New metrics 'show fish farming's commitment to sustainable feed'
Global Salmon Initiative report adds more measurements and highlights big reductions in antibiotic use over last 13 years
The 11 fish farmers that are members of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) have – on average – reduced antibiotic use by 68%, medicinal sea lice treatments by 79%, and fishmeal and fish oil use by 64% and 31% respectively over the last 13 years, the organisation’s new sustainability report shows.
The world’s third and fourth-largest salmon producers, Cermaq and AquaChile, are among the GSI members, along with a number of other major Chilean farmers - Multi X, Salmones Camanchaca, Australis Seafoods, Blumar, Salmones Austral, Salmones Aysen, and Ventisqueros – plus Cooke’s Australian subsidiary Tassal, and Norwegian company Grieg Seafood.
For the first time, the report includes three new feed metrics: marine ingredients derived from trimmings, inclusion of novel ingredients, and the percentage of low risk soy used in feed, as well as an expanded metric on the use of new non-medicinal technologies for sea lice management. GSI says that together, these additional metrics help provide a clearer baseline of feed evolution, monitor progress, and mobilise collective action to demonstrate continued advancement year on year.
Feed sourcing
“Responsible feed sourcing is one of the most important ways to reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint,” said Taylor Voorhees, global aquaculture director of The Nature Conservancy.
“While the sector has made meaningful gains, progress has not always been easy to track at the necessary level of detail. By introducing these new metrics, GSI members are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability in feed sourcing and providing a clearer picture of improvements across the industry.”
There is no hiding from the data. Every metric in this report exists so we can see clearly where we’ve made progress and where we still have work to do.
Key findings from this year’s report include:
68% reduction in average antibiotic use for salmonids since 2013, including a 22% reduction in the last five years alone. GSI said members continue to reduce antibiotic use through improved holistic fish health management and advanced best-practices.
79% reduction in the average use of combined medicinal sea lice treatments since 2013 as a result of significant investment in non-medicinal approaches to sea lice management and farm innovations, which are now also reported on in their own metric showing percentage of farms using non-medicinal strategies.
Since 2013, there has been a 64% decrease in average fishmeal use and a 31% decrease in average fish oil use, which GSI said was a reflection of continued improvements in feed efficiencies and ingredient utilisation.
65% of production ASC-certified
The report also reveals that almost two-thirds (65%) of members’ production is Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified, and employment data gives a clearer picture of salmon farming's contribution to regional employment and community development.
The 11 GSI farming companies have 21,600+ employees worldwide and the report provides data broken down by age, gender, and employment type.
A common thread across this year’s report is that measurable progress is built on transparent, consistent data and collective action, GSI said in a press release.
“There is no hiding from the data,” said GSI chief executive Sophie Ryan. “Every metric in this report – from feed sourcing to antibiotic use, to how many people we employ – exists so we can see clearly where we’ve made progress and where we still have work to do.
“This year’s new and expanded metrics give us, and our stakeholders, a more complete picture of how our members are performing and where our collective efforts are driving improvements and that’s the kind of data-driven progress GSI was built to deliver.”
Collaboration drives change
Alongside company data, the report also highlights farmed salmon’s role in global food systems both from an environmental and nutrition outlook.
“Aquaculture, including farmed salmon, has an important role to play in global food systems,” said João Campari, global leader for food and agriculture practice at WWF International. “But like the broader food system, change is needed to bend the curve of biodiversity loss and the lack of green infrastructure that often underpins development in local landscapes and seascapes.
“What GSI and the results of this report show us is that pre-competitive collaboration among producers, feed manufacturers, and external partners is what drives change at the speed and scale our planet needs.”
