CRMC permits Warren ornamental fish farm

July 25, 2007, WAKEFIELD – The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council recently issued a permit for the first ornamental marine fish farm in Rhode Island.

The facility is located in an old mill building – the former Parker Mills building – on Metacom Avenue, and business partners Ronald Fortunati, Bradford Bourque and Harold Pomeroy have formed the company New England Marine Ornamentals & Koi, LLC and plan to grow and sell ornamental species such as clownfish, lined sea horses and peppermint shrimp. Bourque and Pomeroy work at Roger Williams University, and Fortunati is an alumnus.

Roger Williams University’s Marine Ornamental Aquaculture Research Center has been working for the past four years to develop the best production technologies for the northeast region, and plans to contribute this technology and salable stock (a by-product of the research) to the regional industry for startup.

“The CRMC is pleased to have permitted Rhode Island’s first ornamental marine fish farm,” said CRMC Chairman Michael M. Tikoian. “This business represents an important niche in the aquaculture industry, and the research performed by the university is very valuable to the CRMC and to aquaculture. This farm is also a great example of sustainable environmental management, one of our primary goals as an agency.”

The group received a major grant from the Rhode Island Aquaculture Initiative – established through the efforts of Senator Jack Reed and maintained by the CRMC – over three years to develop economically and environmentally sustainable land-based culture techniques for at least three species of marine ornamentals, the results of which prompted the creation of this farm. New England Marine Ornamentals plans to begin with a small scale operation, with the goal of producing the different species for the local marine aquarium store market. According to Bourque, the three businessmen hope to be prosperous within a year, which might allow them to diversify into additional species of clownfish and other species (such as dottybacks, gobies and cardinalfish) and service a regional market. Production is expected to be at more than 400 clownfish, 50 seahorses and 300 peppermint shrimp per month. The company currently has false percula anemone fish and clownfish available for sale.

“This project represents an important step in developing Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who secured $1 million to help establish the Center for Aquaculture Development at Roger Williams University. “It makes good economic sense for the Ocean State to be a leader in the rapidly expanding global aquaculture market. This ornamental fish farm also makes good environmental sense because it will help reduce the impact of the aquarium trade on delicate coral reef systems.”

Some of the species that New England Marine Ornamentals & Koi, LLC plan to produce.