Feds pump cash to support jobs in BC’s coastal communities

Funding will also assist in ensuring enhanced protection of marine environment

By SeaWestNews

The federal government is pumping over a million dollars into 15-BC based fisheries and aquaculture businesses to help them adopt greener practices that will improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and lessen climate change causing carbon dioxide emissions.

“These investments will assist in ensuring enhanced protection of our marine environment and will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard,

“The investments will also support good middle class jobs in coastal communities,” he said.

Projects include $424,219 in funding to Brown’s Bay Packing Co, which will prevent bacteria and viruses from fish processing waste from entering the marine environment, $74,437 to the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. to support rockfish conservation, $43,488 to Taste of B.C. Aquafarms Inc. to install a solar hot water system, eliminating fossil fuel consumption and reducing carbon emissions, over $100,000 to Sth’oqi aquaculture Ltd Partnership to install a machine to convert fish waste to fertilizer and low-carbon energy to power their land-based aquaculture facility, and almost $100,000 to Atchison Fishing Ltd to support a new efficient engine that will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions.

“The people of Vancouver Island, particularly First Nations, are fundamentally, culturally and economically linked to the ocean,” said Doug Routley, Member of the Legislative Assembly of BC for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, and co-chair of BC’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council. (pictured)

“It provides nourishment, jobs and prosperity to our communities. These projects support innovations conceived and implemented by industry and support their commitment to be stewards of the environment,” he said.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption program is a $20 million instrument that provides funding to help businesses incorporate clean technologies into their day-to-day operations. It is intended to accelerate the use of more sustainable and efficient tools, practices and techniques.

Commercial fisheries and aquaculture are important contributors to the Canadian economy. These sectors contribute approximately $4.5 billion annually in gross domestic product and provide thousands of jobs across our country — many in Indigenous, rural and coastal communities.

The funding will directly support a variety of fisheries and aquaculture projects in adopting clean technologies:

1. Brown’s Bay Packing Co. – $424,219 to install effluent treatment equipment that will significantly reduce bacteria and suspended solids, kill viruses and remove blood colour from fish processing plant waste water;
2. Sth’oqi Aquaculture Ltd Partnership – $101,817 to install an anaerobic digester to convert fish waste to biogas fertilizer and water producing low carbon energy to power their land-based aquaculture facility;
3. Atchison Fishing Ltd – $99,999 to support a new efficient engine that will reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions;
4. Miracle Springs Inc. – $97,500 to install a re-circulating aquaculture system to reduce water use by 95 percent;
5. Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. – $74,437 to purchase and distribute 1,300 SeaQualizer rockfish descending devices, support training and increase awareness of rockfish conservation;
6. D. Malcom Fishing Ltd. –  $74,582 to purchase and install new trawl doors, elevated sweeps and sensors that will reduce disturbance of the marine floor and reduce bycatch of non-target species while improving fuel efficiency;
7. Manatee Holdings Ltd. – $51,953 to install an automated photobioreactor (PBR) that will increase the efficiency of algae production;
8. Coastal Shellfish Corporation LimitedPartnership – $50,000 to replace natural gas boilers with electric powered water-based heat pumps to reduce use of non-renewable energy and carbon emissions;
9. Taste of B.C. Aquafarms Inc. – $43,488 to replace an oil-fired water boiler with a solar hot water system, eliminating oil consumption and reducing carbon emissions;
10. Canadian Fishing Company –  $22,431; Leader Fishing Ltd.-  $10,107; and Moon Dancer Fishing Co. – $7,155 to support the installation of oil-extractor devices on commercial fishing vessels to reduce oil and bilge detergent discharges into the ocean where it could harm sea life;
11. Little Wing Oysters Ltd. – $19,900 to replace Styrofoam with new and more durable molded foam-filled floatation blocks;
12. Ocean Cloud Joint Venture – $16,312 to replace diesel engine with fuel efficient motor for increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions;
13. D. Ritchie Holdings Ltd. – $5,391 to replace a gas generator with an energy-efficient solar-power system, eliminating fuel consumption, noise and air pollution.

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