salmon farming « Marine Harvest Canada WebBlog

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Response wasn’t complete

May 17, 2013

Filed under: Letters to editor — Tags: aquaculture, farmed salmon, Ian Roberts, salmon farming — marineharvestcanada @ 10:47 am

Response wasn’t complete
By Ian Roberts, Courier-Islander May 17, 2013

It is unfortunate that Alexandra Morton’s response to my serious concerns about errors and omissions in her documentary film about salmon farming only questions my ethics and principles (“Tools of the trade”, May 8). I would have hoped that a response would have answered my specific concerns.

Again, my concerns about Morton’s documentary are; it seriously doctors the court testimony of a key witness at the Cohen Inquiry; it purposely hides the final fish health lab report that confirms a fish disease to be negative (that is, no disease); it omits to tell the whole story about how Harrison sockeye migrate from the Fraser River. Many other errors are discussed at www.salmonconfidential.com. These errors are very, very significant and an unsuspecting audience should know they are watching a documentary that is not just biased, but fictional.

Yes, Ms. Morton, I do work for salmon farming company Marine Harvest – as my letter clearly stated. I am a College graduate of aquaculture and I have been farming salmon in British Columbia for over 20 years – much of that time helping First Nation partners build their capacity for salmon aquaculture. My depth of knowledge about salmon aquaculture enables me to speak on the topic, which includes recognizing your errors and correcting them. Unfortunately, these corrections and clarifications have become a full-time job lately.

I am very comfortable with my moral principles. These principles apply to how I live my life and the way I communicate my career – and would extend to documentary film making, should I ever produce one.

Ian Roberts Marine Harvest Canada

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Marine Harvest farm technician scoops up big award in Norway

April 18, 2013

Filed under: What We Do — Tags: aquaculture, BBC News, Bergen, british columbia, fish farming, Intrafish, Klemtu, Lauren Edgar, marine harvest, Norway, salmon farming, Sayward — marineharvestcanada @ 5:26 pm

It was the furthest distance that young Lauren Edgar has ever ventured from her house in Sayward.

But as it turns out, travelling to Bergen, Norway was very much worth it.

Lauren had travelled to Bergen in early March because she was nominated for the “Community Ambassador” award at the 2013 IntraFish Aquaculture Awards. Fish farmers had gathered from around the world to celebrate aquaculture, network and reward ‘special’ people working in the industry.

Lauren Edgar

And Lauren won. “I’m so happy to receive this award and have the honour of representing my company Marine Harvest, my family in Klemtu and Canadian aquaculture,” said Lauren after the awards.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Lauren began working for Marine Harvest Canada in 2007 at age 22. Over the years, and in addition to working hard as a salmon farm technician, she has leant her voice and image to salmon farming – a business that has helped her hometown of Klemtu move from an era of over-fishing and limited economic opportunity toward one of sustainable and diverse development.

“I feel like I’m paying it back,” says Lauren. “If my voice can help educate the public about the benefits of farm-raised salmon, I’m more than happy to do it.”

Her hometown of Klemtu, a remote coastal village in British Columbia with about 400 inhabitants, is only accessible by boat or plane.

The people of Klemtu are known as Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation peoples, and have been salmon farming since the mid-1980s. The Nation asked to partner with Marine Harvest Canada in 1998, to ensure their salmon aquaculture business would be able to compete in a very competitive global market. Since salmon farming began, unemployment in the village has been reduced from 90 per cent to about 40 per cent. Today, about 60 Kitasoo/Xai’xais members farm, process and package 10 million pounds of Atlantic salmon yearly.

To show her support of her chosen career, Lauren has appeared in numerous print ads, sustainability reports, educational videos and was featured in the BBC News produced segment titled “Working Lives”.

Marine Harvest would like to congratulate Lauren on this very deserving award.

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Anchoring GNN Marine Services on Vancouver Island

April 4, 2013

Filed under: On The Coast — Tags: Angela Smith, aquaculture, Conrad Browne, Darren Ingersoll, G&N First Nation, GNN Marine Services, Guiness Book of World Records, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, marine harvest canada, Nakwakto Rapids, Port Hardy, salmon farming, Tourism, Vancouver Island — marineharvestcanada @ 3:19 pm

By Ian Roberts

There is an un-credited quote that states “timing is everything – in business and in life”. If you’ve ever bought or sold a house, you’d probably agree. So would Marine Harvest Canada’s (MHC) Port Hardy Production Manager, Darren Ingersoll.

In February 2012, Darren was looking to replace a 12 person crew boat that shuttled crew to and from ocean-based salmon farm sites near Port Hardy, British Columbia. MHC farms had been supplied by a company-owned vessel, but Darren was looking to outsource the service.

At the same time the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations (GNN) was looking for an anchor customer to help secure a new marine services and tourism business – GNN Marine Services.

“In retrospect, the timing couldn’t have been better,” says GNN’s Economic Development Officer Conrad Browne.

GNN Marine Services

A business relationship was not new to the company or Nations, as they have enjoyed an ongoing partnership agreement since 2000. A commitment of this agreement is to help support economic opportunities within GNN’s Traditional Territory.

Conrad and Darren met to discuss the potential business to business relationship and decided to give it a three month trial beginning in the summer of 2012.

A few things were required first – most importantly a boat and skipper. So GNN Marine purchased “Gordies Girl”, a 28 foot, 12 seat crew boat. A total refit was required and was done locally at Progressive Diesel in Port McNeill. “GNN went over and above what is required for vessel comfort” adds Conrad, “but the final product was well worth it.”

At the same time this Coast Guard certified vessel was secured, the Nations began training several band members. Today there are two full-time, licensed operators.

Business operations and operator safety and conduct are overlooked by Angela Smith, a resident of Port Hardy.

“We began providing service to Marine Harvest in July of 2012,” says Angela, “and the boat is now busy four days a week shuttling crew and supplies to the salmon farms in the area.”

The year-round service required by MHC has helped GNN expand their marine services business to include two boats and to further develop their eco-tourism business – Nakwakto Rapids Tours. The wildlife and cultural tour includes a run of Nakwakto Rapids – the tidal rapids peak at 30 km per hour – making it the world’s fastest navigable tidal surge according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

“It’s a win-win-win,” says Darren. “GNN Marine Services has a core customer and we have a solid, reliable and safe service that can also provide North Island communities with valuable marine services and tourism opportunities.

To read more about Nakwakto Rapids or to book a trip, you can visit www.nakwaktorapidstours.com

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Dear Graham Auger, “Please get your facts straight”

March 29, 2013

Filed under: Letters to editor — Tags: Alexandra Morton, Campbell River, closed containment, diseases, environmentalist, fish, Graham Auger, letter to editor, Marc Wouters, Mirror, muzzle, newspaper, salmon, salmon farming, taking pressure off, wild salmon — marineharvestcanada @ 9:24 am

As published in the Campbell River Mirror on March 29, 2013:

Re: “Plenty of evidence” (Mirror, March 27)

I have to say that I am glad that we live in a society that allows us public expression of our opinion without fear of ridicule.

However, if you are going to accuse industry operators of issues such as contributing to the extinction of wild salmon then I would please ask you to make sure you have your facts straight.

I have been working in the industry for over 25 years (in the field), and have seen first hand that these “diseases” you speak of were endemic to the environment, meaning that they were always there.

As far as “muzzling,” any time that we bring forward empirical scientific data to support our position Ms. (Alexandra) Morton refuses to acknowledge it. It makes for a hostile environment when one side of the debate is not even willing to hear scientific evidence brought forward by leading authorities.

I personally have no issue with members of the general public voicing concerns over issues of environmental impact. As a matter of fact, I see it as an excellent opportunity to gain a different perspective which may help us to improve/modify our practises to lessen our impact on the environment.

I do take offence however, with the minority of malcontents that want to generate an atmosphere of hostility through emotional appeal and rhetoric.

As mentioned earlier, I have been working in the industry for over 25 years and have seen it constantly evolving, improving practises to lessen environmental impact.

I also think that it is entirely possible to be a salmon farmer and an environmentalist.

I am proud to say that I contribute to providing a safe, healthy alternative to wild salmon.

Can Ms. Morton make that claim?

Marc Wouters, Campbell River

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Coho salmon may benefit from aquaculture science

January 21, 2013

By Ian Roberts

Can a flu shot that is commonly used for farm-raised salmon help improve the survival of native coho salmon? It’s a question that’s about to be answered, thanks to the collaboration of a group of researchers, aquaculture companies and Campbell River businesses.

Over the past 30 years, Strait of Georgia coho returns have declined significantly and researchers are keen to find out why.

One factor believed to have a negative effect on salmon survival is increasing water temperatures – a concern highlighted as a major factor in the recent Cohen Commission Report that investigated the decline of Fraser River sockeye.

Because an increase in water temperature can trigger disease in fish, juvenile salmon entering the marine environment in the warming spring become quite susceptible.

Vaccinating a Coho salmon

So a group of fisheries biologists and veterinarians put their collective heads together and hypothesized that the occurrence of vibriosis, a naturally occurring bacterial disease found in fish in the marine environment, may be amplified by warming water temperatures and negatively affecting coho survival.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which operates dozens of salmon enhancement and conservation hatcheries in British Columbia, uses bath vaccination against vibriosis for Chinook salmon, but has never injection vaccinated coho to help protect against the disease.

Dave Ewart, manager at Campbell River’s Quinsam River Hatchery, was aware of the major success that salmon farmers have using injection vaccination to protect their fish from common diseases such as vibriosis, and was keen to trial Quinsam River coho with a similar vaccine.

So this past December about 40,000 coho salmon (weighing 12 grams each) were injected with a vibriosis vaccine. The trial includes a control group – another 40,000 salmon injected with an innocuous saline solution. All 80,000 salmon have been tagged with a coded wire so when the salmon return as adults (some early maturing males will return in the fall of 2013 and the rest in the fall of 2014), the survival rates of the two groups can be compared.

“Typically, Quinsam Hatchery produces up to 800,000 Coho smolts per year with a current survival rate of only 2%. If vaccinating increased this to 4%, it would double the adult return,” says Ewart. “By increasing survival

Coho receive a vaccine and coded tag

rate we could decide to keep smolt releases the same and provide fishers with many more adult salmon to be caught, or decrease releases and maintain the same number of adult returns, thus saving significant dollars and reducing competition in the Strait of Georgia.”

The trial will run for three consecutive years and is funded by the Campbell River Salmon Foundation ($9200 cash), Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences ($8000 of in-kind support for fish health monitoring services), Fisheries and Oceans Canada ($8000 for in-kind services), and Northwest Marine Technology ($4000 for coded wire tags). Donations were also presented to the Campbell River Salmon Foundation in support of this project by Mercury Marina and Trailer Park ($2000 cash), Marine Harvest Canada ($1000 cash), Novartis Animal Health ($700 for vaccine) and Syndel Labs ($200 for anesthetic).

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The dream of a four year old comes true

December 19, 2012

Filed under: What We Do — Tags: Alberta, aquaculture, british columbia, Calgary, Campbell River, career, Craig Sherman, Diane Sherman, fish and Wildlife Technologist, fishing, fly fishing, four years old, Gina Forsyth, Klemtu, marine harvest, New Brunswick, Ontario, salmon farming, Saltspring Island, Sault St. Marie, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, working with fish — marineharvestcanada @ 2:38 pm

Craig Sherman

By Gina Forsyth

Craig Sherman was only four years old when he knew what his future would hold. He and his family were living in New Brunswick when he went fishing with his dad. “That experience made me realize I wanted to work with fish,” said the Site Manager of Potts Bay.

Although Craig was born in Calgary, Alberta, “I was raised all over Canada,” he explained. After high school in Ontario, Craig enrolled in the three-year Fish and Wildlife Technologist diploma program in Sault St. Marie. Craig made the move to BC in 1986 and began his aquaculture career on the Sunshine Coast, just north of Vancouver.

“The aquaculture industry was on fire then,” he said. Craig’s first industry job was at Aquarius Seafarms. He also worked for the former BC Packers, and other companies, eventually settling on Saltspring Island from 1993 to 2005 for Marine Harvest. “We did a lot of community outreach and changed a lot of minds on the island about salmon farming.”

In the summer of 2004, Craig worked on the north coast, in Klemtu, as the first manager of Goat Cove. He was also instrumental in the start up of Kid Bay. The following year, Craig made the move to the Campbell River region, managing Young Pass and Brougham. In the last couple of months, he’s started at Potts Bay, which he’s really enjoying.

“Most of all I enjoy helping people learn and develop and move onto management positions.”

Craig and his wife Diane have two adult children, both girls. Not surprisingly, Craig loves fly fishing in his leisure time, and has been tying his own flies for more than 35 years.

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Klemtu – A Sense of Purpose Restored

November 8, 2012

Filed under: Touring Our Business,What We Do — Tags: aquaculture, fishing, Ian Roberts, Klemtu, Les Neasloss, Leslie Neasloss, marine harvest canada, Order of Canada, Percy Starr, salmon farming, white bear — marineharvestcanada @ 3:15 pm

By Ian Roberts, Communications Manager, Marine Harvest Canada

At the end of the last century, unemployment in the small village of Klemtu, British Columbia, was 80 percent. Nearly 500 Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation members in the community were getting by, but not much more. The future did not hold a lot of promise and the commercial salmon fishery that had been the economic backbone of Klemtu for decades was in terminal decline.

Klemtu’s leadership decided to do something about it. They decided that their people deserved employment opportunities.

Aquaculture, also known as salmon farming, was relatively new at the time, but the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people saw the potential. With wild salmon unable to supply increasing demand, the ability to grow and process salmon year round in a remote coastal community was very appealing.

The community began farming salmon in the mid 1980s, but it wasn’t until they partnered with the largest salmon aquaculture company in the world, Marine Harvest, that the business model began to pay dividends.

Today unemployment has been cut to 40 percent—that’s still too high but it’s a huge improvement. The people of Klemtu have a mission and a routine; they have something to believe in and a sense of purpose that did not exist a few short years ago.

Chief Leslie Neasloss, who recently retired from working at the farms, has noticed the positive effect on his people. “When you earn your own money, you walk different,” Les says. “You walk with a little more pride.”

Chief Leslie Neasloss, Kitasoo/Xai'xais First Nation

This turnaround has been created by the vision and determination of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people and Marine Harvest Canada.

In 2012, the local processing plant will have processed and packaged about 11 million pounds of Atlantic salmon raised in Kitasoo-owned farm sites. More than fifty members work rull-time at the farms, in the processing plant and on the Kitasoo-owned harvest boat.

Percy Starr, a Klemtu Elder and Order of Canada recipient, is pleased with how the business venture has progressed over the past three decades.

“We have lived with aquaculture for twenty-five years now,” says Percy. “We believe that we are operating in harmony with local wild salmon stocks—and the crabs, seals, whales, and dolphins that share our waters. We monitor our operations closely and regularly and can see that water quality has not been hurt and neither has the ocean bottom under our farms or the nearby shoreline.”

For centuries the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people have had a close connection to the sea. This connection was lost for a generation when the commercial salmon fishery collapsed and boats were tied up. Aquaculture is restoring this connection, and with this has come a sense of purpose and a belief in the future.

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Cohen report not an indictment of fish farms

November 4, 2012

Filed under: Letters to editor — Tags: aquaculture, BC, BC Salmon Farmers Association, BCSFA, british columbia, Bruce Cohen, Clare Backman, Cohen Report, correlation, database, DFO, Director, Discovery Islands, enhancement, farmed salmon, fish farms, fish Health, Fraser River, marine harvest canada, not at risk, research, salmon, salmon conservation, salmon farming, smoking gun, sockeye, spin, support, Victoria Times Colonist, warming oceans, water temperature, wild salmon policy — marineharvestcanada @ 4:12 pm

Published in the Victoria Times Colonist on November 4th;

On Oct. 31, with considerable fanfare, Justice Bruce Cohen released his long-awaited report into the causes of the poor 2009 Fraser River sockeye salmon return.

At nearly 1,200 pages and with 75 recommendations to government, the report covers a wide range of issues.

Principal among them are the negative impacts of warming oceans and the non-implementation of DFO’s wild-salmon policy.

Cohen was clear in stating that there was no single cause and no “smoking gun” to explain the 2009 run. It is an oversimplification of this complex issue to assume the report zeroed in on any one factor.

In contrast to Cohen’s cautious but clear message are the responses from those opposed to aquaculture, who spin the report as an indictment of salmon farming. In fact, the report commends B.C. salmon farmers for collecting and providing an impressive 10-year fish-health database that allowed commission-appointed experts to conclude that there was no correlation between the health of farmed salmon and the decline of the sockeye. In fairness, the reviewers called for even more data so that with more information; a firmer conclusion of “unlikely effect” can be applied to this issue.

Salmon farmers expected to be asked to voluntarily provide fish-health data and we embrace this recommendation, as well as those describing the Discovery Islands research project. The public wants to be assured that salmon farming does not put sockeye salmon at risk and we intend to meet that request.

Clare Backman, Director, British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association, Campbell River

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Thanks for the quarter century Lex!

October 19, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized,What We Do — Tags: aquaculture, atlantic salmon, Campbell River, career, Fish Farm, logistics, long-term career, Port Hardy Processing Plant, port hardy processing plant fillets, processing fish, Processing Plant, salmon farming — marineharvestcanada @ 11:06 am

It’s rare nowadays for anyone to work at the same career and with the same company for a decade, let alone a quarter of a century.

But for the past 25 years, Alexis Gagne has committed every working hour to a career that focused on fish processing and logistics.

Lex was first hired by Dale Blackburn at Sea Farm Canada (eventually becoming Marine Harvest Canada) in January 1987 as a part-time receptionist/secretary/bookkeeper, but “I never did work part-time,” Lex says with a chuckle.

Back in 1987, Dalrymple hatchery was just being built and Soderman Cove farm site was already stocked with salmon. “When Soderman fish were ready for harvest, I followed them to Great Northern Processing in North Vancouver where they were processed,” Lex recalls, “and that was the beginning of my career in processing and logistics.”

As part of the team that developed the “Sterling” salmon brand, Lex is proud of the accomplishments made in producing a brand name that is known for its high standards. She also saw the start of the filleting program which initially started up at Aquatec Seafoods in Comox. From Great Northern, to Walcan, to Brown’s Bay, to Englewood and now Port Hardy Processing Plant.

“Wow, how things have changed!” Lex reflects.

Lex gathered with friends to celebrate her retirement

Lex recalls many great people who mentored her along the way, including Blackburn and John Lawrie.

“I’ve really enjoyed all the people I’ve met and worked with along the way and the good times that we’ve shared,” Lex says, proudly. “I think that is what I will miss most of all, the people.”

So what does retirement look like for Lex? Simple, she says. Grandkids, gardening and “doing all those things I never got done while working!”

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Production planning just like a “fish puzzle”

April 23, 2012

Filed under: What We Do — Tags: alevin, animals, Aqua Future, aquaculture, biology, Campbell River, career, company, customers, eggs, Excel, fish, fresh, freshwater planner, fry, Gina Forsyth, growth, harvest, Hatchery, JC, jigsaw, jobs, Juan Carlos Sanchez, life cycle, marine harvest canada, Ocean Falls, port hardyt, Processing Plant, puzzle, salmon farming, salt, smolts, Stephen Budgeon, technical manager, water temperature — marineharvestcanada @ 3:58 pm

By Gina Forsyth

For Stephen Budgeon, Technical Manager, and Juan Carlos Sanchez-Millar, Freshwater Planner, the end result of their jobs is ensuring that customers consistently have fresh fish at the correct size when they need it, no matter what time of year.

In its simplest form, a production plan is the timetable for when fish move and where they go, whether it’s from freshwater to salt water, from site to site, or from the sites to the processing plant. It’s the blueprint for the company and determines labour requirements, processing dates, harvest and transfer boat schedules as well as the need for equipment such as compressors, nets, and generators throughout the fish’s life cycle.

Production planning focuses on an 18 month window, although it can extend further. “It’s a lot like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle and making sure all the pieces fit at the right time,” said Stephen.

“I put it in my order with Juan Carlos for the amount of fish I need throughout the year to meet demand and he does his planning based on that number,” said Stephen. If salt water planning is described as “forward planning,” freshwater planning is best described as “backward planning”. Stephen knows what his future needs are – the forward part of the equation – and for Juan Carlos, he ensures that a sufficient number of smolts of a specific size are ready for salt water introduction to eventually achieve the harvest size and time specified in Stephen’s plan.

Juan Carlos can regulate fish growth to match Stephen’s outcomes through careful control of water temperature. Where smolts are grown is also an important part of the puzzle. “Ocean Falls hatchery has cooler water because it’s further north than our other hatcheries so we have to make sure it’s stocked earlier in order to give the smolts sufficient time to reach the needed size,” said Juan Carlos.

“We’re working with live animals so there’s always the potential for change,” he explained. He always has to take into account the ‘what if’ question and ensure he considers the inevitable loss of a small percentage of eggs, fry, and smolts. This means you start with more eggs than you need to account for those who may not survive.

Such high level and complicated planning means Juan Carlos is in constant communication with Stephen and the hatchery managers. The detailed data is tracked using both Excel and, in Stephen’s case, Aqua Future, software that uses water temperature and other data to calculate and predict fish growth and survival.

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