Former salmon farming executive joins closed containment experiment
AgriMarine has offices in both Vancouver and Campbell River on Vancouver Island, and the company has for years been working on various concepts of “closed containment” salmon farming. The first attempt was to use some large concrete tanks abandoned by another salmon farming company on Vancouver Island. This proved uneconomical due to high pumping costs and biological losses. AgriMarine has now installed some floating tanks in fresh water reservoirs in China, for the production of rainbow trout. Company information states that a successful harvest of fish was conducted earlier this year, after a winter that saw the formation of thick ice around the tanks. By upwelling warmer water from depth, the tanks were kept ice free, and growth was enhanced as a result of the increased feeding opportunity.
According to company officials, a large tank is under construction in Vancouver for installation at a site near Campbell River later this fall/winter. The bottom section of the 100 feet diameter (approximately 30m) tank will be shipped to Campbell River where the solid wall sections will be added. The plan has been to use the Pacific chinook salmon, which is to be grown at densities of up to 35 Kg per m³, according to a draft business plan obtained by FishfarmingXpert some time ago. A request for an interview with AgriMarine’s Manager of Media Relations and Marketing Alexia Helgason was made three weeks ago in order to get updates on the company’s plans, but to date there has been no response.
A recent release posted on the company’s web site describes the appointment of Mr. Fitzpatrick as its Senior Advisor; AgriMarine Holdings Inc. (TSX-V:FSH; FRANKFURT:A2G) (the “Company” or “AgriMarine”), a leader in floating closed containment technology and production for sustainable aquaculture, is pleased to announce that Mr. Philip M. Fitzpatrick will be acting as Senior Advisor to the Company.
Mr. Fitzpatrick has extensive seafood and food industry experience in executive roles with multinational companies, working with all major trade and industry sectors. As a seasoned industry professional in both aquaculture and marine fisheries, Mr. Fitzpatrick held senior positions with Unilever, Dole Food Company, Bumble Bee Seafood and as Group Managing Director Americas for Marine Harvest, the world’s largest aquaculture company. During the past 4 years, he has held the positions of Commercial Director & Senior Advisor to globally renowned Marine Stewardship Council where he advised on the certification of marine seafoods in the Americas.
Mr. Fitzpatrick currently serves on AgriMarine’s Strategic Markets Committee, advising the Company in the areas of industry trends, retail and commercial opportunities, as well as the Company’s certification and traceability planning. Richard Buchanan, CEO of AgriMarine Holdings commented on Mr. Fitzpatrick’s new role: “We are delighted to have Phil take on a formal Advisory role with AgriMarine. His depth of experience in business development and industry affairs, including serving as the Americas Commercial Director of the Marine Stewardship Council, will be invaluable as we seek new opportunities for the Company’s sustainable aquaculture systems. Phil has developed tremendous expertise over the years and we anticipate that he will contribute significantly to the future success of the Company”.
