Genetics in Miami, Fla., explains the company's history, its focus on growth and disease resistance, and the importance of biosecurity. He details the facility's operations, including the use of UV-treated water, restricted access, and health surveillance. He also offers his thoughts on tilapia aquaculture's potential to expand in the U.S. market, and the potential for future technological advancements in production.
Last year, Lago Sofia became the first Chilean aquaculture farm to be WELF-CERT certified for its animal welfare standards. CTO Daniel Elton shares their approach to animal welfare in RAS systems, emphasizing the five domains defined by the OIE: feeding, environmental parameters, behaviour, and mental well-being. He also introduces a new venture, Blue Waters Aquaculture Engineering, where they can offer their technological expertise to design RAS projects for others.
Matt Craze, lead researcher at Spheric Research, sat down with our co-hosts at the end of last year to discuss the 2025 industry trends in land-based aquaculture. He highlights a significant increase in deal flow with known investments surpassing US$2 billion. Over 90% of investments were in Atlantic salmon, with notable projects in Norway, Iceland, and Japan. The conversation also touched on the importance of a favourable regulatory environment, government support, and the need for more success stories to attract investors.
David Serino, director of Aquaculture Research & Development at Carteret Community College, discussed the potential of striped bass in land-based aquaculture. He highlighted the benefits of retrofitting existing sites, such as a former hog farm in North Carolina, to create a 1,500-ton annual production facility. The project aims to scale up production gradually, leveraging existing infrastructure and partnerships to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
This is a special episode that shares the live keynote presentation at Hatchery International's World Trout Culture Summit 2025. The Riverence Group is the leading trout producer and egg supplier in North America. Chief Science Officer Jesse Trushenski shared about the company's strategic thinking behind Riverence’s breeding principles and growing ASC-certified rainbow trout and Steelhead in land-based aquaculture farms in southern Idaho. Discover the philosophies that have underpinned their success and gain insight into Riverence’s vision for the future of trout aquaculture.
SalmoGen Company was first established in 2022 to develop a St. Johns River salmon strain for commercial aquaculture production. The broodstock is being developed at the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program in Maine. General manager, Nick King, shares insights about establishing a new salmon genetics company for North America and how the new company is gearing up for its first commercial sale of eggs in fall 2026.
Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.
Claim this listingMSP Radio
Earth Notes / Damon Hart-Davis
Anthony Fasano, PE, AEC PM, F. ASCE and James Taylor, JR., P.E.
Anthony Fasano, PE & Nick Heim, PE
