VENTISQUEROS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL SALMON INITIATIVE (GSI)

Transcription

1 VENTISQUEROS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL SALMON INITIATIVE (GSI) The Glbal Salmn Initiative (GSI) is a leadership initiative by glbal farmed salmn prducers, fcused n making significant prgress twards fully realizing a shared gal f prviding a highly sustainable surce f healthy prtein t feed a grwing ppulatin, while minimizing ur envirnmental ftprint, and cntinuing t imprve ur scial cntributin. The GSI is cmmitted t making significant imprvements in terms f industry sustainability and ur actins reflect the bjectives and principles which define ur missin. PRINCIPLES: Sustainability, transparency and cperatin. Objetives: 1. Bring tgether glbal farmed salmn prducers and ther industry stakehlders t strive twards significantly imprving the sustainability f salmn farming 2. Cperatin t cntinue t utperfrm ther surces f animal prtein in terms f cntributin t human health, envirnmental respnsibility, and efficient feed cnversin rate, and t be widely recgnized fr this accmplishment 3. Achieve the highest standards f crprate citizenship in the regins where members perate. 4. Translate envirnmental and scial sustainability int greater ecnmic sustainability thrugh enhanced scial license and market acceptance.

2 The GSI recgnizes that the glbal ptential f the farmed salmn industry will nly be met with significant imprvements in sustainability. Immediate challenges were seen t include matters related t bisecurity, sustainability f feed stcks, and the envirnmental impacts f the industry. As a grup it was agreed that this is an area where cperatin and shared ambitin culd be a game changer fr the whle industry. Initial wrk has already begun t ensure greater transparency and t address industry challenges. The GSI recgnizes that success will nly cme with cperatin and increased transparency, and is cmmitted t wrking with existing initiatives, and in seeking the advice and supprt f stakehlders as partners in this enterprise. BIOSECURITY Wrking as a glbal partnership t research, dcument and reduce the impacts f bisecurity t the farmed salmn industry, mst ntably the issues f sea lice, the spread f disease and reducing the impact n the marine ecsystem. The GSI recgnize that bisecurity issues are a huge challenge fr the industry, but with the crrect management strategies in place the industry can help ensure healthy fish stcks. GSI have priritized ur effrts n the issue f sea lice.

3 SEA LICE Sea lice represent a significant challenge fr the farmed salmn industry. Sea lice are a naturally ccurring parasite fund thrughut the wrld s ceans and n many species f fish, and have a detrimental effect n the health and welfare f the infected fish, and can reduce prductivity f the farm. There are tw frms f sea lice which are a cncern t the salmn farming industry: Lepephteirus salmnis, which affects Nrway and British Clumbia, and Caligus rgercresseyi which affects farms in Chile. The farmed salmn industry has made cnsiderable effrts in recent years t reduce the levels f sea lice, and is cntinuing t wrk n reducing numbers year n year. Despite declining numbers, as the industry expands the pressure f sea lice remains a challenge that must be mnitred and cntrlled. Thrugh a prgram f industry cperatin and knwledge sharing, the GSI has develped a list f best practices that it will wrk t implement acrss all GSI farms. Thrugh wider applicatin and adherence t these best practices, the GSI seeks t make significant imprvements in sea lice management.

4 GSI SEA LICE BEST PRACTICES Minimize adult female lice levels Utilize lice threshlds and treatment trigger pints Increase industry cperatin n: Zne management strategies Synchrnized treatments Crdinated fallw and prductin cycles Single generatin prductin areas Medicinal cntrl Implement medicinal prduct rtatin Use resistance biassays fr treatment decisin making Timing f site treatments Use f perxide with full tarpaulins Optimal dispensing and distributin f medicines Dispense treatments in wellbats Nn-medicinal cntrl Integrated cntrl slutins Use f wrasse and cleanerfish where apprpriate

5 STANDARDS As members f the GSI we are cmmitted t significant imprvements in the sustainability f ur peratins. The ASC standard prvides a framewrk fr us t wrk twards. The GSI recgnizes the imprtance f transparency, and understands that ur prgress in achieving ur sustainability gals requires evaluatin. The industry has already made great prgress twards greater sustainability, and has met the requirements f many demanding standards but we are always lking t imprve, and want t set a cmmn standard fr the GSI member cmpanies t strive twards. The Aquaculture Stewardship Cuncil (ASC) standard prvides a framewrk t guide and reprt n the prgress the GSI is making, and the GSI is wrking t adpt the ASC framewrk as its primary reference pint fr its wrk and prgress. While the ASC standards will be difficult t achieve, we hpe that thrugh the cllabratin f the GSI, and the cmmitment t share technlgy and best practices, we can use the standard as ur starting pint in making significant prgress in sustainability. It is the intentin t bring farms perated by the GSI members up t the ASC standards by The members f GSI are cmmitted t significant imprvements in the sustainability f their peratins: The ASC standard fr salmn aquaculture prvides a framewrk t guide and reprt n the prgress GSI is making, and the grup is adpting the ASC framewrk as its primary reference pint fr its wrk and prgress It is recgnized that while salmn farmers have already been making prgress tward greater sustainability, and have met the requirements f ther demanding standards, they acknwledge that mre needs t be dne

6 It is als recgnized that meeting the ASC standard n a glbal level will still be a significant challenge which will take time, and the cmpanies will face significant technical, financial and ther hurdles T accelerate prgress, GSI members cmmit t sharing technlgy and best practices, and t generally cperate rather than cmpete in matters relating t imprving sustainability It is recgnized that the ASC standard is new and a small number f its criteria may require adjustment in the light f emerging certificatin, field experience, and evlving science. Such adjustments shuld address any technical incnsistencies The farmed salmn industry is still a yung industry, and we recgnize that we need t imprve if we are t maintain ur grwth and stability int the future. As the GSI, we knw ur strength cmes frm ur cllabratin and c-peratin, and we are cmmitted t cllabrating when it cmes t the envirnment. Tgether, and with the invlvement f ur stakehlders, we aim t put sustainability at the frefrnt f all ur peratins. THE GSI IS COMMITTED TO: Minimizing the envirnmental impact f ur peratins Surcing sustainable feed Cntinuing t imprve the scial impact f ur peratins Managing ur peratins in a manner t supprt ecnmic grwth and stability Prducing a healthy and nutritius prduct farmed in a sustainable way There is n quick way t achieving sustainability, but we knw it is ur respnsibility t make the necessary imprvements t safe guard ur industry and the waters we perate in. If we make the right decisins nw, we can ensure we have a healthy envirnment int the future.

7 FEED & NUTRITION In partnership with FAO, the GSI are reviewing prjects t supprt the expansin f sustainable aquaculture. Prjects include btaining sustainable surces f feed, and develping a glbal understanding f sustainable aquaculture thrugh a prcess f knwledge transfer. A key aspect f the sustainability f salmn aquaculture is the amunt f fishmeal and fish il cntained within industry feed supplies, bth f which are finite resurces. The availability f these resurces depends upn available qutas and the level f direct human cnsumptin. Salmn farming has grwn frm a few thusand tnnes in the early 70 s t ver 1.6 millin tnnes in During the same perid, the glbal prductin f fishmeal has been stable. As a result f cnsumer demand, pressure n these valuable resurces is set t increase in future years frm a number f industries, the GSI see the sustainability f feed surces as an emerging industry challenge. Wrking tgether, and in partnership with the United Natins Fd and Agricultural Organisatin (FAO), we aim t research and develp new prjects t supprt the sustainable management f available resurces, and t review the ptential f alternative resurces. It is a clear ambitin f the GSI t reduce ur dependency n marine raw materials, and ver the past 20 years, salmn farmers have been gradually substituting marine raw materials with vegetable raw materials, while sustaining the health benefits and high quality f farmed salmn. We are als wrking clsely with a number f feed cmpanies; EWOS, Skretting and BiMar, t ensure farmed salmn retains its high levels f nutrients and fatty acids, while wrking t reduce the pressure n the raw materials. Despite decreasing the use f fish il ver recent years farmed salmn remains ne f the best surces f Omega 3 and prvides a number f health benefits t the cnsumer.

8 Using ASC as a framewrk, GSI will ensure greater transparency thrugh regular reprting n the fllwing sustainability indicatrs: Envirnmental Fish Scapes Fish mrtality Antibitic Use Sea lice Cunts Sea Lice Treatments Nn-Medicinal Methds Wildlife Interactin Use f Marine Ingredients in Feed Certificatins & Envirnmental Licenses SOCIAL Cmpliance Occupatinal Health and Safet Interactin with the Cmmunity Direct labr R&D Investments PARTNERSHIPS GSI fully realizes that success will nly cme thrugh cperatin and invlvement with ther stakehlders in every stage f the decisin-making and planning prcess. Currently, GSI is in varius stages f cnversatins and prject initiatives with grups such as FAO, ASC and WWF.

9 GSI FUNDING STRUCTURE Each member f GSI cntributes t financing the initiative. CORPORATE AFFILIATIONS GSI is an independent initiative which cnsults with glbal stakehlders wh prvide an advisry rle twards GSI prjects. FURTHER INFORMATION Further infrmatin may be received by cntacting the GSI secretariat, AXON, at r by visiting