Christian Molinari

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA), and Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe) have signed an agreement to advance research, innovation, and training on Ecuadorian shrimp’s use in culinary preparations. GOe – the Basque Culinary Center’s gastronomic innovation hub – will host the project at its GOe Tech Center. The goal is to analyze and assess the attributes of Ecuadorian shrimp and the… Read More

Ecuador’s shrimp industry is facing increasing cost pressures following an uptick in electricity tariffs for large industrial consumers. Combined with the impact of rising fuel costs and more expensive fishmeal, fish oil, and other agricultural inputs used in shrimp feed, the continuity of businesses across the sector is at risk, Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) warned. Under a revised tariff structure introduced by Ecuador’s… Read More

Chilean salmon-farming firm AquaChile has begun to employ hybrid energy systems on some of its pontoons, leading to a 35 percent cut in diesel consumption. The company plans to roll out the energy systems at 14 hybrid pontoons, cutting down on the use of diesel generators. Pontoons, considered the operational core of farming centers, are usually powered by diesel generators as they lack connection to a conventional electricity grid. The pontoons… Read More

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) is monitoring and inspecting contingency measures implemented by salmon-farming firm Multi X following a harmful algal bloom. On 8 October, the bloom forced the company to trigger a mortality contingency plan at its Taraba 7 and 8 farming centers. The amount of mortality – totaling nearly 650 metric tons (MT), Sernapesca reported on its website – exceeded the centers’ silage… Read More

Vigo, Spain-based seafood firm Nueva Pescanova announced it has sold off its refrigerated business in France to Ecuadorian shrimp-farming firm Omarsa. Nueva Pescanova did not reveal specific terms of the sale but said the move formed part of its strategic asset review process initiated at the beginning of the year, with the goal of increasing efficiencies and enhancing value creation. That focus on higher-value operations and better productivity… Read More

The Chilean arm of salmon-farming firm Cooke Aquaculture has submitted two new proposals to the national Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) to relocate some of its grow-out centers in the south of the country. In the first petition, valued at USD 6 million (EUR 5.3 million), Cooke Chile has proposed to relocate parts of three existing centers – Huillines 2, Ballena 2, and Punta Caldera, all of which are located in the Aysén region – to… Read More

Chilean salmon-farming firm Australis Seafoods is facing a new class-action lawsuit in the U.S. Plaintiff Cathryn Harris has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Trapanada Seafarms, which is Australis’ U.S. subsidiary that sells Mama Bear, a frozen Atlantic salmon brand sourced from Chilean Patagonia. According to the plaintiff – represented by fair food system advocacy… Read More

Chilean salmon-farming firm Salmones Camanchaca harvested two pens at its Izaza farming center after fish there tested positive for the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus. The Izaza salmon center, located in Southern Chile’s Aysén region, has another 10 pens that will continue to be monitored, Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) reported on its website. The authority is also monitoring other surrounding centers… Read More

A 2,000-year-old approach toward health is finding new usage in modern aquaculture, as Chilean animal health firm Sudvet is using botanical compounds to strengthen fish resilience, improve animal welfare, and reduce the industry's reliance on antibiotics and antiparasitic treatments. The concept behind Sudvet's solutions began in 2007, when Founder and CEO Marcela Delgado began exploring ways to strengthen immunity at the cellular level, manage… Read More

Ecuadorian fishing crews working in the Pacific Ocean have found themselves caught in a violent and unexplained campaign of attacks this year, with survivors describing bombs dropped by drones launched from unmarked vessels. Three Ecuadorian fishing boats have been targeted since January, but the identity and authority of the attackers remain unconfirmed months later. The first vessel that was struck, the Fiorella, set sail from the Ecuadorian… Read More