Acquiring Nova Scotia Made Modular Depuration Equipment & Customize for BC CFIA Certification

Summary:
The costs to develop and license depuration facilities are extremely high and prohibitive to many small businesses and first nations in British Columbia. It has been many years since a new depuration facility has been developed and licensed.  When existing depuration facilities were developed, they were built and certified to run a minimum of 7,500-10,000 lbs of product per cycle – a volume that made the process economically viable.  In circumstances, or areas, where less than 7,500 lbs are available at any one time, facilities must stockpile large volumes of product or undertake a depuration cycle and absorb significant losses in order to retain markets.  With this in mind, Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd (PSL) perceived it would be very beneficial to existing, and future, depuration facilities to have a modular component depuration system that would enable to economically run smaller volumes of clams as sources, or markets, dictate.     

PSLhas researched several international modular depuration systems for potential use.  However, these types of units are new to British Columbia and they have not gone through the rigorous testing procedure required by CFIA to allow licensing.  PSL has received funding under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans-Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program to develop, design, and purchase a modular bivalve depuration system, test, and adapt it to meet local conditions.  The project objective is to purchase, test, make modifications, and certify the system in order to meet CFIA licensing requirements. 

Recipient: Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd.

Total Project Cost: $160,250
           
DFO-AIMAP Contribution: $105,000

Other Financial Support:

• Recipient: Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd.
• Industry: Evening Cove Facility; BioNovations Inc. - http://www.bionovations.ca/

For more information please contact the AIMAP regional coordinator
Pacific Region: Sean.Irvine@dfo-mpo.gc.ca