SPEAKERS
Lourdes Gant, Diane Morrison
Lourdes Gant 0:05
As a business owner of an aquaculture company, how can you take the first step to be profitable and sustainable at the same time? That’s what we’re going to be talking about in these episodes. Hello, and welcome to the business of agriculture podcast. This is the podcast for the Sustainable Business movement in the Aquafarming and ocean ranching industries. This podcast aims to amplify the voices of entrepreneurs addressing the United Nations global goals, aka Sustainable Development Goals. Number 14. To conserve and sustainably use the oceans and the seas, listening to fellow business aquaculturists in their journey in this new model of food production, of making their business sustainable, and help the ecology of the ocean, while also making a profit all at the same time. Get inspired to learn how even small to medium businesses can make an impact, save the seas, leave a legacy, and have a better quality of life. One of our goals is to take away a nugget of wisdom that will help your business move from the industrial revolution to business 5.0. Our vision is that a collaboration in the aquaculture industry I’m Lourdes Gant your host.
Lourdes Gant 1:25
As an agriculture business owner, how do you tackle the balance between being able to run a sustainable business and being profitable at the same time? That’s what we’re going to be talking about in this episode. So listen in and I hope you enjoy this episode. If you listen to our latest episode, I interviewed Mr. Rocky Boschman and he discussed how great seafood is able to balance the costs in maintaining harmony in the environment and agriculture technology. Welcome to Episode 11 of the business of agriculture podcast. In this episode, I’m so delighted to have my very first woman guest, Dr. Diane Morrison, who is the managing director of Mowi, Canada West. Welcome, Diane.
Diane Morrison 2:05
Thank you, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you.
Lourdes Gant 2:09
It’s a pleasure, pleasure. She is responsible for racing about half of the annual provincial harvest of British Columbia’s farm-raised Atlantic salmon each year. Salmon is processed in Count Two and Port Hardy. Welcome again, Diane. I’m so delighted that you’ve given me time. I know how busy it is nowadays.
Diane Morrison 2:27
Yeah, no, it’s uh, it is always busy in this industry. We used to have a quiet time. And now it’s 365 every day of the year, we’re busy. But thanks again for this opportunity. I’ve been listening to your podcasts and I really enjoy them.
Lourdes Gant 2:41
Thank you. So let’s get this show rolling. The first question I’ve asked for all of my guests in season one of this podcast is how did you get started in this industry.
Diane Morrison 2:52
It goes a long way back back to high school. So I think I was probably like many young people. And when I finished high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’d always been interested in animals, and I’ve thought about becoming a veterinarian, but I just couldn’t quite commit to the eight years of university. So I traveled for a while I went to college. And then I did work in small animal veterinary clinics and in Toronto as an assistant. Before I settled on this dream of becoming a marine biologist, I went to the University of Guelph to follow that dream. And in my first year of my Bachelor of Science, I was reading an article It was probably in the Global Mail. And they were talking about the start of salmon farming here on the west coast. It was the start of the blue revolution. It was going to be the new agricultural sector for the century. And really, I think when I look back on it, it was sort of my aha moment, I’d be working on the water with animals or fish in new food production with new food, animal and veterinary care and oversight would be required. So all the pieces start to fall together. And that’s how it all started. I applied to the vet college jack wealth was accepted. And right from day one, I had the goal of working with fish and working with salmon farming specifically, I had to work it I was an odd duck. There were a few others in my class at the time, but fish wasn’t high on the curriculum at that point. So I had to take every opportunity to take extra courses. I hung around the lab with Dr. Hugh Ferguson in the fish pathology lab made a nuisance of myself till they hired me as a summer student. I traveled to the east and west coast during the summer for courses and work experience. And then I was lucky when I graduated. There was an opportunity here in Campbell River. One of the few companies was looking for a veterinarian to provide technical services to their customers. And I got the job and in hindsight, that was probably the best job for a new graduate coming out because I had a great mentor and Dr. Mark Sheppard I got to travel the coast here in British Columbia and see the many different small operations that were operating at that time. So I got to see different methods, different approaches, saw successes, saw some failures. And as the farmers learned, so did I.
Lourdes Gant 5:17
It’s a perfect segue to my next question. But before I asked my next question on the pros and cons in the agriculture industry, the story that you just mentioned, and how your journey started and where you are right now, in the blue revolution, it’s almost like a dream come true. We’re in you know, you never have to work a day if you love what you’re doing.
Diane Morrison 5:35
Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I say that to people that I’ve always been really curious about. And I ask questions, and I drive people crazy because I keep asking these questions, but I’m really curious. And I’ve never had a boring day, in my career. Every day, there’s something new, there’s something different. And really, I couldn’t have asked for a better career. And sometimes I really look back and think, wow, I was really lucky. I picked up that newspaper. Because, you know, who knows where I would have been if I hadn’t read that article and joined the blue revolution.
Lourdes Gant 6:09
I can’t agree more. My previous background is as an auditor and an accountant. And so this industry has always kept me grounded and on my feet because it’s so dynamic. There are so many changes every day, and I’ve been in it for only 13 years. And I will not say that in those 13 years. There are some things that are the same every year. It’s always fun, intended, ever-changing. See?
Diane Morrison 6:35
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Lourdes Gant 6:38
Yeah. So I’m going to ask you the next question. So what have you seen and pros and cons and being in the aquaculture industry?
Diane Morrison 6:46
You know, there are so many pros when we talk about salmon aquaculture, the vision, the blue revolution is what caught my attention 30 years ago, it remains relevant today. Because salmon aquaculture all aquaculture really is the blue revolution. So when I look at farm salmon, I mean, it’s got the lowest carbon footprint of any animal protein. When we think about addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gases, salmon farming, salmon, aquaculture should be celebrated and embraced. It’s sustainable. We have a continuous steady supply with minimal impacts on the environment. It’s healthy and delicious. And we have consumers that are the ever-increasing demands for the consumption of this great food. And we are a vital component of Canada’s food supply. During the pandemic, we provided food security, our all our employees were deemed, essential workers. And our fish continued to be harvested and processed and move to the buyers, the grocery stores, and any of the restaurants that were open during that pandemic, as COVID allowed. So that was fantastic. When I look at the evolution of salmon feed, the changes in that have been impressive, we’ve significantly reduced our reliance on marine sourced raw materials, they’re always looking for alternative raw materials, well maintaining the healthy heart-healthy, omega fatty acids in the salmon. And we provide full-time careers in rural communities. And this means young people, you know, the core of our business, no company survives without great people, and we have some of the best can find their careers in their home communities. They can stay there and support their families, we had quite a few young employees come back from trying Alberta as a place to have their career. They missed their homes, they miss their friends, and they didn’t want to have that disconnect anymore. So they’re now working with us. And that’s fantastic. And then maybe the last thing I would say is, I’m really proud of the role that salmon farming is playing in reconciliation. Mowi is one of the first salmon farming companies to have a benefits agreement with the first nation like a kid to sue, hey, a nation in klemtu on the Central Coast, and our agreement, our relationship is over 20 years old. Now. Most of our farms have negotiated agreements with First Nations and the territory is where we operate. And our relationships and agreements continue to grow and develop and strengthen. And we have a goal of walking together with our first nations partners and co-developing businesses. And that’s our vision for the future.
Lourdes Gant 9:19
That’s amazing. It’s always good to hear when people have maintained relationships for two decades, and it’s worked really well. And I agree with you, it’s people, people, people in this business, as you know, any cons in terms of what you’ve seen so far.
Diane Morrison 9:34
I would put it as a challenge, our challenge, and I’ll just give the one because it’s a big one. It’s the lack of a predictable and reliable regulatory regime. And I think you’ve probably heard this from other people who you’ve had on your podcast. You know, every business it’s not just agriculture, but every business needs to have some predictability and reliability of the regulations. And this is to ensure that innovation and investment can continue. We need predictability in the processes of the applications for new 10 years or licenses or amendments of existing 10 years and licenses. And we don’t really have that. And this predictability is what we need to secure our investment in the future. And we want to continue to evolve and innovate. And to do that, we need some predictability. And that’s sorely lacking right now, you know, if we could have these secure investments, it would mean a more sustainable future and more stability for the communities that we operate in.
Lourdes Gant 10:32
I feel you and I hear what you’re saying. It’s been 30 years, and we’ve still been clamoring to have a gooey duck management plan. And it’s always been that uncertainty that has kept us always almost scared sometimes, because we don’t know what it’s gonna bring for in terms of decisions, regulatory-wise, and the bureaucracy as you know, as well. So hopefully, there’s more reliability and predictability in the coming three years, if I have to, say a digital decade, and that they can catch up as well, in terms of the changes in technology as well, that’s really way too fast, especially after COVID decision.
Diane Morrison 11:13
Yeah, I couldn’t agree more, we really need to take the bull by the horns. and Canada could really be British Columbia could be a leader in all our sectors of agriculture, you know, we’ve got the three coastlines and we should really be taking advantage of that resource that we have.
Lourdes Gant 11:30
I agree. So my last question to you is, what are the three trends that you’re seeing in the agriculture industry, so something exciting to talk about, and something to look forward to?
Diane Morrison 11:41
I picked my three favorites because there are lots, the one is transparency. So consumers really want to know where their food is coming from, how it was grown. And they even want to know who the farmer is. So we can connect with the consumers by providing transparency and relevant information about the products they are buying. And we’re currently doing this with our branded product globally. Mowi is there’s a QR code on the product that you can scan with your smartphone. And it pulls up information on the origin of the fish, and details about his journey from the hatchery to the grocery store, where you’re holding the salmon, fill it in your hand. And I think over the next couple of years, that’s really going to expand and become more of the norm for most foods, not only agriculture, and I just think that’s fantastic. Because we have a great story all of agriculture has a great story to tell. And the more we can get that out to the consumers, the better we’ll all be. I think from a production point of view, from a farming point of view, what we’re going to see is what we call post-smolt production. And really, this is a trend to produce a bigger smoke. So up to 800 grams, the fish would be in size before they are moved to the marine farms for the final stage of their production. And what this really does is it limits the amount of time in the sea and the marine environment, and limits the exposure the fish have to environmental stressors. And it also shortens our production cycle from 12 months in the sea, from our current 17 to 21 months. And what I think is going to be interesting to watch over the next few years is how that’s done. Will it be done in land-based research facilities? Or will it be done in marine-based semi-closed tanks or containment? That will be an interesting thing to watch.
Lourdes Gant 13:28
Oh, really exciting. I wonder if we have something in the guru industry because as you know, in Canada, our shellfish grows 10 years. And you were just saying from 12 months to 17 to 21 months, I wouldn’t mind having it three years instead of 10 years for a paper.
Diane Morrison 13:44
Exactly you’re doing ducks are fantastic. But they are slow-growing, aren’t they?
Lourdes Gant 13:48
They are market size two pounds, 10 years and even in the United States have that they have five years. So I will be interested to know how this whole smoke production trend will be affecting our shellfish as well. But go ahead with your third trend. Yeah,
Diane Morrison 14:03
So my third one and this one are really specific to British Columbia. And our operations here are what we call and what’s talked about as an ecosystem management approach. And this is really a wish for me and I and so I’m hoping that over the next 10 years, we will see this adopted as a way of managing because it’s a way of bringing together all the regulator’s all the governments, First Nations and elected governments provincial, federal, and the farmers and finding a way to look at the whole ecosystem to move away from single-issue management into a fuller ecosystem approach, which allows us to keep both the social and our ecological systems healthy over the long term. So move away from let’s talk about one issue of the day and talk about the whole ecosystem with everyone at the table. And I think that will really help address some of the negativity you might hear in the in late papers and in the Public and think of everything and the big approach. And I think that will give the security and the protection and the long term stability for our industry.
Lourdes Gant 15:10
Fantastic. Those are fantastic trends. And I’m really looking forward to how it goes into place because there are such exciting times that we have right now. Well, thank you very much, Diane. And my biggest takeaway from this episode is I love the way how you revamp the word con to challenge so I’m just going to steal that and just ask people that and in terms of the predictability and reliability that this industry is really needing, from people who are decision-makers to help really catapult the industry into a better and next level of its development. Thanks again and really appreciative that you spend some time with us today. And to our listeners. Remember, you helped build the home in the Philippines every time you listen to the podcast by end up vonegone.com.initiative, share your podcast with your friends and family who you think may benefit I’ll see you in the next episode. Our guests will be Dr. Yomi Alabi who is the president of sea science limited, which developed and operates a successful floating shellfish hatchery with several innovative features enabling the high-density production of seed. Thank you once again, Diane and I’ll talk to you soon. Thank you very much. Bye for now.
Diane Morrison 16:21
Bye-bye.
Lourdes Gant 16:25
Thank you for listening, and I hope you’re inspired by this episode. Do take a moment and share this with your friends and colleagues and rate and review the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway from this conversation has been? What are you going to do differently? Please share thoughts across social media and tag us for links and show notes for this episode, visit our website www.sustainableaquaculture.ca/podcast. Thank you again. I hope you will join me on the next episode and together we can help create a better business in aquaculture.