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by Miriam Trevis
The Record
Aug . 24, 2005

As part of its ongoing commitment to Gold River, Muchalat Industries, the parent company of Green Island Energy, is forging ahead with plans to develop a closed-containment land based fish farm on the former mill site.

With aquaculture licenses now in place and several tanks already on location, representatives of the company, together with their research and technology partners, toured the site with council members on August 9.

Current plans are to establish a pilot project using an enclosed water recirculation system to grow a variety of warm water marine fish. Sean Ebnet, Vice President of Muchalat Industries, tole The Record that initially the company will be installing a 50-ton system (annual food fish production) in one of the warehouses on site. This prototype project is a small version of what the company hopes will become a large commercial land based aquaculture facility in the future, once the power generating plant is given the go ahead by BC Hydro and the Utilities Commission.

The targeted species include Barramundi, Cobia, Pompano, and Red Drum all of which are warm water species incapable of surviving in the cold waters of British Columbia. Heat for the initial pilot project will be supplied by electricity but once the go ahead comes for the power generation project, the low pressure steam (waste heat) from the power plant will be utilized as a heat source for large scale production in the warehouses on site.

The environmentally sound system of closed containment farming re-utilizes 97% of the water through a recirculation filtration and disinfection system. Any water discharged from the facility will be fully treated through a series of filters along with ozone injection and ultraviolet disinfection technology. With no possibility of escapement or interaction with wild species, the land-based fish farm represents an environmentally safe method of raising these high value fish species.

Many of these species grow quite fast reaching 6 - 10 lbs. in approximately 14 months. The construction of the prototype system is currently underway with the first fish slated to be put into the water in December. Future expansion of the site may also involve manufacturing the filtration system components on Vancouver Island, as opposed to importing them from abroad.

As a gesture of goodwill towards the community, the company has donated some samples of these fish which will be barbequed in the Village Square Plaza on August 27, immediately after the parade, so that residents can have a small sample of the type of fish which will be produced here in Gold River.

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The Record is published every second Wednesday in Gold River. Phone: 250 283-2324
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