Nova Austral-owned company Sixty South has received Aquaculture Stewardship Council approval for 100 percent of its salmon farming sites, it announced on 9 January.
The company, which raises salmon off the coast of Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego, Chile, achieved the requirements of certification last year and can now supply 52 weeks-worth of ASC-certified salmon to its global customers, it confirmed in a press release. Moreover, Sixty South has become the only salmon company in the global industry to have 100 percent of its sites certified, the firm said.
"We are proud of this development that will enable us to deliver ASC certified volumes to our customers 52 weeks a year. Our good environmental conditions, in the Magallanes region has helped us to achieve this important milestone," Sixty South CEO Nicos Nicolaides said. "We are continuing our efforts to deliver the Sixty South products to our key customers all over the world in 2019."
Sixty South produces antibiotic-free salmon far removed from other seafood farming operations – the closest nearby farms are at least 300 kilometers away, according to the company. Such positioning, along with the company’s restriction of chemicals and pesticides in its processes, are key components contributing to its current ASC certification status.
"These are defined to allow only the best-performing salmon farms in a given region to enter the ASC certification process, and ensure that improvements in performance are driven universally," ASC CEO Chris Nines said.
Sernapesca, Chile's salmon farming authority, has also verified that Sixty South’s salmon has been produced without the use of antibiotics by way of a special certification. The authoritative body is looking to prioritize this “raised without antibiotics” certification for fish farms, which serves as “an endorsement to those that achieve this good result,” Sixty South said.
Unveiled during Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in 2017, Sixty South has achieved its fair share of milestones over the last few years. The salmon produced by the company has recently been labeled by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program as a “Good Alternative.” Additionally, the company has started developing a new fully-integrated hatchery and smolt plant.
Sixty South will be exhibiting at this year’s upcoming SENA event – to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., from 17 to 19 March – it confirmed.
