The global farmed salmon industry on Thursday launched a major industry-led sustainability initiative. The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) is comprised of 15 global farmed salmon producers representing about 70 percent of the world’s aquaculture production.
“This initiative is already starting to deliver results,” said Jon Hindar, CEO of Cermaq, a GSI member company. “In Chile the GSI has engaged a sea lice coordinator, and coordinated treatment against sea lice has shown promising results in the two macro zones it has been introduced so far. This is very good and demonstrates the commitment to cooperate.”
GSI also on Thursday announced it selected the Aquaculture Stewardship Council as the standard to help it meet its commitment for sustainable change.
“I am delighted that GSI has committed to meet ASC’s salmon standard. Fish is a high quality protein food and the sector makes a significant and growing contribution to world food security,” said Chris Ninnes, ASC CEO. “Salmon is farmed on a worldwide scale with nearly two-thirds of all the salmon consumed coming from farms. Given the anticipated farmed sector growth it is very important that the industry manages its aquaculture practices responsibly.”
In line with the ASC standards, the salmon farms of GSI will be required to disclose an unprecedented amount of farm-level data. The farms will also participate in area-based management (ABM) plans. This spatially divides the marine environment for its uses and accounts for the stresses and threats on the ecosystem, which provides a basis to deal with impacts.
GSI member companies include Acuinova Chile; Bakkafrost; Blumar; Cermaq; Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca; Empresas AquaChile; Grieg Seafood; Lerøy Seafood Group; Los Fiordos; Marine Harvest; Norway Royal Salmon; SalMar; Multiexport Foods SA; The Scottish Salmon Company; Scottish Sea Farms. GSI companies have presence in Chile, Canada, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Scotland.
