Brazilian shoppers will be able to buy Aquaculture Stewardship Council certified salmon for the first time, now that Swift supermarkets in the country have begun carrying it.
The salmon is being sourced from Cermaq’s ASC certified farms in Punta Arenas, Chile. According to a release from the ASC, the salmon will be on sale in all of Swift’s 125 stores.
“This is good news for Brazilian shoppers, and a great opportunity to use their purchasing decisions to reward responsible salmon producers,” Laurent Viguie, ASC commercial marketing manager for Brazil, said in a release. “Swift and Cermaq have worked hard to give Brazilians the option of ASC certified salmon, and we will continue to work with them to ensure this is the beginning of an upward trend for responsible seafood consumption in Brazil and Latin America.”
Swift supermarkets has already been selling other ASC certified products, according to Paulo Christofani, produce manager for the company.
“This important step contributes to the strategy of the brand to expand the assortment of certified fish, which already has other species such as Alaskan Pollock, Tilapia and Cod,” Christofani said of the new products. “Today, certified items represent 45 percent of our seafood sales. Our short-term goal is to increase this to 65% percent, and we are always looking for sustainable options for other items.”
Swift is sourcing four products from two suppliers, Noronha Pescados and Damm, who use salmon from Cermaq farms.
"We are very happy to be the first farmers to supply Brazil with this ASC certified salmon. Cermaq and our customers have done a fantastic job to be able to reach retail consumers,” Felipe Puga, Cermaq sales and processing director, said. “Sustainability and Responsible Farming is one our founding strategical pillars as a global company. In the long run we aim to certify all our farming sites to the ASC Salmon Standard. Cermaq was one of the first ASC certified salmon farmers in Chile and currently we have nine certified sites, mostly in the region of Magallanes (XII Region) in the far south of the country.”
