AquaChile employees and Chilean First Nations celebrate the end to lake based salmon farms. Image: AquaChile

AquaChile officially ends lake based salmon production

AquaChile celebrated this week as the last company owned lake based salmon farm was closed and operations moved to land based farming.

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AquaChile began operations as a new company following the integration with Los Fiordos, Salmones Magallanes this year.

During the first 60 days of operation as an integrated company, AquaChile voluntarily modified its production model and this month it stopped using 12 lakes in which salmon were farmed.

 "Our focus is on working hard to make salmon production more efficient and sustainable. Therefore, this measure, which we already materialize, means a definitive step for the protection and care of the lakes of Chile. We hope and wish that others follow this same route, " said Sady Delgado, general manager at AquaChile.

The production that were once done in lakes will now be done on land based fish farms. Land based farms make it is possible to better cleanse and maintain water before returning it to the lakes and local rivers. Ground installations recirculate the water using one thousand times less water than a lake according to AquaChile.

Furthermore, environmental monitoring of local water ways will begin allowing for recovery and protection of water ways.

AquaChile is the second player in the world salmon industry. Its monthly production makes it possible to feed more than 150 million people globally.