Company Expects Continued Growth
VICTORIA – Fisheries Biologist Adam Lewis recognized a need for impartial, accurate information to help government regulators make better decisions to limit environmental impacts.
Mission accomplished, as Ecofish Research Ltd. has grown steadily since starting two decades ago, and it now has offices on Vancouver Island at 114-1537 Hillside Avenue in Victoria, and in Nanaimo, Campbell River and two in Courtenay, as well as other locations in BC, and Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Their contributions have been duly noted, and Lewis recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Clean Energy BC (CEBC) at their annual Generate Conference. CEBC represents developers, operators and supporting service industries in the clean energy market.
Adam Lewis, Ecofish Founder and Executive Director
“Ecofish has been working to improve environmental outcomes on projects since 2000, by applying our passionate, dedicated, and expert team to the toughest challenges faced by our clients in industry, government, and First Nations,” says Lewis, the company founder and Executive Director. “As the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss increasingly threaten our province, we will tirelessly pursue innovative solutions to help our clients make an environmental difference.”
Lewis spent 10 years in the environmental consulting industry before starting Ecofish.
With a team of environmental experts, Ecofish first tackled environmental challenges in the hydroelectric industry, collaborating with government and industry to improve project design and operation by developing provincial and national guidelines for assessment and monitoring.
“Today this approach is the standard in the province, with applications across Canada and the world that brings the effective, practical results to industry, and improves environmental performance,” Lewis notes, adding the same science-based approach is now applied by Ecofish to all of BC’s major industries, reducing environmental effects and increasing project certainty.
Ecofish is a client-focused organization that delivers environmental assessment and monitoring services to clients facing challenging environmental problems. It is built on four core principles: Scientific excellence, business discipline, environmental ethics, and social responsibility.
“We invest heavily in research and development and innovation, employee training, digital technology, and technical equipment to continuously improve service quality and cost-effectiveness,” he says, noting they have 110 employees.
“We strive to provide our staff a good work-life balance, with flexible work hours, extensive leave, customized workspaces, and flexibility of work location,” he notes, adding this has helped attract new members to the team. “We provide professional development support to employees pursuing professional certifications and accreditations, and a wellness program to promote the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle outside of work.”
Lewis says the company plans to continue expansion across the country by hiring local staff in local communities.
“We believe that siting our offices in communities near our clients’ projects improves quality of service and gives our staff the opportunity to work where they want to live, while reducing commuting and our carbon footprint,” he states. “By innovating to provide new capabilities in our service area, we will support our clients, strengthened by large investments in staff training and an expanded roster of environmental experts.”
“By applying our core principles in a consistent, strategic manner, we expect to double our size in five years, as we have done since inception.”
