Independent Seafoods Canada Corporation to base second freezer trawler in Port Alberni

The Port Alberni Port Authority (PAPA) is proud to announce that Independent Seafoods Canada Corporation (ISCC) will be adding a second freezer trawler, the Sunderoey, to home port dockside to the Raw Spirit at Port Alberni Terminals. Raw Spirit has made its home port in Port Alberni since 2013 and has provided over 50 direct regular local jobs to crew as well as 20 more jobs for offload activities. The Raw Spirit’s operations have also contributed to job creation for local suppliers and marine trades. It is expected that the new vessel will reflect the same total new jobs upon full deployment. Kelly Andersen, President of ISCC, makes special note that “over 80% of the Raw Spirit’s workforce has come from Port Alberni while an additional 5-7 have moved to the community as a result.”
Kelly explains that “these are well-paying jobs that have enabled our relatively young crew to buy homes and start families in the Alberni Valley.” He expects that bringing the Sunderoey, a modern-build vessel with state of the art equipment and creature-comforts for crew, to Port Alberni will more than double the economic impact from jobs created to services and supplies required to keep both vessels operating.

PAPA President & CEO, Zoran Knezevic, is happy that the relationship forged with the Port, the community and ISCC has allowed the company to thrive and expand here. “Perhaps more importantly than proximity to fishing grounds, is that the port and community have been able to provide facilities and services and a strong, hard-working labour force.” Mr. Knezevic adds that “the deployment of the company’s second vessel is a welcome addition to our diverse marine cluster that includes marinas, vessel build and repair facilities, along with the upcoming oil spill response base, sea and land food processing hub. This new addition demonstrates that the development of the marine cluster is a meaningful effort that is realizing great economic and social value for Port Alberni.”

A commemorative plaque will be presented by PAPA to ISCC in recognition of the Inaugural Call of the Sunderoey to Port Alberni on May 4, 2020.

For more information please refer to the Fact Sheet below or contact:
Dave McCormick: Director, Public Relations & Business Development
Ph: 250-723-5312 ext. 227
E: dmccormick@alberniport.ca

INDEPENDENT SEAFOODS CANADA CORPORATION FACT SHEET

• Independent Seafoods Canada Corporation (ISCC) was incorporated in 2012
• The ISCC Raw Spirit made Port Alberni Terminals its home port in 2013
• ISCC selected Port Alberni as its home port because of its close proximity to fishing grounds and the community’s strong labour force
• The Raw Spirit currently employs 50 on board crew and an additional 20 onshore for offloads
• ISCC’s newest Freezer Trawler, the Sunderoey will double the amount of employment
• The types of jobs involved with ISCC’s operations include:
  • Captain, Mate
  • Chief Engineer, 2nd Engineer, Oiler
  • Bosuns
  • Factory Manager, Assistant Factory Manager
  • Lead Hands,
  • Factory
  • Cooks, Stuarts
  • Offload General Labour
• The following training and qualifications are required for ISCC jobs:
  • Bridge and Engineering crew: advanced training through Transport Canada
  • Factory manager : First Aid and MED’s ( marine emergency duties )
  •  Bosuns: MED’s
  • Cooks: Med’s and First Aid preferred
  • Factory: Med’s preferred.
• More than 80% of all ISCC crew are from the Alberni Valley with the remaining having been attracted to the community. ISCC expects to continue to hire from the local labour pool to crew the Sunderoey
• About the Sunderoey:
  • Length: 56.4 metres
  • Tonnage: 1874 Gross Tonnes
  • Cargo Capacity: 573 Tonnes
  • Required Operational Crew: 26 persons per trip
  • Crew Accommodations: 28 persons

• The Sunderoey was built in 2004 at Gondan Shipyard in Spain for its previous owner Prestfjord AS.  The company primarily operated the vessel in the waters around Norway where it was among the top 5 producers operating in that region.