Two of the Sunshine Coast's most prominent fish facilities, the Chapman Creek Hatchery and Target Marine welcomed distinguished visitors from the National Research Council (NRC) last Friday to showcase their progress and potential.
Warren Nagata a Vancouver Island University (VIU) professor and NRC member toured the hatchery as part of a fact-finding to mission to see if it could partner with other businesses or non-profits that receive NRC funding.
Under the Industrial Research Assistance Program, the NRC seeks out private and not-for-profit businesses that can grow and create wealth by assisting them with funding.
Nagata praised the hatchery for its salmon return rate of about three per cent which is about four to five times higher than return rates at government run salmon hatcheries.
"What we saw here is an opportunity for Bob [Anstead, president of the Salmonid Enhancement Society] and the staff to get involved more with some of my clients to maybe demonstrate equipment or to be a facility that can be used to highlight new types of equipment or different processes for the industry," Nagata said.
Nagata last visited the hatchery over 16 years ago when it was still a privately run business.
"It's always been a very nice facility," he said. "It's great to see that it's still in great shape still and producing really nice fish."
Though the NRC is not currently considering Target Marine for any projects, Nagata said the white sturgeon breeding facility was still an important part of his visit. He said VIU is in the process of setting up an expanded centre for studying sturgeon and having a good working knowledge of Target's operations will be an important industry connection for the center to have.
Target Marine got its first sturgeon eggs from the school 12 years ago.
"It's a very good example of technology transfer from the university to industry," Nagata said.
