Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability
Icy Waters Ltd. is committed to the long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Whitehorse area and the health of the local resources on which it depends.
Icy Waters Ltd. takes all the necessary steps to ensure the health of our farm and its surrounding area. Diligent husbandry techniques; adjustments to feed formulations; sizeable research on local ecosystems and wetland remediation; as well as regular monitoring and sampling of inlet, outlet and surrounding water bodies are just some of the ways we ensure our use of natural resources is acceptable and sustainable.
Our goal is to strike a balance between the needs of the present and the future. We want to ensure that local ecosystems are not negatively impacted by the farm, whereby future generations will be unable to meet their own needs. Using scientific methodology and protocols derived from the Canadian Council of Environmental Ministers, Icy Waters Ltd. continues to manage its resources with great respect and appreciation for the uniqueness of this shared watershed.
Sustainable Aquaculture
Icy Waters Ltd. is a land based aquaculture facility. We have a gravity fed flow-through design with streams and springs as its source. We utilize drum filters, settling ponds and wetlands to remove particulate matter and effluent before returning the water to the natural wetlands downstream of our facility. On many occassions throughout the year, due to natural erosion, sediment levels entering our farm are higher than the level we are allowed to discharge, and as such we act like a large filter on our water shed system. Due to the actions of our mechanical and biological filters, we are able to effectively and efficiently polish the water prior to discharge.
The Vancouver Aquarium has created Ocean Wise, a conservation program supporting sustainable aquaculture practices. Icy Waters Arctic Charr is proud to be a sustainable seafood member of the Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise program. Seafood in the Ocean Wise program must be:
- Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures
- Well managed with a comprehensive plan based on current research
- Harvested in a method that ensures limited by-catch on non-target and endangered species
- Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has also created the Seafood Watch program to recognize sustainable seafood. The program ranks seafood choices as Avoid, Good or Best Choice based on their sustainability. Icy Waters Arctic Charr is proud to be listed as a “Best Choice” on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list.
In providing nutritious and year-round available food, Icy Waters Ltd. continues to strive to manage our footprint on our shared and valued resources.
