Report shows farmed salmon’s progress in sustainability
June 3, 2020
By
Liza Mayer
Salmon farmers have reduced use of antibiotics and medicinal sea-lice solutions by half over the past seven years
(Photo: Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association) The use of antibiotics and chemical delousing methods fell by 50 percent in salmon farming over the last seven years among members of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI).This was among the highlights of the latest annual sustainability report from the GSI, an initiative established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers focused on making the industry sustainable.
The latest report tracked data from 2013-2019 from GSI’s 14 members, which represent more than 50 percent of the global farmed salmon industry.
The annual report attributed the improvements to better antibiotics stewardship, disease control and fish welfare. Sea lice treatments have become more “holistic,” the GSI said, with the farmers’ use of non-medicinal approaches rising by 130 percent over the seven-year period.
The report also showed that almost 65 percent of the total salmon production of GSI members is Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified. ASC certification recognizes aquaculture producers as environmentally and socially responsible.
