CAMPBELL RIVER, BC, July 8 /CNW/ - Entrepreneurs involved in British
Columbia's aquaculture sector are receiving additional federal funding to help
them innovate their operations, boost their productivity and improve their
economic performance. Today Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea
announced that six B.C. businesses will receive more than $930,000 in federal
funding to help them strengthen their businesses.
"When we invest in a stronger aquaculture sector, we are investing in
more jobs and new business opportunities for communities throughout coastal
B.C.," said Minister Shea. "Our goal is to make the Canadian aquaculture
industry stronger, more innovative and more environmentally sustainable in
this increasingly competitive sector."
The federal funding is being provided through the Aquaculture Innovation
and Market Access Program (AIMAP). The Government of British Columbia,
industry and universities are also contributing an additional $848,000 to
these six projects.
Businesses receiving these investments include the B.C. Shellfish Growers
Association, Odyssey Shellfish Ltd., Marine Harvest Canada, Walcan Seafoods
Ltd., Deane V. Larson, and Agrimarine Industries Inc.
Specific projects being supported include testing net biofouling
management technology, capturing and reusing fish effluent, introducing new
mechanized clam harvest and automated oyster grading technology to B.C.,
testing ultraviolet light as a water discharge sterilizer; and adopting a
parasite suppression technology for farmed salmon.
Under AIMAP, the Government of Canada is investing $23.5 million over
five years to support the development of a vibrant and sustainable Canadian
aquaculture industry that contributes to the economies of rural, coastal and
First Nations communities. This is the second year of the five-year program.
For more information on Department of Fisheries and Oceans's aquaculture
program and the AIMAP application process, visit:
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/sustainable-durable/innovation-eng.htm. For
information on the projects mentioned above, please view the media
backgrounder on these initiatives.Backgrounder:
Aquaculture Innovation Projects in 2009
INNOVATIVE AQUACULTURE PROJECTS IN 2009Six innovation projects designed to enhance the production capacity and
environmental performance of the aquaculture industry in British Columbia have
received a total of $938,150 in funding from the Government of Canada through
its Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP).B.C. Shellfish Growers Association
----------------------------------Annually, B.C. shellfish farmers harvest approximately 1,600 metric
tonnes of Manila clams by hand digging. The mechanization of shellfish farming
can increase efficiencies and reduce costs for the cultured shellfish
industry. The B.C. Shellfish Growers Association has received $100,000 in
AIMAP funding to introduce existing mechanical harvest technology to B.C.,
modify the technology for use in local environment conditions, and then
produce a prototype design for testing. Testing of the mechanized technology
will be carried out at diverse beach conditions around Baynes Sound and
Ladysmith Harbour.Odyssey Shellfish Ltd.
----------------------Shellfish processors in Canada grade millions of oysters individually and
by hand. To help improve this labour-intensive process and increase
efficiency, Odyssey Shellfish Ltd. has received $82,500 to import a fully
automated oyster grading machine from Australia and modify the equipment for
use at Stellar Bay Shellfish Processing Plant in Bowser, B.C. The mechanized
technology incorporates software to grade oysters using specifications that
cannot be done by the human eye and has the potential to increase productivity
while reducing labour costs. This new technology will benefit the B.C.
shellfish processing industry by improving oyster grading standards, product
consistency, and quality assurance, and thereby increase profitability.Marine Harvest Canada
---------------------Marine Harvest Canada has received nearly $142,500 for the development
and implementation of a parasite suppression technology for soft-flesh
syndrome. Soft-flesh syndrome is a parasitic infection that can affect farmed
Atlantic salmon after they are harvested. Currently, there is no preventable
treatment. When the flesh of a fish becomes soft, the product can not be sold,
which can result in fairly substantial economic losses for farming operations.
Under the AIMAP funding, Marine Harvest will assess and test current food
processing methods in the meat industry to see if they can be applied to
Atlantic salmon; and then pilot the new technologies on an industrial scale.
Marine Harvest Canada's processing facility located in Port Hardy will be the
testing site.Walcan Seafoods Ltd.
--------------------Walcan Seafoods Ltd. has received nearly $190,000 in AIMAP funding to
develop and implement an industrial-sized scale ultraviolet (UV) sterilization
system for their fish processing facility on Quadra Island. There is a keen
interest by processing facilities to develop environmentally-sound, practical
and cost-effective methods for treating and neutralizing discharged water and
waste (effluent). Walcan Seafoods, which processes both wild and farmed
finfish products, hopes to set a new standard for fish processing effluent.
They plan to test the sterilization efficacy of UV, purchase and install an
industrial-sized system at their processing plant, and then test and monitor
the system for quality control and outcomes. Ultraviolet sterilization
treatment is efficient, chemical-free, and would allow the facility effluent
to be germ-free when it is discharged into the marine environment. The
technology could be adopted for use in any seafood processing facility.Deane V. Larson
---------------Fish pen nets that hang in the ocean can become covered with algae,
crustaceans, tunicates, etc. which impede the flow of water and oxygen in and
out of the net pens. The build-up on the nets is referred to as "biofouling".
Not only can biofouling be unhealthy for the fish, but it can also increase
the weight of the net. An environmentally-friendly, efficient and economically
viable method to regularly clean the nets is being pursued. Deane V. Larson
developed a machine called Aquamax Net Manager that cleans non-chemically
treated nets on the fish farms without requiring the removal of the cage
system. Using $350,000 in AIMAP funding, Deane V. Larson hopes to manufacture
an improved Aquamax Net Manager model for commercial application, develop a
prototype for testing at Sablefish Canada Ltd in Kyuqot Sound, and then refine
the model for large-scale regular cleaning schedule use.AgriMarine Industries Inc.
--------------------------Closed containment systems produce wastewater which is made up of high
concentrations of fecal matter and varying degrees of uneaten food. There is a
need in the closed containment finfish farming industry to cost-effectively
deal with wastewater. AgriMarine Industries Inc. has developed a process to
capture the closed containment wastewater. Its site north of Campbell River
will be the testing grounds for the new technology. Under AIMAP, AgriMarine
Industries Inc. will use $73,400 in funding to advance the process, by further
concentrating the wastewater in order to use it as organic fertilizer and then
reuse/release the newly clarified water into the aquatic environment./NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
members of the media/
For further information: Michelle Imbeau, Fisheries and Oceans Canada,
Pacific Region, W: (604) 666-2872; Leri Davies, Fisheries and Oceans Canada,
Pacific Region, C: (778) 228-8942
