Marine Harvest is implementing a new business plan for its Chilean operations in an effort to regain sustainability in the region.
The world's largest salmon farmer expects to release 15 million smolt in Chile this year and in 2009, with a 10 percent annual increase in subsequent years. Harvest volumes in 2009 and 2010 are projected to be 40,000 metric tons.
"Marine Harvest remains confident that Chile will be one of the most interesting regions for salmon farming in the future. The pace of regaining sustainable biological conditions in the region will depend on the measures taken by the Chilean authorities and industry going forward. Marine Harvest will continue to participate actively in this process," company officials said in a press release yesterday.
The company harvested 74,000 metric tons of head-on, gutted salmon in the third quarter. In August the Oslo, Norway, company reported second-quarter earnings of $27 million, down more than $37 million from the second quarter last year, but an improvement from a $12 million loss in the first quarter.
The company closed its secondary processing plant in Chinquihue, Chile, in April and its Teupa primary processing plant in July.
