Amec boosts its aquaculture division

Mega-consulting engineering firm Amec has just announced it is acquiring Aquatic Resources Limited of Vancouver, B.C., boosting Amec’s expertise in fishery and aquatic services.
Amec is an international firm that has a large Canadian segment following its acquisition over the past few years of Agra and H.A. Simons. Amec’s Earth & Environmental division now has 90 offices in North America.
As its name suggests, Aquatic Resources specializes in fisheries and aquatic sciences. It was established in 1981. Aquatic’s Vancouver operation will be moving into Amec’s Burnaby facility, but it will keep the Vanderhoof, BC and Nelson, BC offices
“We are now better positioned than ever to provide consistent, high quality environmental expertise to our forestry, mining and oil and gas clients in Western Canada.” said Amec’s senior vice president Les Panek
In February, the United Nations announced that aquaculture is growing more rapidly than all other animal food production sectors. Its agency report, “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002” found that worldwide the industry has increased 9.2% per year since 1970, compared with only 1.4% growth for capture fisheries, and 2.8% for meat farmers. China is the largest aquaculture producer, with 71% of the total volume.
Aquaculture is defined as the farming and stocking of organisms that include fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants.