#BlueRevolution - Time to take the plunge
The Fish & Seafood sector provides a historically favorable opportunity. Valuations are at the same level as 2013/2014, while companies have been able to strengthen their positions.
You might remember, we previously had a blog entry regarding wild trout fishing with the Bonafide Team in the beautiful Weisstannental, Mels.
In the meantime, our team has grown and spread globally, so top management decided that having another team building exercise would be smart. We brought everybody to Switzerland for a session, which we report about here, including some beautiful pictures.
By the way, the really nice thing about wild trout fishing is, of course, that you’re outdoors. Moreover, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, staying socially distanced at least two metres is easy to accomplish
Aquaculture and team building
Of course, when you manage the #GlobalFishFund and your team consists of aquaculture investment experts, fish will always be centre stage. Usually this blog stays focussed on aquaculture, which encompasses the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, plants, algae, and other organisms in all types of water environments.
Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions (see US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Aquaculture is divided into three sectors, defined as follows:
- Brackish-water aquaculture: Brackish or briny water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater.
- Mariculture: This refers to aquaculture in marine environments that may take place in the ocean or on land in tanks and ponds.
- Freshwater aquaculture: Refers to breeding, rearing, and harvesting fish under freshwater conditions.
(See US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a more detailed general overview.)
So why not do something different and go fishing for trout in wild or uncontrolled conditions? Yes it is a repeat, since we did it a couple of years back… but we went somewhere else this time, so… 🙂
Wild trout fishing
This year, we chose the beautiful Toggenburg region of Switzerland, and the Fates were on our side… The weather we had was flawless: sunny with little if any wind, and warm temperatures. Standing in the water (see picture below) allowed us to keep relatively cool while fishing. The day seemed made to order for learning how to fish.
In Switzerland, fishing regulations are very strict. You may only go and try your luck once you have your paperwork, also known as a fishing license. If you catch anything, you must be sure that it meets the minimum-size requirement – if it’s too small, back in the water the fish goes. And of course, there’s a limit to how many fish you may catch and keep each day.
New team members
We have added two experts to our team.
Christoph Beierl joined us in May 2020. He works in research and is responsible for sustainability analyses. His work in part focuses on helping Bonafide Ltd. in getting the FNG seal by the end of the year.
This fits with the industry’s general objective for the the long term. Specifically, companies in the Fish & Seafood industry should become more sustainable. In turn, they will then contribute to our efforts in achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Feel like you’ve heard that name before? That’s because our small team now has two Christophs: in addition to our new sustainability specialist, one of our founders calls himself Christoph Baldegger.Marco Berweger joined the Marketing & Sales team in June 2020 and supports Christoph Baldegger in serving our investors. After finishing his banking apprenticeship in 2014, he held various positions with a Swiss regional bank.
Since 2016, he’s been studying economics with a focus on banking and finance at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons and is participating in the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) programme. He is an all-rounder in the financial industry.
How did our fishing expedition go?
Luckily for our team, Bonafide Ltd co-founder Christoph Baldegger has been fishing since childhood, when his dad showed him the ropes. Since then, fishing has become his number one hobby. On our retreat, his skills came in handy and just like last time, he served as educator, trainer, and supporter for us less-knowledgeable folks.
We spent our day fishing the river Thur. It is approximately 135 km long and is the second-longest river in Eastern Switzerland after the Rhine, of which it is a tributary (find it in the upper right corner of this river map). Conditions during our two-day stay were too warm to be perfect, but we still managed to snag some trout… The catch of the day was 35cm long.
The pictures here show the wonderful landscape of Switzerland. It was simply gorgeous out there… and we had a fantastic time!
Of course, we enjoyed spending our time outdoors, and as expected, the “fishing workshop” was a perfect opportunity to do some team-building:
We got to know each other better on a more personal level.
We also learned a few things about one another’s hobbies – besides fishing, of course – and families.
Without using a computer or flipchart, we discussed the future of Bonafide and laid out our next strategic moves.
All this was accomplished in a great ambience. We will surely do it again – hopefully soon!
Join the conversation – leave a comment!
Do you have any fishing experience yourself? What was your last team-building event? Have you tried something new?
Comments
Michael Clark
June 17, 2021
I exactly got what you mean, thanks for posting. And, I am too much happy to find this website on the world of Google that how to find a wild trout fish through team building
https://epicworkshops.com.sg/