Indian native proud to be a salmon farmer

“I’m proud to be a salmon farmer. I take pride in my job”

By Gina Forsyth

Although Pavan Padavala, Assistant Manager of Midsummer Island, has been with Marine Harvest for a relatively short time, he has already made a positive mark on the company. Born in the southern part of India, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Pavan earned his Bachelor of Science following completion of high school. In 2010, he made the big move specifically to Canada to attend Memorial University in Newfoundland where he completed his Masters in Marine Studies with a major in Fisheries Resource Management. He also took an Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Aquaculture and specialized in feed replacement.

“I knew that aquaculture would be providing food to the world and the diploma took my interest,” says Pavan.

When Pavan was a student, Marine Harvest visited the campus. He was interviewed and hired before leaving Newfoundland and began his career at Wicklow Point in May 2013, and then followed it up at Glacier Falls where he stayed for a year as Assistant Manager before moving to his current site at Midsummer.

He’s responsible for running the farm when the manager is not there. This includes setting the staff’s workday, training new staff, collecting daily data, and ensuring health and safety policies are followed.

“I like that Marine Harvest encourages additional training,” explains Pavan.

Pavan enjoys “every part” of his job and is honoured to be part of an industry that puts “so much care into the fish.”

“I’m proud to be a salmon farmer. I take pride in my job,” says Pavan.

In early January 2017, Pavan returned to India and met his new bride, Sreshta, for the first time. They met January 19and were engaged February 1, when a wedding date was set. In the intervening two weeks, they got to know each other and felt comfortable together. They were married February 19 surrounded by family and friends. The event included various ceremonies and sumptuous food. The reception was held in Pavan’s hometown four days later, and following that, time was spent with both families.

“[We] had great support from the company during the whole process,” says Pavan, adding that he’s grateful for the Marine Harvest staff, particularly his Regional Manager Kelly Osborne.

Sreshta arrived in Canada May 31, 2017. She has a business degree and once her work permit is approved, she’ll begin job hunting.

Pavan and Sreshta have bought a house and live in south Campbell River. The couple enjoys long drives, badminton, volleyball, and hiking.