The Kitasoo/Xai’Xais began farming and processing salmon in the late 1980’s, forming a partnership for the business with Mowi in 1998. Mowi and the Nation have worked together to retrofit an existing processing building to a modern hot-smoke facility producing a ready-to-eat product carefully prepared and hand-packed by Kitasoo/Xai’Xais. 

For the past 20 years, farm-raised salmon processing in Klemtu has been primary processing only, with salmon shipped out of the community as whole fish for the market. Salmon farming and processing is the top employer in Klemtu generating over 50 direct jobs in a community of approximately 200 people in the workforce.

Mowi and the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais have also committed to work together to develop a skills training program for the people of Klemtu with the goal of ensuring that the jobs generated under the agreement are filled by members of the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais Nation.