Investors Seeking Government Approval For Plant That Could Create 100 Jobs
GOLD RIVER – Another land-based steelhead fish farm could be established on Vancouver Island.
Gold River Aquafarms is waiting to hear from the federal and provincial governments regarding regulatory approval for a facility that could grow to produce 10,000 tons of salmon annually, and create up to 100 jobs. Taste of BC Aquafarms Inc. of Nanaimo, purchased earlier this year by Blue Star Foods Corp. of Miami Florida, is another Island operation at the forefront of companies hoping to capitalize on a push away from open-pen, ocean-based fish farms by environmental lobbyists and the federal government.
Rob Walker is President of Gold River Aquafarms, and says the company is backed by investors in the United States. The farm would be constructed on a former site of a sawmill in Gold River, with plans including adding a processing plant.
Gold River’s pulp and paper mill closed in 1998, and the new jobs would be a welcome addition to the community.
The company has made applications to both levels of government earlier this year, but has yet to receive an answer. Walker told Chek News that the facility they’ve identified was licensed 15 years ago and already has the necessary infrastructure and is fully contained.
The owners of the site have received a letter of intent from Gold River Aquafarms, which will pursue financing and permitting for the operation. A long-term lease agreement is a best-case scenario once the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and provincial Ministry of Forestry and Lands approvals are granted. The Ministry of Forests and Lands released a statement indicating the application was recently assigned for review by a water officer.
Walker told Chek that “there are many buildings and infrastructure on the property that are perfect for our use and there’s a saltwater aquifer here allowing us to draw salt and freshwater from the aquifer. We’re also looking at the potential for desalination just to make sure we have enough water supply.”