Salmon Growers on B.C. side of Canada want to continue

Economic and Financial Impacts of the Draft Transition Plan for B.C. Salmon Farms

Science cannot convince everyone. Take the Science of agriculture. It's probably the first science. But on Canada's west coast where a tidy salmon farm industry produces beautiful pathogen-free fresh daily, and activists stop the food safe year round scientific product for a gamey, wormy, unpredictable seasonal unsustainable invasion into nature's preserve.

"Going directly to a ban by 2029 will result in significant long-term negative socio-economic impacts in British Columbia and Canada. It will reverse and harm once positive Indigenous economic development and reconciliation efforts and severely impact employment in areas with a history of underemployment. An unjustified ban and push to unproven technology on salmon farming in B.C. will reduce Canadian agri-food production by 400 million healthy meals per year, eliminate B.C.’s top agri-food export, destroy 4,560 jobs, and cost Canadian taxpayers at least $9 billion."

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BC Salmon Farmers Concerned About Fiscal Update:

Reckless Policy Decisions Compound an Expected Dire Fiscal Forecast 

Liǧʷiłdaxʷ TERRITORY/CAMPBELL RIVER, BC -- December 16, 2004 -- The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), representing thousands of workers across British Columbia, is deeply concerned about the grim picture painted by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Freeland from the Trudeau government today. 

The government's reckless actions exacerbate our ballooning debt and stagnant economy as Canadians face rising living costs, higher food prices, and a weakening Canadian dollar. The estimated $9 billion taxpayer-funded cost of phasing out the BC salmon farming sector is another example of costly political gimmicks over sound economic policy. 

Despite clear scientific evidence, the decision to ban current marine net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia by 2029 is driven by political motivations rather than long-term, responsible planning. This policy ignores the real-world consequences for thousands of workers, First Nation communities, and the broader economy.  

Made-in-BC Semi-closed System Installed at Grieg Seafood BC Farms in Esperanza Inlet

After trialing a made-in-BC semi-closed technology solution at its farms off the Sunshine Coast region, Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. (Grieg) has announced it will be proceeding with the installation of these semi-closed system at all three of its farms in Esperanza Inlet, off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The new CO2L Flow system (pronounced Cool Flow) is a form of semi-closed containment, which allows for farmers to raise or lower custom designed farm enclosures – ensuring the farmed fish benefit from natural ocean conditions, while also providing protection for wild salmon. The system has been used successfully to rear several generations of fish at Grieg’s farms in the Sunshine Coast region. 

In all the trials, farmers noted better growth, lower mortality, better feed conversion rates (meaning the fish are more effective at converting feed into growth), and most significantly - a dramatic reduction in the need for sea lice treatments.

“As a company, we are always looking for ways to improve our operations, and this includes transitioning from standard farming equipment, to new, cutting-edge technology aimed at reducing potential impacts from our operations. This new system utilizes retractable barriers, which are capable of being lowered to 15 metres, fully encapsulating the sides of the farm. This has several benefits, including preventing the lateral interaction of wild and farmed salmon populations, providing protection for farmed populations from harmful algae, and allowing our farmers to better control water quality in the system using a unique aeration technology,” says Rocky Boschman, Managing Director for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd.

“As ocean-based farmers, one of the most common questions or concerns we hear is regarding sea lice, and the transfer of lice between wild and farmed populations. The CO2 L Flow system with its barrier protection has resulted in drastically reduced sea lice numbers on the farmed population, which in turn reduces the need for us to treat. During the trial period at our west coast site, we were able to keep sea lice levels so low that the fish did not require treatment for lice. Overall, we are pleased with the results and there is no denying that this new system represents a transition towards what in-ocean farms can one day become.”

What sets this system apart from others is the use of local knowledge, and on-the-ground learning to guide the development of a system which would work in partnership with nature to address challenges.

“I have been farming in these waters for over 30 years. In that time, I have learned that nature is the best engineer. If you want to find a solution, you need to work with the ocean and the natural conditions. So, when we started looking at how we could adapt semi-closed technology into our operations, we looked first and foremost to the oceans’ naturally occurring deep, clean water as a guide,“ says Dean Trethewey, Seawater Production, Certifications and Regulatory Director.

“The CO2L Flow Max system has taken some tried and true technology, such as sea lice curtains, and paired them with cutting edge aeration technology, to create a completely new system. During sensitive wild salmon migration periods or times when we know there is harmful algae in the region, we can lower the barriers on the farm, forming a barrier between the wild salmon and the farmed population, this prevents lateral interaction, and significantly reduces the transmission of sea lice between the populations. The barriers can be fully lifted outside of these periods, allowing the farmed fish to benefit from natural ocean conditions, temperatures, currents, and oxygen levels.”

To bring this technology to life, Grieg relied on the expertise, knowledge and successful collaboration with several Vancouver Island based technology and services companies – like CPI Equipment and Poseidon Ocean Systems. A leading international oxygen solution company, Oxzo Technologies, was also involved in the creation of some components for the system.

Although the system has shown amazing results in initial trials, Grieg continues to look for ways to improve the system to help further reduce any potential impacts from its operations.

“As a company, we will continue to look for ways in which we can innovate and continue to improve our operations. Currently, the new system already has tremendous benefits through the elimination of lateral interaction between wild and farmed populations and provides both welfare and performance benefits for our farmed salmon – but it doesn’t collect solid waste which is the next opportunity we want to address. We are continuing to look for solutions that will support the recovery of solid waste and ways in which it could be used for some type of value-add product like fertilizer or soil enrichment,” added Boschman. “We will continue to look to nature, local technology, and our farmers to help provide us with solutions as we continue to innovate, transition and improve.”

The system will be installed at all three farms in Esperanza Inlet (Lutes Creek farm, Steamer Point farm and the Esperanza farm) in time for the outmigration of juvenile wild salmon in early 2023.

CO2L Flow system quick facts and additional Information: 

• Grieg Seafood launched the first trial of the system in 2019

• Since then, three pilot cycles of fish have been raised in the system

• Overall, fish raised in the system see an average increase of 40 per cent in growth, a 19 per cent (19%) increase in survival, and a 13 per cent (13%) improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR)

• The system uses retractable barriers to ensure there is no lateral transmission between wild and farmed salmon populations – which is important during the critical in and out wild salmon migration periods

• During periods when the barriers are down, the system uses an innovative, cutting-edge oxygen technology, to address low-oxygen levels within the farm system - helping to ensure the welfare of the farmed population

• To date, Grieg Seafood BC has seen a dramatic reduction in the frequency or need to treat farmed populations within the system for sea lice

• The system is unique in that it can be adapted to fit existing Grieg Seafood farm sites

• The system is sourced and built locally, contributing to the local economy and supporting the development of innovation and technology on North Vancouver Island

• Moving forward, Grieg Seafood will continue to look for ways to collect solid waste for value added products such as fertilizer or enriched soils

Kris McNichol, President, CPI Equipment Inc., says, “CPI Equipment Inc. is proud to partner with Grieg Seafood BC on their full-scale CO2L Flow semi-closed system in 2022. Over the past two years, CPI has worked diligently with Grieg Seafood on trials to improve the efficiency of oxygen transfer to seawater in their sea pens by using CPI’s ODiN Aerations system in conjunction with Moleaer’s nanotechnology. By achieving a greater supply of water quality within the semi-closed environment, we have been able to support the creation of a new ocean-based system. Working with our customers for over 20 years and striving to develop better technology within the aquaculture market both locally and internationally is an important part of our company's success. The knowledge-sharing and teamwork between Grieg Seafood and CPI Equipment shows how people, ideas, and new technology can collaborate to meet the needs of aquaculture for the future.

Heather Clarke, Co-Founder, Poseidon Ocean Systems, says, “When we were first approached by Grieg Seafood to collaborate on the new semi-closed technology they were developing, we jumped at the opportunity as this project will not only provide solutions to global problems, but also addresses some of the biggest challenges faced by the industry in terms of sea lice, algae, and improved conditions within the farm system. Poseidon is a Campbell River based company, which was founded only six years ago. Because of the vision of industry leaders like Grieg Seafood who are committed to constant improvement, evolution and working head-on to address the concerns raised regarding salmon farming, we have been able to expand our business internationally to assist producers like Grieg Seafood and others meet their biggest challenges.”

Gonzalo Boehmwald, Commercial Assistant Manager Oxzo Technologies Canada, says, “This project – the CO2L Flow system - is demonstrating what is possible in salmon farming in terms of using innovation and new technology to improve operations, and Oxzo Technologies Canada is proud to be part of the team working on delivering these new systems for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. Oxzo has been helping farmers find unique solutions for more than a decade using innovative and cost-effective solutions of supplemental aeration and oxygenation. Our proven, patented technologies and Grieg Seafood’s drive for innovation and overall operational improvements are a perfect fit."

Seafood Section of McColl Magazine

B.C.’s Salmon Farmers Call for Reconsideration of Discovery Islands Decision: Feb. 23, 2021 - Based on the findings of an independent economic analysis released today, B.C.’s salmon farming community is calling on the federal government to set aside its decision to force the closure of farms in the Discovery Islands area and engage a new process.

State-of-the-Art On-Site Net Washing Vessels

Two more On-site Net Washing Vessels joined the Badinotti fleet on the waters off North Vancouver Island in 2018, "We ordered two more vessels to work out of Port Hardy and Port McNeill in the waters of the Broughton Archipelago," says Kevin Onclin, CEO at Badinotti Net Services Canada Ltd.. On occasion they will be found on west coast of Vancouver Island.

The new acquisitions are made based on the performance of BRAVO II earlier this year. "BRAVO III and BRAVO IV will be the same design as the first vessel with the exception of some mainly cosmetic tweeking in the overall design," he says.

These vessels are delivered fully equipped at a cost of over $2 million each. The first arrived April 1, and the second arrived May 1, 2018. "These boats are operated by 3-man crews, and will be put into service 7 days a week. Each of these vessels has two crews working 7 days on and 7 days off or 8 days on and 6 days off."Crewing these vessels will not be a problem. We have recruitment underway and it means some new jobs for people qualified to operate with tickets for Under 15 Tonnes SVOP." The company has hired the odd 60 tonne skipper.

The vessels are designed to meet new demands for net cleaning in the oceans surrounding Vancouver Island. "They go out and clean nets. There is a huge demand for the these units since the farms sites require regular cleaning of their nets. The companies want to keep nets clean, and keep the fish swimming in clean water.

BACKGROUND
Badinotti Net Services Canada Ltd. in Campbell River, B.C., took possession of the first 40' catamaran, in January 2017, designed specifically to clean nets on the open sea. The Bravo II was the result of two years of research and planning based at Badinotti Net Services years of on-site net washing operations. "We were looking to custom build a boat for on-site net washing that would maximize the efficiencies for the machinery, equipment and crews," says Onclin.

The fleet of BRAVOs came out of a two-year project with concentrated planning and preparation. "We are very satisfied with the performance of the vessel. We selected a catamaran design to create a stable safe working platform for the crews and machinery including a crane, since most of the hours of operation occur at the farm sites as opposed to travelling to and from sites."

The BRAVO II is a 'cat' built by Armstrong Marine, Inc., which designs and builds a variety of welded aluminum boats in Port Angeles, Washington. "Armstrong Marine were selected primarily due to their expertise in catamaran construction."

Beginning in 2011 in B.C., the fish farming operations have been moving away from the use of antifouling paints (copper based) to keep the nets clean on fish farms. By 2017 most farm companies have completely eliminated the use of antifouling coatings from their operations. The traditional business model for the net service business, which relied upon dipping or coating of nets, had to adapt and reinvent operations to keep pace.

Badinotti Net Services wanted to provide eco-friendly methods to clean aquaculture nets on the west coast, allowing fish farmers to deploy clean and repaired nets for longer periods with no anti-foulant. The BRAVO II crews do not use anti-foulant or chemical cleaning of nets when at sea.

To provide optimum service in this changing market, Badinotti'snon-site net washing vessels are driven by two 480 horsepower diesel engines, moving from site-to-site at about 10 knots.

Badinotti Net Services added the department of On-Site Net Washing (OSW) over three years ago, "in order to respond to our customers new service requirements. On-site net washing we believe is a long term sustainable business model and although some farm companies are washing their own nets internally, for us, the OSW is our core business and focus. Consequently we believe we can deliver a cost effective service for the farm companies."