By Sara Costello

The practice of salvaging timber from river beds is not a new way to reclaim valuable hardwood. However, with the invention of The Sawfish, Canadian company Triton Logging has become an innovator and leader in the field.

As with any natural resource activity, underwater logging can be done in a way where removal of timber may be either beneficial or detrimental to the life that has developed around it.

“There is a way to properly salvage timber that protects the river creatures. It deserves a cautious approach and must be done in accordance with regulations. There is a right way to do this,” said John Torgan, Narragansett Baykeeper, of Save the Bay in Providence, Rhode Island.

Logs that become submerged often provide valuable fish habitats. The company's website states there are some 300 million trees still standing that have been flooded by hydro dams. When trees are removed, sensitive fish life can be disturbed by an increased amount of suspended sediment.

“The underwater logging that Triton practices is designed to have a neutral or positive impact on the dam reservoirs that we work in” says Chris Godsall, Triton Logging’s president who founded the company in 2000.

The Sawfish is operated by a remote control and attaches inflatable airbags to the trees then cuts them underwater with an electronic chainsaw. The Sawfish is able to harvest over 100 trees in one eight hour shift, or one every five minutes, under normal conditions. Triton then develops and sells eco-certified wood products. The sawfish doesn’t remove live trees, or disturb the lake floor. It runs on an electric motor and uses biodegradable and vegetable oil based hydraulic fluids, thereby not polluting the water.

“We are aware of other underwater loggers that have not taken the time to design responsible systems and in some cases problems have been reported both in terms of environment and human safety, “ says Godsall.

The privately owned Vancouver Island company has been certified in British Columbia by The Rainforest Alliance and has been reviewed by government agencies. Regulations vary from state to state. The company currently has operations in the untapped waters of Canada, Malaysia, Thailand and Brazil. Triton Logging has been called “One To Watch” as a socially responsible company by MacLeans in partnership with The Jantzi Report.