In its recently published 2024 Sustainability Report, Chilean salmon-farming firm Nova Austral claims it has become the only aquaculture company in the country producing salmon without the use of antibiotics.
The latest sustainability report is the fifth of its kind and aims to document the company’s environmental and compliance evolution following its internal restructuring in 2019.
“Thanks to our team’s performance, we continue to be the benchmark in producing salmon completely free of antibiotics, in addition to being one of the main engines of employment and local development, promoting our community engagement programs,” Nova Austral CEO Nicolás Larco said in a release.
The report highlighted the fact that the firm’s antibiotic-free production was recognized by the Chilean Salmon Antibiotic Reduction Program Plus (CSARP+) program and validated by Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca). It also showcased that in 2024, the company renewed international certifications such as Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), BRCGS quality supply chain, Global Good Agricultural Practices (G.A.P.), and IFS food safety credentials.
Additionally, Nova Austral began to measure its greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, and it said it had reduced its energy consumption by more than 29 percent compared to 2023.
Elsewhere, the firm conducted a study in 2024 to transition to natural gas from diesel for power generation at its fish farms and updated its Crime Prevention Model to comply with new regulatory requirements. The report also highlighted advances in occupational health and safety, with no fatal accidents during the year.
With Southern Chile being a central part of its identity, Nova Austral said its work in sustainability is essential to protecting the area in which it operates.
“Despite the difficulties, our bond with [the hometown of] Porvenir and the Magallanes region has remained firm. We continue to be one of the main drivers of employment and local development, and we continue to promote our community outreach programs because we understand that our success is intrinsically linked to the well-being of our people and our environment,” Larco said.
The latest sustainability progress follows a checkered past, littered with environmental infractions and fines.
Nova Austral came under investigation in 2019 from Sernapesca for underreporting mortalities – an infraction which led to criminal charges and fines.
In April 2024, a Chilean court of appeals confirmed the salmon farmer must pay a fine of CLP 1.02 billion (USD 1.06 million, EUR 992,000) for other environmental infractions.
In July this year, a criminal court in Punta Arenas sentenced several former Nova Austral executives for environmental crimes, with penalties including fines and jail time.
Besides the falsification of mortality reports, the company had reportedly stocked salmon beyond legal limits, and the now-convicted individuals introduced sand and chemicals into the waters at the company’s salmon farms located in Alberto de Agostini National Park to cover up the pollution caused by that overproduction. The executives were charged for the repeated crime of water pollution between December 2016 and June 2019.
Following the events under investigation in the case, Nova Austral completely restructured its executive staff and sought to strengthen its internal practices and controls.
The firm also underwent a change of ownership in September 2024 following its judicial reorganization, whereby the Larta Investment Group took over as sole owner. As such, the company has a different management team, new shareholders, and a different board of directors than those in place at the time of the events outlined.
