ISCO member Aqua-Guard Spill Response Inc. is proud to announce the successful delivery and on-water training of its first production RBS TRITON™ CFSH (Carbon Fibre Super Hydrophobic) Oil Sheen Recovery System to the Malahat Nation on Vancouver Island — marking a significant milestone in Canadian-led environmental innovation.
The CFSH system, which recently won Natural Resources Canada’s Oil Spill Response Challenge, is the world’s first mechanical recovery technology capable of capturing oil sheens as thin as 0.08 microns, well below the current 50-micron threshold traditionally deemed unrecoverable by regulatory standards
Nigel Bennett, Co-Founder and Principal at Aqua-Guard commented: “We are extremely proud to have delivered the very first unit of this groundbreaking technology to the Malahat Nation. It’s especially meaningful to collaborate with Indigenous Communities who are leading environmental stewards of their lands and waters.”
Hands-On Training with Indigenous Guardians
The Malahat Nation is a proud Coast Salish Indigenous community and one of the five W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) Nations. They are situated between Victoria and Mill Bay, British Columbia, Canada with reserve lands located on the western shore of Saanich Inlet nestled beneath a nearby mountain range commonly known as The Malahat, one of the most sacred sites on southern Vancouver Island.
The equipment delivery included a live deployment and operator training session led by Aqua-Guard’s technical team. Training took place aboard the Malahat Nation’s landing craft vessel, involving the Malahat Environmental Department and Guardian environmental team members. Members from the Lyackson Nation Marine Stewardship Program were also in attendance to witness the development of the CFSH system.
“It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and capability of the Guardians as they operated the system.” said Jason Ogilve, Sales Manager at Aqua-Guard.
“We’re here to support their work — and they’re supporting ours — by sharing their invaluable local knowledge of marine sensitivities and waterway flow patterns, as they continue to protect and steward their coastal territory.”
Benjamin Fortini – Malahat Nation Director of Marine Stewardship commented “Malahat Nation is proud to be the first to own a CFSH oil sheen skimming system and to be prepared to recover oil sheens that industry often considers non-recoverable. This is an important step in protecting Malahat’s marine territory from harmful contaminants. Aqua-Guard has demonstrated both innovation and a strong commitment to protecting local waters, and we look forward to seeing what they develop next.”
Strengthening Collaboration for Marine Protection
This deployment follows a successful demonstration with Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) in Vancouver Harbour and a widely attended three-day open house at Aqua-Guard’s North Vancouver headquarters. Interest in the CFSH technology is growing rapidly among Indigenous Nations, government agencies, oil spill responders (OSROs) and marine industry leaders in Canada and internationally.
“Supporting Indigenous-led stewardship with a Canadian-made innovation is key to advancing sustainable marine protection, nation-to-nation collaboration and climate leadership.” added Bennett.
Full story: https://aquaguard.com/news/malahat-nation-receives-award-winning-mechanical-oil-sheen-recovery-system
