To mark World Environment Day (5 June), the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) has launched an interactive online sustainability report that demonstrates its members' strong commitment to continuous improvement in the sustainability of their operations.
The inaugural report includes data on:
• Key environmental and social indicators for each GSI member
• Progress toward GSI's goal of achieving Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification across all farms by 2020
• The efficiency of farmed salmon as a sustainable and healthy source of protein
"Today at the World Ocean Summit, global leaders are discussing the potential role aquaculture can play in improving the world's economic growth. Through the launch of the sustainability report, we are able to show how farmed salmon represents a viable solution for economic opportunity, balanced with sustainable operations and improved environmental performance,” said Jon Hindar, GSI co-chair and CEO of Cermaq.
Ricardo Garcia, GSI co-chair and CEO of Camanchaca, said that through the launch of the report, GSI members were demonstrating their commitment to meeting the demand for farmed salmon sustainably.
"In a demographic environment where the world is searching for sustainable sources of protein to feed a growing population, and people are eager for healthier food, farmed salmon rises as a highly efficient and healthy source of protein,” said Garcia. “The report sets a baseline for industry performance, and generates a reference point to track our progress in a manner that can be transparently reviewed by communities and stakeholders. This report is a genuine commitment to make significant progress in our sustainability, through hard work and continued focus from the GSI members.”
The report provides data for all GSI members in the following areas: fish escapes, fish mortality, antibiotic use, sea lice levels, sea lice treatments, wildlife interactions, use of marine ingredients in feed, compliance, occupational health and safety, and interactions with the local community.
The full report can be viewed here.
Established in 2013, the GSI today comprises 14 companies, representing approximately 50 percent of the global salmon production industry.
"The launch of GSI's sustainability report demonstrates the group's leadership in creating greater transparency across the aquaculture sector. It is a remarkable achievement that they have developed this collective reporting platform, and we strongly encourage other production sectors and platforms to follow suit,” said Piers Hart, global lead for aquaculture at WWF.
