Wharfside December 2016
In this issue A record year for community investment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Skretting invests in algae oil breakthrough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Return of the Red Zone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Welcome newest small fry!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Anchor support lines changing following whale entanglements . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Marine Harvest’s certification “dream team”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Barry Genoe, Gencoast Construction, and Philip Redmond, MHC, in front of the carbon stripping unit
Did you Know?
Company designed RAS now standard
M&M’s chocolate stands for the initials for its inventors Mars and Murrie.
More than a million Atlantic salmon parr have entered Marine Harvest Canada’s newest and largest recirculating aquaculture system.
systems to be built between Dalrymple and Big Tree Creek hatcheries. They are based on a 6 metre system that MHC designed and built in 2014.
Trivia time!
MHC Freshwater Director Dean Guest says salmon at the company’s Dalrymple facility were introduced gradually, first 500, then 250,000, stepping up numbers as the flow of water and environment in the tanks was deemed suitable.
One of the design priorities was to minimize noise and clutter, thereby creating a safe and comfortable workplace. They’ve already measured the level of operating noise with good results.
What drama successfully transitioned from radio, to black and white TV, to full colour, then to the big screen? Answer on Page 4
Comments about this Newsletter?
“When we started designing this system two years ago we had a lot of input from across the company so it is an exciting milestone for a lot of our staff,” Dean says.
Please email comments, articles and ideas to Ian Roberts, Director of Public Affairs, at ian.roberts@marineharvest.com
“There are some elements left to finish, but generally the system is ready for its designed biomass. Everything seems to be working properly and the fish are in and feeding.” It is the first of five identical 14 metre
These improvements are a part of the company’s $40 million investment into land-based recirculating aquaculture systems aimed at improving environmental performance and increasing production of smolts ready for seawater entry. Recirculation uses about one-hundredth of the freshwater as a traditional flow-through aquaculture system.
A record year for community investment
These donations follow the single largest community investment made by Marine Harvest in Canada, which was a quarter of a million dollars pledged to Port Hardy’s Multiplex pool project in October. MHC is also pleased to continue its annual Christmas giving program which distributes $10,000 between hamper funds, foodbanks and shelters serving the north island. MHC’s Managing Director, Vincent Erenst, said the increase in community investment in 2016 would help address the growing needs of communities.
Robron fieldhouse: Ian Roberts, Alison Davies, Alex Bates, Stephen Hall
Marine Harvest Canada is pleased to commit additional funds this fall to help the growing needs of towns and communities on and near Vancouver Island. British Columbia’s largest aquaculture company recently made donations totalling
$20,000 to two community projects: the construction of a fieldhouse at the Robron Sport Centre in Campbell River, and the installation of a new screen, projector and curtains at the Gatehouse Theatre in Port McNeill.
Skretting invests in algae oil breakthrough By Matthew Liutkus, Saltwater Account Manager, Skretting
There is a finite amount of sustainably sourced marine fish oil available in the global market place today. As the global aquaculture industry continues to expand, consistent high quality sources of fish oil as a fish feed ingredient are becoming less available. Skretting, a fish feed company, is a leader in aquafeed research and technology and has recently partnered with Royal DSM and Evonik to develop an algal source of omega-3 oil. Continued on page 3 2
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“We want the towns around our operations to be vibrant places to live and for new employees to be attracted to this area by a high quality of life,” said Erenst. “By investing in local facilities and programs, like reinvesting in our farming systems, we ensure the sustainability of communities where we operate.”
Skretting invests in algae oil breakthrough Continued from page 2
Through over a decade of research and development at the Skretting Aquaculture Research Center, the joint venture team has identified a natural marine algal species capable of being farmed itself, which provides consistent and predictable levels of omega-3 oil containing both EPA and DHA. In nature, EPA and DHA are made by marine microalgae and accumulated through the marine food chain ultimately becoming a component of forage fish oil. This breakthrough algal oil is a natural source of EPA and DHA and removes the
need to rely solely on fish oil fisheries as the source of marine omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and trout feeds. The algae can be cultivated in a land-based facility, no longer relying on unpredictable wild harvests. When incorporated into fish feeds, this algae oil can yield equal performance to feeds using forage fish oil, in terms of fish growth and health. When will this algal oil be in your feed? Skretting is in the process of securing registration for the product to be included
in its feeds, but it is not yet available in Canada. The algal species is currently undergoing upscale piloting at volumes necessary for the aquaculture industry. Given approval, this new generation of technology in feeds will allow the B.C. aquaculture industry to continue to grow and enable more and more consumers all over the world to benefit from the healthboosting properties of delicious, nutritious, high omega-3 protein like Sterling salmon.
Return of the Red Zone By Dan Pattison, Health and Safety Advisor
In 2011, the original Brainsafe courses rolled out and a new approach to workplace safety began. The new safety culture endorsed positive attitudes, stopping work in unsafe conditions, being aware and responsible for your worksite and doing your 50 per cent to keep others safe. Models such as “reframing” and “sphere of control” became regularly used concepts and workers were presented with the EyeCheck field level risk assessment which reinforced the idea that an investment in time is an invest in “MyLife.” Among these valuable initiatives lay the Red Zone. Workers at every level were asked what red attitudes, behaviours
and conditions needed to be addressed, changed or eliminated from our worksites and for a year and a half, every corner of the company worked hard to meet the requests. Major investments in both time and money where made to ensure the safety of our workers was put at the forefront of everything we do and priority planning was heavily influenced by the workforce. Today, we enjoy a much safer Marine Harvest Canada with only a fraction of the injuries and conditions we saw in 2011. But familiarity can breed complacency and indicators are starting to show our safety culture is in need of another jump start.
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That’s why the Health and Safety Department, with support of the senior management team, has decided to go for round two on the Red Zone, and have asked everyone to address the big issues that face our workers. Together, we can identify high risk tasks, safety initiatives and company-wide hazards, directing everyone’s attention to the hazards that are present. As we did in the early stages of the Brainsafe culture, the H&S Department will track progress, support workers and report accomplishments.
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Welcome newest small fry! Alexis Marissa Richards born October 16, 2016 at 7 lbs 11 0z. Proud parents Malcolm Richards and Mary Peters. Malcolm works at Port Hardy’s processing plant as a Robot Operator.
Marine Harvest is proud to support the North Island Concert Series January 21 -Leela Gilday February 4 - Joe Trio March 11 - Foothills Brass All shows at the Port Hardy Civic Centre. More information at www.niconcert.ca
Fish are in the water at Alexander Inlet, one of two replacement sites recently gained by Marine Harvest Canada and the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation. Alexander Inlet and Cougar Bay (yet to be established) will replace the original tenures of Lochalsh and Jackson Pass, maintaining a suite of six salmon aquaculture tenures, underpinning a sustainable farming and processing partnership in Kitasoo/Xai’xais Traditional Territory.
Anchor support lines changing following whale entanglements
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however in November another whale was found dead at the same site. Prior to this, no such incidents had occurred in 30 years of operation. The anchor support line, also called a tie back line, is used to reposition
anchors. A team is re-engineering the anchoring systems to avoid using these lines and to minimize risk of injury to marine mammals.
MarineHarvest.ca Answer: Gunsmoke
Changes are being made to anchor support lines after two incidents of humpback whale entanglements at the fallow site of Lime Point. One whale was safely released from anchor support lines in September,
Marine Harvest’s certification “dream team” Master’s degree in Marine Management in Iceland. Joining Sharon’s team was a home-coming. “Fish and the ocean are my passion. I worked on a commercial tuna boat while at university, I studied marine biology, and I pursued a career in an oceanbased industry. I feel lucky that there is a way to grow my career while living here,” Katherine says. She started as the team’s administrator and was soon promoted to the role of Certification Manager.
Renée Hamel, Sharon DeDominicis and Katherine Dolmage
Three women who epitomize strong mentorship and professional development are in charge of environmental certification at Marine Harvest Canada.
Business Administration at Royal Roads University, where she gained a much better understanding of economic/social sustainability.
MHC’s Director of Regulatory Compliance and Certification Sharon DeDominicis says it’s a privilege to head the trio. A registered professional biologist, Sharon always wanted to understand nature. Since obtaining her Bachelor of Science (Ecology, University of Calgary) she has worked at the crossroads of resource development and the environment in oil & gas, forestry, and aquaculture. To be successful at environmental management, Sharon says “you need to put people into the equation”. This perspective led her back to school to complete her Masters of
For Sharon, certification completes the dream of bringing all of this together. “This is such an exciting time for Marine Harvest, with certification allowing us to showcase our passion and excellence to the community.” When the company committed to gaining Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certifications, it needed a team. Enter Katherine Dolmage, who had grown up around salmon farming in Campbell River. Katherine left home to study Biology at the University of Victoria, and completed her MarineHarvest.ca
That made room for the third woman in certification, Renée Hamel. Renée, a NunatuKavut woman, grew up on the ocean and has had a keen interest in marine biology since pulling her first gillnet with her father in the Labrador food fishery at the age of eight. Marine Harvest recruited her directly from the east coast’s Marine Institute, where she specialized in sustainable aquaculture after an undergraduate degree at Memorial University. Renée worked for two years gaining experience in salmon farming. “I always wanted to grow fish, and the opportunities are better in B.C. With ASC certification, we are hoping to change public perception and continue to improve how salmon is farmed.” The secrets of success for this dream team? Diverse backgrounds, open communication and mutual respect. They have stepped up to the challenge of certifying all farms against the ASC standard by 2020, and it looks like they are made for the job.
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Salmon and Pine Nuts Recipe Peter Apostolakos, owner/ chef at Acropolis Steak House in Campbell River, offers us his delicious recipe for salmon with pine nuts and a spicy sauce – a perfect Christmas meal. Ingredients One cup ketchup 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts 3 tbsp grated ginger Dash Worcestershire sauce Dash soy sauce Dash salt and pepper Mix together, layer over fresh salmon, bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Don’t forget about these Marine Harvest sponsored events... Saturday December 10 - Breakfast with Santa in Campbell River and Port Hardy Friday December 16 - Campbell River Storm V Nanaimo Buccaneers, Strathcona Gardens December 16 to January 6 - Free Public Skate and Stick Time, Chilton Regional Arena
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