bu Jennifer Dart
The Westerly News
December 15, 2004
One of the last two fish processing plants in Tofino
has announced it will close its doors at the beginning if May.
North Sea Products president Thomas Okuma Jr. says his plant has been slowly winding down its production over the last few years.
He cites dwindling wild fish stocks, fierce competition, and high overhead costs as the reasons for the decreasing viability of his waterfront processing plant.
Okuma saya his plant operates only about three months out of the year and processes only wild fish. Okuma says the plant employs two full-time and roughly 21 part-time workers each year.
Overhead charges, including increasing taxes, have to be paid on the property during times it wasn't bringing in any money, says Okuma.
Okuma said he wanted to "maintain the status of being able to handle wild product," but changes to the trolling industry have made that goal impossible.
The cost for the trolling fishing outfits that supply North Sea with tuna, salmon, halibut, and black cod are horrendous, says Okuma. That is because of infrequent and brief openings in the fisheries that require fishing boats be sent out only to bring in insufficient amounts of fish to cover the cost of the trip.
Okuka also said wild stocks are dwindling. "There's just not enough product to go around these days," he tols the Canadian Press.
Added to this is the competition for buying the fish brought in and Okukma says many companies buy fish right off the dock and take it elsewhere to be processed.
Lions Gate Fisheries will be the only fish processing plant operating in Tofino after the North Sea closure and Okuma points out this plant processes a high volume of farmed salmon.
Jack Waterfield, president of Lions Gate Fisheries Ltd., told CP it might be possible to hire some of North Sea's employees.
"If volume is sufficient enough to bring some online, we would love to do so," he said.
Two of Ucluelet's fish plants, Ucluelet Seafood Processors and Canadian Seafood Processors (now owned by Port Fish), have remained closed for much of the past two years. Only Robert Wholey & Company is currently operating on a regular schedule.
Tofino mayor Al Anderson says the area's economy is "becoming less diverse," and Okuma concurs. He says Tofino is now known for being a "haven for tourism," and further to this he says the sale of his waterfront property to a Vancouver developer is pending.
The property, along
with its foreshore lease, has been assessed at $700,000 by BC Assessment,
according to Canadian Press.
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