BRIDGEWATER, NS – April 9, 2020 – Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd., the Atlantic Canadian salmon farming division of New Brunswick’s family-owned Cooke Aquaculture Inc. has been sustainably operating Atlantic salmon farms for over twenty-two years in Nova Scotia.  Today the local seafood production company reaffirmed its support to investing and creating marine and land-based jobs in the province by continuing to follow best aquaculture practices in coastal areas where fish farming exists.

Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. currently produces farmed Atlantic salmon annually across twelve marine aquaculture sites along Nova Scotia’s Southern and Western shores.

“Our aim is to grow responsibly in Nova Scotia. And this means modest expansion, putting fish health and environmental sustainability at the forefront of our growth strategy,” said Joel Richardson, Vice President of Public Relations for Cooke Aquaculture.

“We rely on veterinarians, biologists and feed specialists for advice and oversight on our everyday farming practices. To date, farm management practices such as single year class stocking, enhanced biosecurity protocols, creation of bay management areas, reduced stocking densities, fish health monitoring and early intervention remain the industry’s best tools in proper rearing of healthy farmed seafood,” explained Richardson.

In recent years, the provincial government took the necessary time without expansions to develop and implement a world class set of aquaculture regulations. Cooke Aquaculture believes in taking a coordinated, thoughtful, Bay Management Area (BMA) / Aquaculture Management Area (AMA) approach to expansion without compromising bio-security protocols and without putting the health of fish at risk.

“The current pandemic situation reminds us all that locally produced food is vital to food security in Canada and we are very proud of all our people working hard in Nova Scotia and throughout the world who are essential to supply grocery stores,” added Richardson.

In Nova Scotia, 309 small and medium size businesses are in Cooke’s supply chain and they annually receive orders for over $51 million. Cooke’s annual contribution to the Nova Scotia economy is significant – $239.5 million in revenues output, $73.4 million in GDP, and 445 full time equivalent jobs.  All this activity also generates consumer spending of $13.7 million.

Cooke Aquaculture has recently been recognized as a 2020 winner of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation for the 15th consecutive year. Winners are amongst the best-in-class of Canadian owned and managed companies demonstrating strategy, capability, and commitment to achieve sustainable growth.

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About Cooke Aquaculture Inc.

Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is a vertically integrated family company based in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, with salmon farming operations in Atlantic Canada, the United States, Chile and Scotland as well as seabass and seabream farming operations in Spain. The Cooke family of companies includes global aquaculture divisions including its wholly-owned subsidiary Cooke Aquaculture Inc. and Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd, as well as seafood and wild fishery divisions under Cooke Seafood USA, Inc., Icicle Seafoods, Inc., Wanchese Fish Company, Inc., Omega Protein Corporation, Cooke Uruguay S.A. and Seajoy Seafood Corporation, one of the largest premium shrimp farms in Latin America. Cooke has earned the #1 spot on the SeafoodSource list of Top 10 North American Seafood Suppliers. Cooke ships fresh, sustainable True North Seafood branded products to over 67 countries.

Cooke is committed to continuous improvement of quality and environmental performance. Certifications for the company’s farm-raised or wild-caught products include; Best Aquaculture Practices (4-Star: sea sites, processing plants, feed mills, and freshwater hatcheries), Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management, Label Rouge, Soil Association Organic, Friend of the Sea, Global G.A.P., British Retail Consortium among others.

Contact:

Joel Richardson
Vice President, Public Relations
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. / For Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd.
40 Wellington Row, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L 3H3
+1-506-721-1093 mobile/ +1-506-694-4939 office
joel.richardson@cookeaqua.com

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Website:                  www.cookeseafood.com