Aqua Fish Canada Inc Essay Example for Free

Aqua Fish Canada Inc Essay May 2007 to April 2009 Update Over the past two years, AFC has faced more intense competition, particularly from aquaculturists in Chile. In addition, Chilean output has increased the supply of salmon and the Canadian dollar has strengthened in relation to the U. S. dollar. As a result, AFC has been unable to meet its budgeted revenue targets. Stocks of unsold harvestable fish have increased, as well as the corresponding cost of maintaining the fish, and the company barely made a profit in fiscal 2009. In January 2009, AFC lost one of its largest retail customers, SF Seafood, to a new salmon aquaculture firm, Nu-Farm Inc. This new competitor uses a sophisticated, computerized system for supply chain and product distribution functions. The system allows Nu-Farm to establish web links with customers, such as SF Seafood, and to manage orders and deliveries directly for each of the customer’s retail outlets. This has eliminated the need for customers to make separate arrangements to receive and warehouse fresh fish, and to ultimately distribute the fish to their retail locations. In February 2009, 2,000 kilograms of fish from Site 4 were rejected by three important customers, two of which are located in the United States. An internal investigation revealed that two employees at Site 4 had neglected to follow established procedures and failed to reject some fish that did not meet quality standards and were not certified by the staff veterinarian. In April 2009, employees neglected to secure some of the net-pens at Site 3. During a storm, more than 300,000 kilograms of young fish escaped from these net-pens and most were subsequently lost to predators. Although the company’s property and liability insurance covers criminal theft of fish, it does not cover the loss of fish from disease, parasites, escape, or predators. In addition, there is no liability coverage with respect to food poisoning or diseases caused by the salmon, or environmental damage caused by the farm’s operations. The lost salmon had a book inventory value of $690,000, which was written off in fiscal 2009. The ultimate sales value of the lost fish had they grown to harvestable weight is approximately $1. 5 million. It will cost $200,000 to repair the damaged pens. Domestic and Export Markets Guy Mills is dissatisfied with the company’s geographic sales distribution, which has not changed since 2006, and would like to increase overseas sales. He has requested Juliette Maise to investigate the possibility of opening an overseas sales office. Experts predict that demand for all forms of salmon will grow at a record pace in overseas markets, particularly in developing countries. It is expected that Canada’s international reputation for salmon and other fish will remain high. A market analysis by a respected source, published in May 2009, indicates that the market for fresh salmon is maturing very rapidly in Canada and the U. S. , as consumer tastes become more sophisticated and demand begins to shift to shellfish and various exotic, imported fish. New packaging methods have been developed for mussels, which has enabled live fresh mussels to be exported to markets at greater distances from the farms. The wholesale market price for Canadian mussels has remained stable at about $1. 40 per kg, but is expected to increase to $1. 0 over the next few years. In the past few years, global supplies of American oysters have decreased after hurricanes destroyed a significant percentage of the oyster farms in the southern U. S. At the same time, the popularity of these oysters by consumers in North America and Europe has been increasing. As a result, the market price for American oysters farmed in Canada significantly increased from $1. 80 per kg in 2006 to $2. 70 per kg in 2009. The re-established farms in the southern U. S. are expected to have their first new harvests in another year or two. New Strategic Goals The board of directors met in May 2009 after receiving the financial statements for 2009. Guy Mills provided the board with a summary of selected site and segment data (see Appendix 1), and reported that the decreased profits in 2009 were caused by the Site 3 problems, the decrease in market value, the strengthening Canadian dollar versus the U. S. dollar, and the increased feed costs. He also indicated that he expected the four sites to yield an average of 3. 8 million kilograms (950,000 kilograms per site) of harvested fish per year, assuming that no further unusual losses were incurred. Given the current market conditions and the risk of having to decrease prices or lose export sales to the U. S. , the board decided that the company should move into other markets and diversify into shellfish farming. No dividends would be paid for the next year or two to free up some cash to invest in new projects. The board directed Mills to investigate establishing shellfish aquaculture sites and develop a business strategy for increasing the profitability of the current salmon operations. They indicated that any proposed investment should generate a minimum after-tax return of 10% within five years. Shellfish Aquaculture Opportunity Mills explored opportunities for diversifying into shellfish aquaculture. He found two potential opportunities (a mussel farm and an oyster farm) and wondered which one should be pursued or whether both should be pursued. A summary of the costs and yields for establishing these farms is provided in Appendix 2. Project Blue Wave Over the past two years, Dr. Lily Stern has been investigating what makes some salmon in an aquaculture environment grow more quickly than others, have better disease resistance, and develop higher-quality flesh. Her studies have led her to submit a proposal for Project Blue Wave (see Appendix 3), which would use leading-edge genetic engineering to develop a strain of Atlantic salmon with superior qualities specifically suited to aquaculture. Dr. Stern insists that this is a new approach to finfish aquaculture and feels that it would revolutionize the industry. Executive Meeting – June 15, 2008 Mills suggested that AFC could increase revenues by pursuing overseas markets more aggressively. He also indicated that the company should find ways to decrease operating costs. He presented the two options for expanding into shellfish aquaculture and Dr. Stern’s Project Blue Wave proposal for discussion and asked for any new ideas to achieve the board’s goals. Mills also reported that residents in the vicinity of Site 3 were investigating the possibility of launching a lawsuit against AFC if they could gather enough evidence to prove that the escaped fish were causing environmental damage and contaminating the wild fish. In the past, similar lawsuits have had a 10% success rate with damages amounting to $10 million. Vanic questioned the wisdom of establishing a mussel farm in PEI. He indicated that many such farms become infested with an invasive parasite that attaches itself to the growing mussels. The parasites do not have a significant impact on the growth period or meat yields of mussels; however, maintenance, harvest and distribution costs are significantly increased (20% more variable production, 10% more fixed production, and 14% more variable distribution costs). Employees also dislike handling mussels infested with the parasite. Egin indicated that only about 25% of mussel farms get infected with the parasite. He was more interested in the Project Blue Wave proposal and suggested that it had a very good chance of realizing greater than market returns. He indicated that the RD department had been conducting some preliminary research on genetic engineering and the scientists believe they are on the brink of delivering results, if supported with a little more investment. Jacques Dubois wondered whether the chances of successfully developing a fastergrowing salmon were much lower than Egin or Dr.  Stern realized and that a much larger aquaculture organization, or the government, would be doing this research if it were a project worth pursuing. He felt that too much money had already been spent on RD and not enough on operational efficiencies, supply chain management, and technologies. Dubois also wondered whether AFC should consider adopting IFRSs for financial reporting and, if so, what the major implications of the conversion would be. After the meeting, Mills directed Adam Rice, Controller, to review the company’s strategic options and operational issues. Other Information Rice began by interviewing various staff members, and made the following notes: 1. The variability of the fishing industry has made banks very cautious. Consequently, the Eastern Bank of Canada would be willing to provide a loan of no more than $3 million at an annual interest rate of 8%, on the condition that AFC maintain a gross profit margin of at least 20%. 2. Maise has determined that Paris, France would be an ideal location for an overseas sales office. Space could be leased for CDN$5,000 per month and a local salesperson could be hired for an annual base salary of CDN$20,000 plus a four percent sales commission. Maise estimates that this office could generate annual sales of up to 500,000 kilograms of fresh whole salmon. She also indicated that there is a strong market for oysters in France, if they could be transported in an economical manner. 3. Rob Vanic predicts that world fuel prices will continue to increase and that the risk of spoilage of fresh seafood shipped overseas will double. In fiscal 2009, two percent of overseas shipments of salmon were lost or spoiled before reaching the customers. 4. An investigation of the variable cost variances at Sites 3 and 4 revealed that the employees were overfeeding the fish, resulting in an excess amount of feed falling to the ocean floor. At Sites 1 and 2, the employees are well trained and experienced. 5. In June 2009, an important, high-potential overseas customer asked an AFC salesperson to ship crates of fish purchased for US$6,000 with documentation that stated the value as US$2,000. Apparently, this request was for customs purposes. The salesperson consulted Maise, who indicated that the company’s policy to please the customer applied in this and all other cases. The salesperson brought the matter to Rice’s attention. 6. Costs of preliminary research on genetic engineering have been expensed in the year incurred. 7. Genetic engineering is a common practice in the agriculture and livestock industries. Proponents of organic and natural foods have increasingly complained about the ethical issues surrounding genetic tampering. 8. A discount rate of 10% after taxes is used for evaluating capital investments.

Scientific Materalism v. Crime and Punishment Essay examples -- Litera

Author of Crime and Punishment, Feodor Dostoevsky, uses the text to subtly exhibit factors which aid in disproving the idea of scientific materialism. He aims to prove that there must be another explanation for our complexities, unlike the opposing one in which everything is believed to be made or conducted by matter. Regardless of extensive scientific experimentation, there are still many aspects of the human mind and body that remain unclear. Crime and Punishment relays some extreme qualities possessed by humans which are argued by many to be valid proof of our creation by a higher power. The fact that humans are emotional beings and that emotions are not classified as matter creates the opportunity for philosophical debate. Dostoevsky feeds on this uncertainty and assists in the argument of refuting scientific materialism by providing examples of human emotions such as shame, pity, compassion, love, and guilt. He also attempts to refute scientific materialism by suggesting the existence of a human conscience, free will, self sacrifice, and pure evil. Crime and Punishment revolves around main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, and the physical, mental, and spiritual repercussions he endures after he commits murder. In other words, â€Å"the whole novel is built around the unique process of disintegration in the hero's soul† (Bem 2). When we first meet Raskolnikov, we learn he is a relatively young ex-student who has fallen into the poverty stricken slums of St. Petersburg, Russia. He has become unhealthily anti-social and bitter towards humanity and is now trapped within and tortured by his own thoughts. It is revealed that he is struggling internally with the idea of murdering a pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, with... ...ter. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. "Crime and Punishment." Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Dostoevsky, Feodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. George Gibian. Trans. Coulson. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989. Print. Leatherbarrow, William J. "Chapter 4: The Principle of Uncertainty: Crime and Punishment." Fedor Dostoevsky. William J. Leatherbarrow. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Twayne's World Authors Series 636. The Twayne Authors Series. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Santangelo, Gennaro. "The Five Motives of Raskolnikov." Dalhousie Review 54.4 (Winter 1974): 710-719. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Scientific Materalism v. Crime and Punishment Essay examples -- Litera Author of Crime and Punishment, Feodor Dostoevsky, uses the text to subtly exhibit factors which aid in disproving the idea of scientific materialism. He aims to prove that there must be another explanation for our complexities, unlike the opposing one in which everything is believed to be made or conducted by matter. Regardless of extensive scientific experimentation, there are still many aspects of the human mind and body that remain unclear. Crime and Punishment relays some extreme qualities possessed by humans which are argued by many to be valid proof of our creation by a higher power. The fact that humans are emotional beings and that emotions are not classified as matter creates the opportunity for philosophical debate. Dostoevsky feeds on this uncertainty and assists in the argument of refuting scientific materialism by providing examples of human emotions such as shame, pity, compassion, love, and guilt. He also attempts to refute scientific materialism by suggesting the existence of a human conscience, free will, self sacrifice, and pure evil. Crime and Punishment revolves around main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, and the physical, mental, and spiritual repercussions he endures after he commits murder. In other words, â€Å"the whole novel is built around the unique process of disintegration in the hero's soul† (Bem 2). When we first meet Raskolnikov, we learn he is a relatively young ex-student who has fallen into the poverty stricken slums of St. Petersburg, Russia. He has become unhealthily anti-social and bitter towards humanity and is now trapped within and tortured by his own thoughts. It is revealed that he is struggling internally with the idea of murdering a pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, with... ...ter. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. "Crime and Punishment." Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Dostoevsky, Feodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. George Gibian. Trans. Coulson. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989. Print. Leatherbarrow, William J. "Chapter 4: The Principle of Uncertainty: Crime and Punishment." Fedor Dostoevsky. William J. Leatherbarrow. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981. Twayne's World Authors Series 636. The Twayne Authors Series. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Santangelo, Gennaro. "The Five Motives of Raskolnikov." Dalhousie Review 54.4 (Winter 1974): 710-719. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 167. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.

A Sense of Belonging Essay

â€Å"Ð  sense of belonging† is a book that nobody should miss! It provides students with the opportunity to examine different writing models and techniques while raising their awareness of different issues such as racial discrimination and racial abuse. Many of my friends found it interesting to read and could not stop reading the whole book although we were told to finish only four stories and only stopped flipping and reading till the last page! I personally find the book worth a read and would like to recommend it to all the secondary 3 and 4 students. Stories in the book include â€Å"a sense of belonging† and â€Å"The Test† which are about racial differences and a lady that was very mindful of her race. It does not merely elaborate on racial discrimination which can be very common but also tells us to be more sensitive towards other people and to be aware of our actions, as our words have the ability to hurt others. This is especially applicable to students of our age as we often meet friends of different races in school, and it reminds us that we should be considerate to others â€Å"The limits of trooghaft† highlights the plight of animals as humans are being treated the way we treat animals during the period of time we dominated the world. It serves as a reminder for us to put ourselves in others’ shoes and also consider the fact that animals have feelings and should not be abused like the way many are being treated now because animals have their own rights. This is a relatively important value in life that people need to constantly reinforce, so that we do not end up treating other people the way we do not want them to treat us. â€Å"a sound of thunder† talks about small mistakes leading to dire consequences and reminds us not to neglect the small details in life, because they can be important as well. After reading the book I personally found these four stories very inspiring and interesting. They allowed me to understand more about the common issues and problems faced, while learning moral values and reflecting on my daily life as we can easily relate to some of the stories in the book The important messages and lessons I learnt were invaluable to me and will accompany me for the rest of my life. Therefore I would strongly recommend this book to all upper secondary students as it can help them approach then own writing with more confidence and understanding, while teaching them life values at the same time.

Junk Food Advertisements During Childrens Programs Essay

It has been recently reported by the Martens and Schneider (Guardian, 2009) that billions of pounds are spent every day by the junk food companies on persuading children to consume their products. In addition, an American study shows that during Saturday morning, when children are more likely to be watching, one food commercial is shown every eight minutes and which considered an alarming rate (Bell, 2009). Should government allow these companies to advertise their products on television during children’s shows? Some people agree that these companies should be allowed to do that as it is one way of making profits and is completely legal. However, a large proportion of people believe that allowing these companies and firms to advertise†¦show more content†¦In addition, some countries which have already banned these advertisements show an improvement in the field of childhood health. For instance, the Canadian province Quebec which banned this way of marketing has shown a lower rate of childhood obesity in comparison with other surrounding regions (ibid). Regulations and banning should cover all commercials that target children. Although many countries have already applied partial regulations on this issue, several health organisations state that these rules are not enough to prevent young people from obesity. Nathanson (as cited in BBC NEWS, 2006), states that many nations are facing obesity epidemic and if officials did not response to this problem, the next generations would be the most obese in history. Therefore, banning firms from promoting fast food would result in a noticeable improvement in children’s health. The second reason that firms and companies should not be allowed to market their convenience food during children’s shows is the fact that these commercials have a significant negative influence on young people’s eating habits. A large number of children seem to trust the content of commercials. Atkin (as cited in Rossiter, 1980) emphasised this by stating that 60% of young people who are in the first grade show an extreme trust on all commercials. Moreover, it is known that most of the products promotedShow MoreRelatedThesis: Junk Food Consumption by Children During TV Watching921 Words   |  4 Pagesteachign program to inhibit junk food consumption by children during TV-watching Submitted by: Dr. John Doe Title: Fast food advertisements should not be shown during TV shows for children Topic: Fast food advertisements should not be shown during TV shows for children Research Classification: Applied Objective: to structure an instructional program that would inform paretns about the hazards of fast food advertisements during TV shows for children and how to control childrens eating junk foodsRead MoreObesity : Obesity And Obesity1637 Words   |  7 Pagesincrease in obese youths. A possible contributing factor is food advertisements that contain poor-nutrient food and are targeted at children. Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to various advertisements on a daily basis. Many studies have suggested that there would be an overall reduction in obesity and overweight rates with the ban or reduction of nutrient-poor food advertisements. The combination of advertisements of poor food choices, with increased technology use, along with less timeRead MoreCorporate Responsibility Stakeholder Perspective Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate Responsibility (2) Stakeholder perspective Obesity and fast food Use the stakeholder analysis to look at the impact of fast food (eg MacDonald’s) on each stakeholder group. Should the sale/marketing of fast food be regulated/ restricted? If so why? If not, why not? 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Numerous factors are responsible for childhood obesity, comprising lack of physical activity, the wide availabi lity of nutritionally poor foods, and advertisement that promotes unhealthy foods. Out of multiple factors that influence the eating choices of children, food advertisement is one of the most debated and potential factor. At present, children are susceptible to multiple types of media; that are television, computer, game screens, etc. and spend moreRead MoreShould Banned Be Banned For Minors? Essay1739 Words   |  7 PagesNumerous avenues are often used for marketing different products to children using television, radio, internet and print media. Selling food products carry over a large space of these media and generally concentrating on junk food products. Recently, more and more children between four and eleven years old are bombarded with unhealthy food advertisements during watching television or running online games which earn a legitimate worry for the government agencies. Such products should be banned forRead MoreObesity Among Children Are Lack Of Exercise And Bad Eating Habits Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pagesof exercise and bad eating habits. Americans need to stop blaming fast food companies and take their own responsibility for providing a healthy nutrition diet for children. Obesity is a very common disease in America that can one day lead to death. Parents need to help their children choose what is healthy for their body to consume. To help them realize that it is not okay to always eat junk food and fattening foods that can harm their body. As a family they must work together to create a betterRead MoreEssay about Advertising and Childhood Obesity2520 Words   |  11 Pagesand thus, thin, how are these children getting so large? Advertisements. The news has been attacking advertisements aimed at children, and rightfully so, they are showing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits in a socially acceptable way. Children watch cartoons. Simply put, this statement has held truth for many, many years. Saturday morning cartoons have been a staple in the American household for a while now, and in between these programs, at a time when children are known to be viewing, a spreadRead MoreThe Causes And Implications Of Childhood Obesity873 Words   |  4 Pagesespeci ally in the 21st century. It has the ability to affect a child in many ways, including physically, mentally, sociologically and psychologically. Childhood obesity is a serious health concern that is partially causes by the careless decisions about food intake, physical activity and lack of parental concerns and knowledge towards a child’s health. According to World Health Organization (WHO) childhood obesity is defined as a serious medical condition where a child has abnormal amount of body fat,Read MoreEssay on Advertising Fast Food to Children Under The Age of 12 2036 Words   |  9 PagesHow much do the fast food companies spend for advertising to children in the United States? In 2009, â€Å"The Fast food companies spent over $ 4.2 billion in the fast food industry alone to market on television, the internet, social media sites, etc† (Brownell, 2009). This amount of money demonstrated that advertising to children is big business for companies, but it affects chil dren directly, who are innocent of future generations. The purpose of this essay is to convince legislators to consider banning