Who We Are

Canadian Aquaculture Portal Society – Société du portail canadien de l’aquaculture (CAPS-SPCA)

In September 2007, the Canadian Aquaculture Portal Society – Société du portail canadien de l’aquaculture (CAPS-SPCA) – doing business as AquaPort.ca - became a registered not-for-profit corporation under the Canada Corporations Act.  It was formed to undertake the development and operation of the AquaPort.ca web platform to enable knowledge mobilization in Canadian aquaculture.

Mandate

To provide an interactive web platform for multiple stakeholder groups in the Canadian aquaculture sector to access, create, and share purposeful information in digital formats.

Mission

To become a key component of the growth of sustainable and publicly supported aquaculture in Canada by being its knowledge connecting agent.

Objects of the Corporation

Enhance knowledge connectivity and exchange in the Aquaculture sector.

Support collaboration, partnership building, and networking between industry, communities and researchers in the Aquaculture sector.

Provide a decision-making resource for government, communities, industry, and research organizations.

Benefits to the Canadian Aquaculture Sector

• Increase efficiencies in knowledge management.
• Enhance the knowledge flows needed for innovation.
• Aid decision making in government, communities, industry, research planning, and other arenas.
• Catalyze collaboration, partnership building, and networking between industry, communities and researchers.
• Facilitate the consultative and participatory processes necessary for sector development.
• Provide industry information for community and consumer education.
• Help to remove redundancy and avoid duplication of effort in service provision to the sector.

Board of Directors

The initial 3-member board of directors was appointed to guide the development AquaPort.ca and the formation of its permanent organizational and governance structure. As part of the development of permanent governance structure, board of directors was expanded to nine members in December 2007 to add essential leadership, knowledge and skills. 

Yves Bastien, Retired, Aquaculture Expert

During his 24 year career in aquaculture, Mr. Bastien was a member of several steering committees and boards.   He received the Herb Dhaliwal Sustainable Aquaculture Award in 2004 and has extensive expertise in all aspects of public management and support.  He brings with him a wealth of experience with the aquaculture industry policies and protocols and expertise in developing corporations from start-up to success.

Cyr Couturier, Chair, Masters Science Aquaculture Program, Memorial University

Mr. Couturier is the Chair of the Masters in Science Aquaculture Program of the Marine Institute of Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland.   He has worked for 27 years in aquaculture applied research, project development and management, teaching, and extension services and not for profit association development and management. He has strong relationships with government and industry people in eastern and Atlantic Canada.  

Linda Sams CEO, BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences

Ms. Sams is the CEO for the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, Campbell River BC and has over 20 years of business and management experience in the private sector.  She has served on the boards of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Governors for North Island College.  Ms Sams brings a wide network of west coast aquaculture industry, government, research (national and international) and First Nations contacts. 

Gavin Last, Assistant Director, Aquaculture Development, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

Gavin Last has lived in BC for most of his life. He began his career in aquaculture in 1988 at Capilano College where he completed the Aquaculture Technician’s Certificate program. He worked briefly in the salmon farming industry before completing degrees in English (1993) and Law (1999). He has worked at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (formerly Agriculture Food & Fisheries) in Victoria since 2000. He is currently the Assistant Director of the Aquaculture Development Branch.

Roddy Morrison, IT Director, Marine Harvest Canada

Roddy Morrison is currently the IT Director for Marine Harvest Canada, a position he has had for over 5 years.  Previously he worked for over 4 years with Stolt Seafarms in Scotland.  He is responsible for IT and communications for all Marine Harvest Canada locations. He has a degree in computer science and brings extensive experience in development of applications and technical solutions for the aquaculture industry. 

Jack Taylor, Retired Aquaculture and Policy Expert

Jack Taylor has been involved with the aquaculture industry since 1998 as a policy analyst with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He served as Executive Director in the Office of the Commissioner for Aquaculture Development from 1999 to 2004. He moved to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as Director of the new Aquatic Animal Health Division in 2005. Mr Taylor retired from the federal government in 2006.

Céline Audet, Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski

Céline Audet has worked for 20 years in aquaculture applied research. During this period, she was actively involved in all provincial initiatives that aimed to build effective links among governments, industry and research including Société de recherche et développement en aquaculture continentale (SORDAC), Société de développement de l’industrie maricole (SODIM), Centre de transfert et de sélection des salmonidés (CTSS). She is chair of the Réseau Aquaculture Québec (RAQ) and was an active member of AquaNet. Her own research is oriented towards salmonids and marine fish (flounder and cod), but she also collaborated on projects on crustaceans and trained around 40 M.Sc. and Ph. D. students.

Sam Nakai, Business Development Consultant 

Mr. Nakai is a consultant currently working with a private venture consulting company and a Crown agency leading innovation and commercialization in the province of British Columbia.  He has eleven years experience in operations in private company and public service organizations related to manufacturing, high technology, internet and general research, innovation and commercialization.  He was most recently Director of Programs for the BC Innovation Council, an early supporter of AquaPort.

Adolfo Alvial, Technical Director, Marine Harvest Chile

Since 2000, Mr. Alvial has initiated and managed several innovative businesses and associations in the aquaculture, ecotourism and environmental sectors, including being the general manager of the Technological Institute of Salmon (INTESAL) - the technological arm of SalmonChile, the Chilean salmon farming industry association.  Currently he is the Technical Director for Marine Harvest Chile and has extensive business development and global communication expertise. 

Officers

Officers of the Board of Directors were appointed in December 2007 augmenting the working organizational structure initiated with the permanent Board of Directors.  The officers were chosen to ensure ongoing assessment and strategizing capability within the organization.
President: Tim DeJager, CO3 Consulting
Vice-president: Yves Bastien
Secretary: Linda Hiemstra, Mel Mor Science
Treasurer: Jack Taylor

President

Tim DeJager, co3 Consulting

Dr. DeJager has been the lead proponent and manager of the AquaPort project since inception.  In this role, he managed the survey to determine industry requirements, collection of core content, development of technology requirements, and worked with industry and other stakeholders to build support and pursue funding opportunities.  He has over 10 years experience in the aquaculture industry as a business owner, teacher, publisher of research information, and manager of research and consulting projects. 

Secretary

Linda Hiemstra, Mel Mor Science

Ms Hiemstra has worked in the aquaculture industry for over 17 years as a shellfish culture researcher, instructor, and project manager, for research, development and  information projects such as conferences, publications, workshops and training events and has extensive contacts throughout the sector in BC and nationally. She has worked with the Aquaport project since January 2007 providing management and assistance to specific development activities.   

Contributors and Collaborators

Many agencies and groups have realized the value of AquaPort to the Canadian aquaculture industry and to the Canadian economy and have contributed and collaborated to ensure the success of this project. 

• AquaNet, the Network of Centres of Excellence for Aquaculture

• BC innovation Council, BC Aquaculture Research and Development Council

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

• British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

• Malaspina University-College, (Faculty of Management, Faculty of Science and Technology and Institute for Coastal Research)

• Societé de développement de l‘industrie maricole

• Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

• Réseau Aquaculture Québec

• Aquaculture Association of Canada

Collaborating Associations and Organizations

• Aquaculture Centre, University of Guelph 

• BC Salmon Farmers Association

• BC Shellfish Growers Association

• Regroupement des mariculteurs du Québec

• Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association

• New Brunswick Salmon Growers Association

• Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia 

• Prince Edward Island Aquaculture Alliance  

• Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association 

• Alberta Fish Farmers Association 

• Professional Shellfish Growers Association of New Brunswick

• Carrefour national de l’aquaculture et des pêches de Grande-Rivière

• Interprovincial Partnership for Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture Development

This project has been supported in part by funds from AquaNet, the Network of Centres of Excellence for Aquaculture.