Cooke Chile, the Chilean aquaculture branch of Canadian seafood firm Cooke, has begun to harvest what it says is the country’s first organically farmed Atlantic salmon.
The organic salmon has been certified under regulations from the European Commission and Great Britain for sale in the European Union. The company said production will initially make up a quarter of Cooke’s total salmon production in Chile.
To reach this milestone, Cooke Chile implemented changes throughout its production chain, including incorporating new technologies and introducing modern farming processes related to stocking density and feed. For example, since organic feed is still unavailable in Chile, Cooke Chile imported feed from its affiliated feed mill in Scotland to aid in organic production.
To achieve organic status, salmon stocking in the company's sea pens was adjusted to the new organic farming structure, leading to a density of 99 percent water and only 1 percent fish.
“This milestone in Chilean salmon farming is a result of keen innovation and strong dedication to providing a sustainable food source,” Cooke Regional General Manager for Latin America Andres Parodi said. “This is a true company-wide vision and was made possible because of collaborative efforts and support along the way.”
Cooke CEO Glenn Cooke said the company has made significant investments in “Atlantic salmon-breeding programs, fish feed production, eco-friendly fish health treatment technologies, and innovative marine farming equipment” to get its Chilean operations to this point.
“Our team in Chile has driven this project forward with passion, commitment, and respect for the environment. We are proud of this achievement and credit the hard work of our people for dedicating years to accomplish this,” he said.
The company already offers certified organic salmon from Scotland, as well as certified organic shrimp from Seajoy in Central America, and in several locations, it raises salmon without the use of antibiotics.
The company said its Chilean salmon meets the strict conditions regulating all stages of production, processing, transportation, and storage required to use the EU Organic green and white leaf logo for organic salmon export to the E.U. and Great Britain.
When contacted by SeafoodSource, Chilean trade body SalmonChile said it was unaware of any other salmon farmer looking to raise organic salmon in the South American nation.
