Cermaq Canada announced on 3 April that it has applied for permits for four Atlantic salmon farms in Nova Scotia.
The division of the Oslo, Norway-based Cermaq – which itself is owned by Mitsubishi Corporation – operates 27 salmon farms on the west coast of Canada, around Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It submitted a plan to Nova Scotia’s Fisheries and Aquaculture department in February proposing farm sites in Chedabucto Bay, Bay of Rocks, South Guysborough, and St. Marys Bay, in the Canadian Maritimes on Canada’s east coast.
“We are so happy to announce that we are going to be investigating the possibility of expanding our operations into Nova Scotia,” the company said on its Facebook page on 3 April.
According to its proposal, each of its farms would have a maximum production capacity of 3,500 metric tons per site, with a total estimated annual production of 20,000 metric tons of salmon. The company’s proposal calls for stocking the pens at a maximum density of 20 kilograms per square meter but said that number “could be lower and will be based on specific site capacity.”
In addition to the salmon pens, which the company said would be 120- to 160-meter polar circle pens with K-grids, Cermaq Canada would operate work vessels and silo barges at each site, as well as hatcheries, processing plants, works yards, wharfs and docks, and offices in Nova Scotia, it said in its proposal. Initially, it will produce fresh, whole, head-on Atlantic salmon, with the potential for conducting further processing of value-added products dependent “on market demand and processing capacity.”
Cermaq Canada did not provide information on a timeline for development of the project, but said it will be engaging in stakeholder and community engagement, site investigation, and regulatory work through the spring, summer, and fall of 2019. The company also said it will initiate a conversation with the Mi’kmaq Nation “in a separate and parallel process.”
“Excited to start engaging with Nova Scotians about the possibility of salmon farming in Nova Scotia,” the company said in a separate post on Facebook.
Cermaq Canada will base its Nova Scotia operations out of a new office in the Guysborough region, and said it plans to open several additional satellite officers in regions it has identified for possible farming opportunities.
“After gathering advice on the best method of engagement, we will be hosting open houses in the summer through to late fall, and will be aiming to engage with communities, fishermen, associations, local municipalities and special interest groups to gather feedback and look for ways to address concerns and build shared value,” the company said. “We do not have a target or end-date for our consultation. We will depend on the feedback received, and input collected to determine next steps and potential timelines.”
The company estimated the expansion would add at least 140 jobs if all four farm sites are approved, with the additional jobs and economic development created through its partnership with local subcontractors and service providers.
In its announcement, Cermaq Canada said its operations are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and that it may pursue Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Best Aquaculture Practices certification for its new farms as it has with its already-operational farms.
Cermaq Canada Managing Director David Kiemele said his company was eager to get started on the Nova Scotia expansion project.
“I have been working in the aquaculture industry for over two decades, and every year we see new technology and research, which helps to improve our farming practices,” Kiemele said. “Between my executive team and myself, we have well over 100 years of collective experience working directly in Atlantic salmon farming, fish health, research, technology and community engagement and support. We are salmon experts, and we are excited to bring this experience and strength to Nova Scotia to establish successful salmon farms, and to help provide support and guidance for enhancement hatcheries looking to support the return of the local Atlantic salmon populations, and grow the local economy.”
Photo courtesy of Cermaq Canada
