News Sustainability Management
Taste of BC Aquafarms agrees to supply steelhead salmon fingerlings, valued at $1 million

Blue Star Foods’ recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) subsidiary, Taste of BC Aquafarms (TBC), has entered into a two-year agreement to supply steelhead salmon fingerlings to another company that produces steelhead salmon in British Columbia (B.C.), Canada for a value of up to approximately $1 million.

“We appreciate the vote of confidence from this local steelhead producer whom we have known for many years. It is an acknowledgement that we have mastered the early rearing cycle that is so critical in the overall growth performance of these fish. We are seeing consistent results that others in our space have not in terms of the end-quality of our steel-head salmon product,” said Steve Atkinson, founder of TBC. “While in some sense we could view these folks as competitors, the reality here is that there is more than enough demand for our fresh, sustainability produced steelhead salmon than any single participant can supply. We want to continue to build the RAS and aquaculture industry up here in British Columbia and lend a hand to our friends where we can.”

As TBC look to scale up production with its new 1,500 metric-ton (MT) facility, this agreement is an opportunity for the company to enter into a segment that gives higher margins and a shorter production cycle, Atkinson explain in a press release. “At four months production verses 12 for grow out, market sized fish, our risk is greatly reduced. Additionally, the price per pound gained for fingerlings is exponentially greater than that for full sized fish,” said Atkinson.