These days many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are making efforts to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. From community recycling programs to the provincial government considering a ban on single-use plastic bags — it seems everyone is taking a moment to consider how their lifestyle may be impacting the environment.

The Labrador Fishermen's Shrimp Union Company is no different.

It's partnered with MV Osprey Ltd. — a fishing company with a new, modern off-shore shrimp trawler specifically designed with the environment in mind.

Scott Nichols, president and CEO of MV Osprey Ltd., says when the company set out to build the Northern Osprey III in 2017, it went out of its way to make sure the systems on board were as environmentally friendly as possible.

I think the technology is there where existing older boats can adopt new machinery, or better machinery, to get up to snuff. - Scott Nichols

"Our main engine ... it's more environmentally friendly, as far as fuel consumption goes," Nichols said.

He said the ship is also able to recycle as much generated heat as possible, instead of letting it go up the stacks and out into the air.

"We have many systems on board which try to recover heat from the exhaust, which we re-circulate around the vessel through boilers to produce steam," Nichols said. "Which then goes into the factory and does such things as cook our shrimp and heat our accommodations area."

The MV Northern Osprey III is a state-of-the-art shrimp trawler. CEO Scott Nichols says most other trawlers off our waters were built in the 1980's and 1990's, and environmentally-friendly technology just wasn't available back then. (MV Osprey Ltd.)

Offshore Recycling

The crew aboard the Osprey isn't just concerned about mechanics. Nichols said they recycle on board, but not only in the way the average person does.

"We have systems on board that grind up all of our food wastage and bones from the galley into very minute particles, and they're taken off when we land and disposed of accordingly."

Nichols encourages other fishing enterprises to consider the environment whenever possible.

"Not everybody is going to go out and build a new vessel," he said.

"But I think the technology is there where existing older boats can adopt new machinery, or better machinery, to get up to snuff."

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