Blumar Farms, one of two partners at BluGlacier, has achieved Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification for its three sites in Chile’s Magallanes region.
The new certification means the company will now be able to supply 17,000 metric tons of ASC-certified salmon to its customers in 2020.
“This is a major milestone for Blumar, as it allows our company to offer a regular supply of ASC-certified Atlantic salmon from now on,” BluGlacier, CEO Sebastian Goycoolea said. “This achievement reflects our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement and is the result of the dedication of our teams, that have incorporated sustainability into the company’s culture.”
Blumar’s goal is to have 100 percent of its salmon production in the Magallanes region meet the ASC standard during the second half of this year, including two additional farms under assessment. Blumar has another five farms in Los Lagos and Aysen that are either certified or under assessment.
Blumar, along with Ventisqueros – both of which sell salmon into the North American market through Blue Glacier – produce a combined 100,000 metric tons of salmon each year. Blue Glacier will offer most of its salmon from ASC-certified farms. Both companies own all aspects of their salmon production, including freshwater hatcheries, saltwater farms and primary and secondary processing facilities.
ASC is a certification program designed to offer standards for farming salmon in a socially and environmental responsible way. The ASC standard evaluates the environmental performance of each farm alongside the sustainability policy and practices of the company with great focus on its relationship with stakeholders.
As part of this process, Blumar has committed to identifying and purchasing responsibly produced feeds, the company will also work with scientists to assess the risks of non-native species production, and Blumar include consideration of measures to protect areas with a high conservation value in its management.
Photo courtesy of Blumar
