CANADA
December 2012
Wharfside
In This Issue Company Supports Recommended Wild Salmon Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Taste of BC: a Hole in the Ground to Recirculating Aquaculture System. . . . . . . 2 The Dream of a Four Year Old comes True. . . 3 And the Scholarship Goes to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Santa’s coming to Port Hardy & Campbell River! . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Glen’s BrainSafe Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Tanks a Lot!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Little Fry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A Net Gain for Union Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Drive is Alive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Did you Know? Our eyes remain the same size from birth, but our ears and nose never stop growing.
Trivia time! Who is the only actor to receive an Academy Award nomination (acting-related) for any Star Wars film? Answer on Page 4
Merry Christmas!
Company Supports Recommended Wild Salmon Research Marine Harvest Canada (MHC) is looking forward to continuing important wild salmon research in the Discovery Islands area, and is pleased to see the Cohen Inquiry’s final report reinforces this vision.
concern about the lack of wild salmon health data needed to confirm what was evidenced in the Inquiry - that BC’s farm-raised salmon are healthy and have had no negative impact on Fraser River sockeye.
The Cohen Commission of Inquiry recently concluded a three year investigation into the decline of Fraser River sockeye, presenting his 75 recommendations to the Canadian government. While global warming and fisheries management were highlighted in the report as most serious concern to the future sustainably of the Fraser River sockeye, the recommendations also included a request for additional fish health data from government hatcheries and wild salmon migrating through the Discovery Islands area.
“In 2010, Marine Harvest, the Pacific Salmon Foundation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada partnered to begin research into wild salmon health and migratory patterns in the Discovery Islands area,” says Clare Backman, Director of Sustainable Programs at MHC. “We look forward to expanding on our past support to further research into the baseline health of wild salmon and the potential interactions with our salmon farms.”
While Justice Bruce Cohen complimented BC salmon farmers on their extensive and comprehensive fish health data, he did raise MarineHarvestCanada.com
For additional information, please see the following release from the BC Salmon Farmers Association - http://www.salmonfarmers.org/ salmon-farmers-support-cohen-commissionreport
A Taste of BC: a Hole in the Ground to Recirculating Aquaculture System
fed rural property would be a prime spot for a “model farm” - a place where nearby students could receive ‘hands on’ fish farming experience as well as providing a research and development facility for PR Aqua. When Steve sold his smoked salmon stores in 2008, he worked to make the ‘model farm’ dream a reality and searched for private and government funding. His efforts paid off.
Taste of BC owner Steve Atkinson stands in front of tanks donated by Marine Harvest
In the late 1990s, preacher Steve Atkinson removed gravel from his newly acquired property on Jameson Road in Nanaimo. The deep hole that remained figuratively and literally spawned an idea – fill it with water and fish. Steve approached Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Fisheries and Aquaculture faculty to buy some trout, and they introduced him to staff at Marine Harvest Canada (MHC). And so began Steve’s career in aquaculture. Dr. Andrew Forsythe, MHC’s Freshwater Director at that time, encouraged Steve, also a trained chef, to purchase farm-raised Chinook from the company for smoking. “My involvement in fish farming began with Marine Harvest when I started smoking and 2
selling salmon at the Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay and Nanaimo Ferry Terminals,” Steve recalls,
This year, the federal government’s Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program announced its commitment to partially fund a 100 tonne recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at the property. The 1.4 million dollar facility has also received public and private funding including support from the Province’s Agriculture Innovation Fund, the National Research Council, the Interprovincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development, PR Aqua, VIU and MHC. Construction is now underway and “Taste of BC” will produce 2 kilogram steelhead trout for local markets starting in 2013.
Construction begins at the 100 tonne recirculating aquaculture system near Nanaimo
“and it was a great success and expanded to markets in China.” At the time, small amounts of trout, salmon and sturgeon were being successfully raised at his homestead and this led to another great idea. Steve, Andrew and Wayne Gorrie at PR Aqua Supplies Ltd. realized that the spring MarineHarvestCanada.com
Steve is very thankful for the help he’s received from Marine Harvest. “Without the help of people like Dr. Forsythe, Dave Ashcroft and Philip Redmond, I wouldn’t have been able to make the transition to aquaculture,’ Steve says and adds, smiling, “these people have also become friends.” “I’m a chef by trade, preacher by profession and fish farmer by default,” Steve says with a laugh.
The Dream of a Four Year Old comes True 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.
Site Manager 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.
“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.”
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.
In the summer of 2004, Craig worked on the north coast, in Klemtu, as the first manager
And the Scholarship Goes to... FAR RIGHT PHOTO Marine Harvest’s Human Resources Director, Dean Dobrinsky, and his daughter Chloe were at North Island College last month to present Ian Betts with the Bob Minkler Memorial Bursary. PHOTO Deniz Akin (right), Fisheries and Aquaculture student at Vancouver Island University, was pleased to accept the Marine Harvest Salmon Aquaculture Scholarship from Ian Roberts, MHC’s Communications Manager. MarineHarvestCanada.com
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Santa’s coming
to Port Hardy & Campbell River! Marine Harvest staff and family are invited to join Santa at the following events:
Campbell River When: Saturday, December 22nd from 9am to 11am Where: Ballroom at the Anchor Inn (261 Island Highway) You and your family are invited to have ‘Breakfast with Santa’. There will be gifts for children 12 years of age and younger so please inform us of your child’s name, gender and age when you RSVP. Please RSVP by December 13th to Stephaney Van Acken at Stephaney. VanAcken@marineharvest.com or call 250-850-3276 (extension 0).
Port Hardy When: Saturday, December 8th from 1pm to 3pm Where: Port Hardy Processing Plant (7200 Coho Road) Join us for a ‘Kids Christmas Party’. Meet Santa, enjoy a bounce-a-rama, try the snowboard/skate board machine and other fun games and prizes. Please RSVP by December 8th to Tina Garlinski-Gonsky at Tina.Gonsky@ marineharvest.com or call 250-949-9448 (extension 2251). When: Friday December 21st at noon Where: Port Hardy Processing Plant Join us for a catered lunch, great door prizes and Secret Santa. All staff are welcome – RSVP not required. If you are interested in joining the ‘Secret Santa’ please sign up at the Plant’s office. **A reminder that PHPP is also gathering food items for the hamper drive. For every food item donation, the donator can enter to win a fabulous prize.
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MarineHarvestCanada.com
Answer: Sir Alec Guinness, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Little Fry
Glen’s BrainSafe Corner
Cecilia Plecas and Ben Schoenfelder had a baby boy November 9th. Trace Alexander Schoenfelder arrived at 9:31 pm weighing in at 7.5 lbs. Both Ben and Cecilia work for MHC.
By Glen Molland
The other day at work, I was trying to remember the four ‘Brain Facts’ I learned at the BrainSafe Course. I quickly remembered the brain uses energy and if I eat four slices of toast the brain uses one. I remembered the brain creates habits to save energy. We operate from habits 99.7% of the time. A few minutes later I remembered the brain has a limited attention span, with 1850 sensory info bits coming in every 1/18 of a second, and only processing 0.3% of it. The brain prioritizes its sorting based upon DIPI (dangerous, important, pleasurable, interesting) criteria. An hour later I was going to repair the air compressor and I pulled out my Eye-Check book to do a risk assessment, and that is when I remembered the fourth BrainSafe fact. That is, our caveman brains are adapted for simple environments. We are not used to hidden energies and as a rule we function best at 1.8 miles per hour. Now, if only I can remember why I wanted to remember those facts.
Terry Kratzmann (left) with Marine Harvest’s Joe Johnson
Tanks a Lot!
Campbell River Curling Club and ice maker, Terry Kratzmann, would like to thank Marine Harvest for the donation of an 800 gallon stainless steel holding tank. The tank allowed Terry to put together a water treatment system to produce “WEST COAST GLACIER ICE”. 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.” MarineHarvestCanada.com
Mackenzie Stephanie Stalker was born October 30th at 9:40 am at a weight of 3.444 kg and 51 centimeters in length. Proud parents Jason and Lee Stalker are apparently insisting she learn the metric system to the 1000th decimal place. Jason is MHC’s Harvest Manager.
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A Net Gain for Union Bay Riley McFadyen, MHC site manager, was instrumental in helping the Union Bay Ball Field Association outfit the local baseball park with protective netting. The netting was donated by Marine Harvest and installed by Riley and other local volunteers from the softball league. Apparently Riley is a heavy hitter, so drivers should now feel much safer driving by the field!
The Drive is Alive Local food banks are especially taxed during the holiday season and each year Marine Harvest assists them in filling the shelves. The Senior Management Team has committed to match (up to $1500) all staff donations of food items or cash. The River Relief Truck (99.7 FM) is accepting donations in early December, so please donate quickly. Stephanie Van Acken (front desk at Campbell River office) is accepting cash and food items now. Remember, all donations will be matched by MHC (up to $1500) and delivered to the River Relief Truck by mid-December.
Comments about this Newsletter? Please email comments, articles and ideas to Ian Roberts, Communications Manager at ian.roberts@marineharvest.com twitter.com/MHCanada
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