Cermaq to stop selling ASC-branded salmon from infected farms
May 12, 2018
By
Liza Mayer
Cermaq Canada will no longer sell ASC-certified salmon from its sea-lice affected farms in British Columbia until it has resolved the situation, the company said today.
On May 4, the salmon and trout producer announced that sea lice counts at some of its farms in the Clayoquot Sound region in BC have been higher than usual.
Today’s announcement by Cermaq follows a call by SeaChoice for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council to “immediately suspend” Cermaq Canada’s Dixon Bay, Millar Channel and Ross Pass farms from using the ASC label. An ACS certification verifies that the product was raised in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
“Cermaq takes this matter very seriously and is actively addressing it as quickly as possible through a number of strong actions, both immediate and longer-term in nature,” said David Kiemele, Managing Director for Cermaq Canada, who also said it has spoken with ASC representatives on Friday.
The company said it is “using multiple tools in the immediate-term, including depopulating affected farms while treating others with an environmentally safe hydrogen peroxide bath.” Next year it will start using a hydrolicer, a non-chemical method of combating the sea lice.
“We are 100% committed to investing in robust sea lice control measures, and are continuing to enhance them through investment in new equipment and ongoing research,” said Kiemele.
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