Together with Multiexport Foods S.A., Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Tokyo) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, the Global Aquaculture Alliance is spearheading an initiative in Chile aimed at contributing to a reduction in the incidence of Salmonid Rickettsial Septicaemia (SRS) in farmed salmon.
The Piscirickettsia salmonis, or SRS, an endemic intercellular bacterium, has reportedly cost the farmed salmon industry more than $300 million annually. SRS can spread rapidly, causing high mortalities if not treated quickly.
Announced at Seafood Expo North America in Boston on March 21, this initiative, if implemented, would apply the principles of integrated health management, including the implementation of GAA’s newly developed Biosecurity Area Management Standards, together with an array of health management tools such as vaccines, functional feeds and genetic selection, among others.
A key element of the program is close coordination of biosecurity management among farms within a production area and physical separation from nearby zones. This project would also monitor a variety of other factors, including water quality and the presence of harmful algae blooms.
If implemented, Multiexport’s farmed salmon producer subsidiary, which is jointly owned with Mitsui Tokyo, will manage every activity related to this initiative.
“The Global Aquaculture Alliance is pleased to collaborate on this unique opportunity to apply the principles of integrated health management and biosecurity area management to reduce the use of antibiotics in controlling an otherwise intractable disease. The results of this project will have far reaching benefits to producers, consumers and the environment,” said GAA President George Chamberlain.
“We are committed to providing our clients the highest standards of quality and sustainability now and in the future. Accordingly, we will be always collaborating, promoting and working towards securing our customers the sustainability of the farmed salmon industry, in all its aspects, wherever we operate,” commented Andres Lyon, chief executive officer of Multiexport Foods S.A. and of Salmones Multiexport S.A. “This initiative goes in the direction of enhancing our goal of providing a highly sustainable source of healthy protein, with a minimal environmental footprint.”
“We are honored to participate in the organization of this initiative with great partners both in Chile and the US, which will contribute to strengthening ecological sustainability in salmon farming in Chile. We hope this will establish a new integrated management system as an advanced farming standard in Chile for a better environment, better sustainability, and better quality salmon,” said Yasushi Takahashi, chief operating officer of Mitsui & Co., Ltd.’s Americas Business Unit and chief executive officer of Mitsui & Co. (USA), Inc.
About GAA
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. In collaboration with the World Bank and the Responsible Aquaculture Foundation, it has conducted several case studies on lessons learned in aquaculture disease management. A white paper on “Reducing Disease Risk in Aquaculture” and online training modules on disease management are available on the GAA website (www.aquaculturealliance.org). Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for farmed seafood.
About Multiexport Foods
Multiexport Foods is a leader and a pioneer in the salmon farming industry in Chile. Fully integrated in its operations, from the genetics to the market, the company is present in more than 30 countries. It runs farming operations in the X and XI regions in Chile, producing Atlantic and Coho Salmon that are offered as value-added products with high food safety standards and certifications.
About Seafood Watch
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses choose seafood that’s fished or farmed in ways that minimize impacts on the ecosystem. It recommendations indicate which seafood items are Best Choices or Good Alternatives, and which ones should be avoided.
Seafood Watch raises public awareness about sustainable seafood issues through its consumer guides, website, app and outreach efforts. The program also encourages restaurants, distributors and seafood purveyors to purchase from sustainable sources. More than 200 businesses across North America partner with Seafood Watch, including two of the largest foodservice companies in the United States.
About Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is one of the most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment and service enterprises in the world, with 138 offices in 65 countries. Utilizing global operating locations, network and information resources, it is multilaterally pursuing business that ranges from product sales, worldwide logistics and financing, through to the development of major international infrastructure and other projects in many fields.
