a little bit about...

Our Team

Big Falls began with a vision to address the rising demand for sustainable seafood. Founded in 1995, our facility and farming practices have evolved with the changing face of aquaculture.  Owner operated and managed, we believe the best results come from working together as a team. We have a current full-time staff of 6, and add an additional 6 employees at peak times of the year. We pride ourselves on being a community-based facility - committed to hiring and training local workers, many with backgrounds in the traditional fishing industry which provides them a unique intuition for working with fish. We also source local feed and equipment, participate in community forums, and engage local groups in ongoing education initiatives.

Our Founders

Roger Hammond

Kevin Siddall

Our Facility

Healthy fish require optimal growing conditions - and we provide the ideal setting. Black River Lake, nestled near the picturesque Gasperau Valley in rural Nova Scotia, is well-suited for an extended growing season, offering a reliable source of cold, clean, fast-moving water. Annual production at our 20-tank facility exceeds 100 tons of fish. We use industry-leading technology which allows us to better monitor fish development, behavior and overall health. 

We’re licensed and regulated by the province of Nova Scotia.
We’re certified disease-free by the Department of Fisheries & Oceans.
We’re pursuing Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification.
Our Model

Intake

We use eggs produced by premium-selected breeding female salmon (”broodstock”) from right here in Atlantic Canada. 

Growth

After eggs hatch, they develop into smolt in our fresh-water tanks, which mimic their natural migration through rivers. 

Transport

Once they reach maturity, the smolt are transferred to saltwater facilities to finish their growth cycle.

see the full cycle here
our method

flow-through

Our custom-designed flow-through system is continually exposing growing fish to fresh, clean water, which prevents the spread of disease, regulates temperature fluctuations and promotes overall health.