CANADA
November 2012
In This Issue A Sense of Purpose Restored— Salmon Farming and the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Marine Harvest “Two Star” BAP Certified Salmon a first in BC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Site Manager Treasures Tranquility at Home and Cooperative Colleagues. . . . . . . . . 3 Staff Safe and Sound after Earthquake and Tsunami Warning. . . . . . . . . 3 Trevor Linden welcomed in Quatsino. . . . . . . 4 New North Island Resident! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Service with a smile!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Good Neighbours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Killer Photo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Brad the Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Cyrus Rocks Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lights, Camera... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 River’s Day festivities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Did you Know? Humans can guess the sex of a person with 95% accuracy by just smelling their breath.
Trivia time! What important invention did English chemist and inventor John Walker never patent? Answer on Page 4
Comments about this Newsletter?
Please email comments, articles and ideas to Ian Roberts, Communications Manager at ian.roberts@marineharvest.com
Wharfside A Sense of Purpose Restored—
Salmon Farming and the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation 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 By Ian Roberts Communications Manager, community were Marine Harvest Canada 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.
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.” This turnaround has been created by the vision and determination of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people and Marine Harvest Canada.
“When you earn your own money, you walk different”
In 2012, the local processing plant will process and package about 11 million pounds of Atlantic salmon raised in Aquaculture, also known as Kitasoo-owned farm sites. salmon farming, was relatively —Chief Leslie Neasloss More than fifty members new at the time, but the work full-time at the farms, in Kitasoo/Xai’xais people saw the processing plant and on the Kitasoo-owned the potential. With wild salmon unable to supply harvest boat. increasing demand, the ability to grow and Percy Starr, a Klemtu Elder and Order of Canada process salmon year round in a remote coastal recipient, is pleased with how the business community was very appealing. venture has progressed over the past three The community began farming salmon in the decades. mid 1980s, but it wasn’t until they partnered “We have lived with aquaculture for twenty-five with the largest salmon aquaculture company years now,” says Percy. “We believe that we are MarineHarvestCanada.com
Marine Harvest “Two Star”BAP Certified Salmon a first in BC Marine Harvest Canada (MHC), British Columbia’s largest salmon aquaculture company, reports that its feed supplier, Skretting North America, has achieved certification under the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Feed Mill Standard for its Vancouver operation. In June, MHC announced the certification of its salmon farm sites to BAP standards. The addition of BAP certified salmon feed gives MHC a coveted “two star” rating - a first in BC. This certification announcement is an important step in the company’s progress towards achieving a full “four star rating” from BAP, which will include certification of all its salmon farms, processing plants, feed suppliers and freshwater hatcheries.
Chris Beattie, General Manager of Skretting North America states that BAP certification is further recognition of Skretting’s commitment to sustainability. In the past 2 years Skretting has introduced sustainable raw material sourcing policies, a global CO2 reduction target in addition to on-going programs addressing areas of sustainability such as how to further reduce use of fish oil. For more information on the Skretting announcement please visit www.skretting.ca “Right now, we are providing our customers with a continuous supply of BAP certified salmon,” says Clare Backman, Sustainable Programs Director at MHC. “We are delighted that our feed supplier has also achieved BAP certification, as this is a key element of sustainable production that will be welcomed by our valued customers.”
The Global Aquaculture Alliance, the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood, is an international, non-profit trade association whose Best Aquaculture Practices program provides a comprehensive, metrics-based, third party certification for aquaculture facilities -including farms, hatcheries, feed mills and processing plants. For more information on GAA, visit www.gaalliance.org.
Continued from page 1 “A Sense of Purpose Restored—Salmon Farming and the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation”
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.”
Chief Leslie Neasloss presented the Kitasoo/Xai’xais story at the National Aboriginal Fisheries Forum in Nanaimo in October
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For centuries the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people have had a close connection to the sea. This connection was lost for a generation when the MarineHarvestCanada.com
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.
Site Manager Treasures Tranquility at Home and Cooperative Colleagues By Gina Forsyth
On the shores of Lake Cowichan in the small community of Youbou, west of Duncan on Vancouver Island, BC, a small cabin is undergoing major renovations. It’s the home of Site Manager Curtis Resler. For more than a decade, this Alberta native has made salmon aquaculture his career and this serene community his home. From his beginnings with salmon aquaculture in 2000, when Curtis hadn’t even seen pictures of salmon farming and knew nothing about it, to now, as manager of Larsen Island in the Broughton Archipelago, he has built a solid career in the industry he has come to love. “It’s a really good fit for me,” he said. After finishing high school in St. Albert, Alberta, Curtis entered a business program
at Camosun College. “I like my numbers and this area of study made sense for me.” After moving permanently to Vancouver Island in the late 1990s, Curtis was hired by what is now Marine Harvest at their Saltspring Island site, pulling nets. The job he found by chance, through word of mouth, led to a management position in the Campbell River region, first with Chinook and then with Atlantics in 2006. He made the transition to the Broughton area recently. Curtis appreciates the myriad of training opportunities Marine Harvest offers him. “The leadership courses have given me insight into what makes people tick.” He appreciates the opportunity to be outside and part of a crew that has developed a sense of camaraderie both at work and socially. “We work hard for each other.”
Site Manager Curtis Resler
When off-shift, Curtis appreciates the nearby lake and river fishing his home offers. “The river is a challenge because of the changing water levels and fishing from shore is tough, but the cutthroats are a great reward,” he said.
Staff Safe and Sound after Earthquake and Tsunami Warning At 8:04 pm on Saturday October 27th a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred near the Haida-Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) region of British Columbia.
Canada’s (MHC) nearest salmon farm. Ground tremors were reported from coastal and inland areas as far south as Vancouver Island.
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a tsunami warning for North America’s Pacific Northwest.
As a precautionary measure, staff in the Klemtu, Quatsino, Port Hardy and Port McNeill operating areas were evacuated from MHC salmon farms to seek higher ground according to MHC’s detailed Tsunami Response Procedure.
The epicenter of the earthquake was about 200 kilometres from Marine Harvest
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Although small changes in sea levels were measured at some locations (<30 centimetres), these levels or associated wave action did not negatively affect MHC’s oceanbased farms. Early the next morning, staff confirmed that none of MHC’s operations experienced any damage as a result of the earthquake or tsunami and no staff were injured.
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Trevor Linden welcomed in Quatsino
Hey, when are headlines ever 100% accurate? Mr. Linden himself may not be in Quatsino anytime soon, but his signed, 1994 NHL jersey will be on display until next summer. Each year, MHC donates a signed NHL jersey to the Quatsino First Nation to be raffled off as a fundraiser. The monies raised help support the Elders annual summer trip. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in buying a raffle ticket, stop by Quatsino First Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s band office. Chief Tom Nelson (middle left) was pleased to receive a signed Linden jersey from Quatsino area staff (l-r) Dean Trethewey, Gerry Burry and Andrew Miller
Service with a smile! New North Island Resident! Jordan Robyn Windsor was born Sept 5th, 2012 to proud parents Dwight Windsor and Jessica Derksen. Dwight works at the Port Hardy Processing Plant. 4
Tina Garlinski-Gonsky (left) and Shelley Siemens from Port Hardy Processing Plant were great ambassadors for MHC at the North Island Career Expo held in Port Hardy last month. MHC was also happy to provide an iPad to the Expo that was raffled off to a lucky winner!
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Answer: the friction match
Good Neighbours
The Sayward Futures Society operates the Port at Kelsey Bay, near Sayward, BC. They kindly acknowledge Marine Harvest patronage on their website at www.portofkelseybay.com.
Brad the Baker
“Thank you to Marine Harvest for their patronage at the wharf. Without their usage & contribution, we could not afford the insurance to allow the public access for their enjoyment.” – Sayward Futures Society Chef Brad with his medal
Brad Boyce was featured in the September 2012 issue of Wharfside as a man with many talents, including being a biologist and children’s presenter. Well, apparently he’s also a wicked baker of pies. Brad took second place in the annual pie contest at Echo Bay’s Salmon Coast Field Station this year. It was a seafood medley which included some delicious Marine Harvest Sterling salmon!
‘killer’ photo
This was provided by Greg Gibson, MHC’s Environmental Assessment Biologist. Greg concedes that working on the water is “tough…real tough”. MarineHarvestCanada.com
The award winning seafood medley pie just prior to taste testing – photo courtesy of Monica Stewardson, Mainstream Biological Consulting
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Luke Jodouin was happy to tour the Sigurdson family and friends around Cyrus Rocks salmon farm. The tour, which included a boat trip, a salmon farm tour and lunch, was donated by Marine Harvest as a fundraiser for the Courtenay Rotary Club’s annual live auction. Linda Sigurdson was the successful bidder and was very thankful for the experience.
Cyrus Rocks Tour
“Thank you for a most wonderful day last Saturday. Everyone had a very informative and enjoyable time. Seeing the pod of dolphins was the icing on the cake!” – Linda Sigurdson
Luke Jodouin (left) and the Sigurdson clan pose for a photo at Cyrus Rocks.
Over 150 visitors enjoyed the River’s Day festivities at the Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre and Hatchery. Erin Wright, Assistant Manager at the hatchery, expressed her thanks to the Centre’s corporate sponsors which include Marine Harvest. If you haven’t visited, you should! It’s a great place to learn more about salmon and salmon conservation on the North Island. More information about the Centre can be found at http://www. thesalmoncentre.org. twitter.com/MHCanada
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Lights, camera... Ian Roberts was interviewed for an upcoming episode of ‘The Water Bros’
Graham Bull (Dalrymple Hatchery Manager) and Ian Roberts (Communications Manager) were happy to tour a crew from ‘The Water Bros’, a TV Ontario production, about our Dalrymple recirculating aquaculture system. The show’s hosts, Alex and Tyler Mifflin, came to BC to learn more about the lifecycle of BC
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farm-raised salmon for an upcoming episode. Full access to feed mills, freshwater nurseries, ocean farms and processing plants were provided by EWOS, Marine Harvest, Grieg Seafood and Walcan Seafood. The program will air on TVO in the spring.
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