SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Great Slave Fish Products is hoping to continue with the green ideas they began last year.

In 2010 the fishery's new owner Brian Abbott began greening up the plant, with changes that included a new water filtration system, repainting the facility and rewiring the company's barge. Once he has the money he is hoping to install a new gasifying wood burning furnace that would burn gases from the wood at very high temperatures, making it nearly carbon neutral. He is also hoping to install solar panels to take advantage of long summer days in the North, and to install a high-efficiency propane system.

"Greening is good for the environment and it is common sense. If we reduce the fuel we use, we reduce costs. Right now we have a generator and it uses a lot of fuel and is very expensive, costing $60 to $70 a day," said Abbott. "We want to start using solar power just as soon as we can afford it."

Abbott said the government offered him funding for the initiatives, but they are not finished with the paperwork.

"These changes have come 100 per cent out of our own pockets."

Once the changes are in place, he is expecting a drastic cut in his overhead costs.

"We're looking at tens of thousands of dollars in savings, and we hope to pass them on to the customers."

He is also hoping to offer new products, such as cat and dog food made from ground fish and fish fertilizer once their new grinder is set up.

"We will get the fertilizer going in the next couple of months," said Abbott. He described the fertilizer as "the best stuff in the world" for rebuilding depleted soil because of the nutrients it contains. He said the goal is to use as much of the fish as possible and avoid waste.

Abbott said some of the new gear will be paid for with funds from sales of property he owns in southern Canada.

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