Tank donation to Campbell River Curling Club
Without the donation from Marine Harvest it would have made it cost prohibitive to complete this project.
“On behalf of the Curling Club and all its members, they would like to thank Marine Harvest for its generosity.”
Thanks to a $211,000 in-kind donation of freshwater equipment from Marine Harvest, the Sturgeon Centre at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo is well on its way to meeting its mandate of supporting and fostering white sturgeon for future use in aquaculture as well as facilitating their conservation.
The donation of several surplus five, eight and ten foot round tanks last summer are used for the first feeding of sturgeon fry. “These tanks are integral to the operation of the freshwater system,” said Don Tillapaugh, Director of the International Centre for Sturgeon Studies at VIU.
There are currently three year classes of sturgeon in the tanks donated by Marine Harvest, ranging from 2008 to 2010.
“This crucial support from Marine Harvest is generous, timely and very important,” said Don.
The costs of building construction went up significantly between 2004 and completion in 2009, he explained. Money had to be reallocated from what was budgeted for tanks to cover the increase in construction costs. Although this isn’t unusual with a project of this magnitude, it left the Sturgeon Centre with a deficit of tanks that was filled by the company.
The Sturgeon Centre has five labs devoted to a variety of research initiatives that focus on the conservation and protection of this ancient species. The juvenile rearing room is currently operational with brood rearing to be up and running soon. By the end of the summer, three additional research labs will have come online as well.
Our dual purpose applied research focuses on both facilitation sturgeon conservation as well as the potential development of the species as a human food source, explained Don. A goal of the Centre is to become knowledge and innovation hub for sturgeon. Our research will produce peerreviewed publications with concrete outcomes, he added.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the BC Knowledge Development Fund as well as the Island Coastal Economic Trust all financially supported the Sturgeon Centre as well.
The Fort Rupert Generals would like to thank you all at Marine Harvest Canada for your generous donation of a 26” flat screen TV for our softball raffle. The winner of the TV was Stephen Jones of Port Hardy. The total amount raised was $1200.00.
Thank you very much, we greatly appreciate your support.
Edward White, Fort Rupert Generals
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (FFSBC) is an independent, non-profit society dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of BC’s freshwater fisheries resources. The FFSBC owns five major fish hatcheries located throughout the province of BC as well as nine trout and char egg collection stations. Together these hatcheries stock about 800 individual water bodies each year to support recreational fishing. In BC these stocking programs support about 60% of all freshwater fishing activity.
Accordingly, the FFSBC is keen on adopting culture techniques that augment and expand their production capabilities. This includes hatchery equipment and techniques employed by other agencies including BC’s aquaculture industry. Who better to consult than Marine Harvest, a world leader in salmon production. The FFSBC connected with Marine Harvest to address two key issues in their fish culture operations: large format egg incubation and feeding large-volume rearing ponds.The FFSBC was looking at mass post-eyed incubation of select strains of rainbow trout. Marine Harvest Canada kindly donated Combi tank units to the Clearwater Trout Hatchery located in Clearwater and the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery located in Abbotsford. Clearwater Hatchery Manager, Ken Scheer, noted that “The Combi tanks afford us the flexibility to investigate additional incubation methods for the various strains of rainbow trout raised by the Society”. Both hatcheries have now installed these tanks and are presently assessing them as a means to improve incubation and early fry rearing success for their particular strains of rainbow trout.
Catchable rainbow trout are reared at the FFSBC’s Skaha Pond facility located near Penticton for stocking into urban and high use fisheries as well as for a very successful ‘Learn to Fish’ program. An automatic feeder was required to help reduce time spent feeding this ever-hungry Fraser Valley rainbow strain so sought after by family anglers. When the Hatchery Manager brought the challenge of feeding a large-volume rearing pond forward, who else to contact than Marine Harvest Canada? Graham Bull of Marine Harvest’s Victoria Lake station came up with a solution. Graham, himself an avid angler, supplied the society with two automatic feeders formerly used at Marine Harvest’s Victoria Lake site. They are ideal feeders for the job. Summerland Trout Hatchery Manager Mark Siemens notes that “The automatic feeders give us the opportunity to continue top level care to optimize growth and conversion of the catchable trout prior to their release into the recreational fishery; it’s a real time and money-saver.”
The FFSBC is grateful for the donation of hatchery equipment from Marine Harvest Canada. Ray Billings, Vice President of Operations, states “We are very pleased to work cooperatively with Marine Harvest Canada and appreciate their contribution of equipment to help improve our program. Marine Harvest Canada’s generosity will contribute to successful lake stocking programs and happy anglers throughout BC. Thank you MHC!”
Jim Powell, FFSBC
Thanks again on behalf of the FFSBC.
Derek Ingram
