Verlasso, the AquaChile brand raised in Patagonia, has received independent certification from Det Norske Vertias (DNV), a foundation dedicated to safeguarding the environment.
The certification is for sustainable aquaculture practices at Verlasso’s second salmon farm in La Lanca. DNV validated Verlasso’s differentiating and dramatically reduced 1:1 fish-in, fish-out ratio for fish oil and fishmeal and low average pen density of 12 kilograms per metric ton. DNV certified Verlasso’s first farm, Quilque Sur, against the same criteria in November 2011.
The average fish-in, fish-out ratio across all salmon farms is about four pounds of feeder fish to produce one pound of salmon. Verlasso currently uses one pound of feeder fish to produce one pound of salmon. Their calculation is guided by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council's salmon standards.
“Because we’ve replaced omega-3 containing fish oil in our salmon’s diet with omega-3 producing yeast, we’ve reduced our dependence on wild feeder fish by fully 75 percent while keeping the omega-3 content for consumers high,” said Scott Nichols, Verlasso director. “This is part of what we mean when we say Verlasso salmon are raised in harmony with the earth’s natural environment, which includes protecting feeder fish stocks and wild fisheries.”
DNV also certified the company’s low pen density, which measures four fish per ton of water. Verlasso stocks its pens at about 12 kilograms per metric ton, below Chile’s national regulation of 17 kilograms per metric ton and Norway’s 25 kilograms per metric ton, giving the salmon an ample amount of space to swim, helping the fish stay healthier and reducing the amount of waste released into the ocean.
