Mike Cooke, the Chief Production Officer (CPO) and a co-owner of Cooke Aquaculture Inc., said that the company remains committed to the south coast of Newfoundland.
Cooke was speaking at the company’s annual Christmas party in Harbour Breton on November 23 and said that the company is very pleased with its growth in the province since 2006.
The company is currently processing its fish at the former FPI plant in the community which they are leasing from the Barry Group of Companies.
While Cooke did not make any promise to the workers regarding a new company plant, he said, “The fish we raise on the south coast will be processed on the south coast – that’s a given especially when you look at the work force that we have here.
“It’s no secret – we would rather be processing fish in our own facility than in a leased building. However, at the same time a lot of thought and strategic planning has to go into making a big decision like this.
“We have learned some lessons in our careers – one of those is that we need the right facilities in the right locations. Sometimes this is an easy decision to make but at other times we have to wait for things to come together to make that happen.”
Cooke said that right now the company has a good relationship with the owner of the plant in Harbour Breton, and that the company is not being forced by time to make any quick decisions about a possible new plant.
Cooke said that the company made some great progress in 2009.
“One of the biggest things, physically, is our new hatchery in St. Alban’s which we hope to have operating in the near future. We are very proud of this facility which will be able to grow three million smolt a year when running at full capacity.
“Another big thing for us in 2010 was the continuation of our eco-certification program. This ongoing program helped lead Legal Sea Foods, a leading seafood restaurant group in the United States, to serve Seafood Trust Certified Eco Label salmon from Cooke Aquaculture.
“Cooke aquaculture is committed to farming in a sustainable manner from an economic, social and environmental perspective. The Seafood Trust Certified Eco Label identifies Cooke as being in compliance with strict international standards respecting quality, traceability and sustainable production methods.”
Another big project for the company in 2009 occurred back in march when Cooke aqua signed a letter of intent to purchase the assets of Ocean to Ocean and its subsidiary, Ocean King.
Ocean to Ocean is an importer, seafood distribution and marketing company based in Montreal, Quebec. Its main customers are major retailers in North America. Its products, including value added seafood products, farmed salmon, tilapia and shrimp, wild caught scallops and haddock, are sold under their own brand and under retail and private labels.
Overall, Cooke said the company is very pleased with its Newfoundland operations.
He said, “We are consistently growing 10 pound fish at our grow-out sites in a very cost-effective manner. We are also very pleased with our processing employees in the province.
“In the grand scheme of things, we’re pleased to be able to be making a positive difference in helping the communities in the Coast of Bays grow. I was talking to a lady here tonight who has decided to move back from Ontario to work here, so we’re making a difference and we like that.”
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