Chile has opened a new market for salmon exports after having completed the technical and sanitary process needed to ship to Nicaragua.
Last November, Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) agreed to an audit from Nicaraguan authorities that aimed to certify Chile’s phytosanitary controls. That authorization was then given in March of this year, after which negotiations over an export health certificate took place.
With negotiations now wrapped up, AquaChile, which is Chile’s largest salmon-farming firm, has since made the first shipment of Chilean salmon to Nicaragua, sending 8 metric tons (MT) of product by sea. Another seven firms have also been given authorization to export salmon to the Central American country.
“This advance represents an important milestone for the national fishing and aquaculture sector since it opens a new destination for Chilean salmon and reflects the confidence of the Nicaraguan authority in [Sernapesca’s] official control and certification system,” Sernapesca National Director Soledad Tapia said.
Tapia explained the evaluation process could now be replicated for the export of other fishery and aquaculture products, such as mollusks, whitefish, or crustaceans, adding that once these categories are recognized, other companies may become incorporated and forgo the need for prior inspections with each new application.
Elsewhere, Sernapesca announced that the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control of the Russian Federation (Rosselkhoznadzor) inspected nine Chilean seafood-processing companies and their entire associated supply chain, including farming centers, cold storage facilities, and slaughterhouses.
The audit sought to ensure compliance with the requirements established by the Eurasian Economic Union and the Russian Federation, particularly in the implementation of new microbiological requirements.
Following inspections, Rosselkhoznadzor agreed to lift previously established restrictions for five companies, allowing them to resume their exports to Russia, and indicated the evaluation of the remaining four companies will hinge mainly on the presentation of complementary documentation and an analysis of how these firms implemented new controls.
Sernapesca did not reveal the names of the companies involved.
“This progress reflects the permanent commitment of our service and the export sector to the continuous improvement of official control systems,” Tapia said. “We especially value the willingness and technical support provided by Rosselkhoznadzor throughout this process, as it has allowed us to strengthen our technical capacities and consolidate trust in Chilean fishery and aquaculture products destined for the Eurasian market.”
