Cooke expanding in Newfoundland
“Newfoundland and Labrador Leading the Way in Aquaculture” read a recent headline on the 75-year old VCOM’s web site. The article went on to quote an association executive who stated that there will be spin-off jobs from new farms;
“The province is leading the way in aquaculture. Valued at over $100-million(~€71.3 million), it's a pretty hot industry in this province. The growth level of aquaculture in Newfoundland and Labrador has positioned the province as a national leader in the industry. The executive director with the province's Aquaculture Industry Association, Miranda Pryor, says each job in the industry offers the potential to provide additional jobs in the aquaculture processing, supply and service sectors. She points out that Atlantic salmon, steelhead trout, and blue mussel farms are continually expanding and developing new markets. Demand for those products right now is at an all-time high. Pryor says the aquaculture industry throughout the province is playing a significant role in the rural economy, with many millions of dollars being invested. She noted the aquaculture industry maintains the highest degree of bio-security protocols, and all aquaculture producers in the province adhere to strict provincial and federal regulations, embracing a culture of innovation and constant improvement”.
The announcement from Cooke Aquaculture Vice President Communications Nell Halse said- among else- that: Cold Ocean Salmon, a Division of Cooke Aquaculture, is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement with Vernon Watkins for the purchase of his salmon and trout farming operations in Newfoundland and Labrador. Company CEO Glenn Cooke was quoted stating that “This purchase will provide us with strategically located farm sites on the south coast of Newfoundland and Labrador that will allow us to diversify our operations and give us flexibility to grow our NL business in a sustainable way.”
Cooke employs some 2,200 people in the Canadian Maritime Provinces and the US State of Maine, with annual sales of about CAD$450 million (~€321 million). The value of aquaculture production in Newfoundland was reported to be up by 45.9% in 2009, the last year for which figures are available. A further increase of another 20 per cent was expected in 2010.
