Net gains in Scotland for Mowi Canada East visitors

Mowi employees from New Brunswick and Newfoundland in Atlantic Canada have travelled to Scotland to learn new procedures which they will now pass on to their colleagues.

The seven fish farmers spent several weeks working on salmon farms and vessels for Mowi Scotland.

Luke Canavan, an assistant farm manager at Mowi Canada East, was among the visitors. He told Mowi Scotland’s staff newsletter, The Scoop, that the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and “an experience we will not soon forget”.

Same challenges

Mowi Canada East already has links to Scotland through former Mowi Scotland production director Gideon Pringle, who was appointed managing director of the Atlantic Canada operation last July.

“Both Canada East and Scotland share the North Atlantic Ocean and, not surprisingly, also share many of the same farming challenges,” said Pringle at the time.

Pringle, who has also held senior production roles at salmon producers Scottish Sea Farms and Loch Duart, said he had inherited “a very motivated team that will lead Canada East to realise its full potential”.

International mobility

Mowi is the world’s biggest salmon farmer and has operations in seven countries – Norway, Scotland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Canada (east and west coasts) and Chile. It maintains an international mobility policy to help maximise the skills and expertise of its staff and to also support career advancement. Its mobility assignments may include short-term shifts or longer-term positions.

Mowi employees from finance, freshwater and seawater production, operations, feed and support services have had face-to-face opportunities to share regional knowledge and global best practices over the past several months, reported The Scoop.

While production of salmon feeds at Mowi’s Kyleakin plant on Skye had been temporarily reduced due to a combination of seasonal variability, Brexit consequences and higher energy costs, several employees from Scotland have taken the opportunity for work experience at Mowi’s feed plant in Valsneset, Norway. Feed staff in Scotland have also visited other parts of the value chain, including farms and hatcheries.