Contributing to meeting the UN sustainability goals is fundamental to Cermaq, and the report presents the sustainability performance in 2017, that when combined with Cermaq’s partnerships is essential to scale up the impact of Cermaq’s sustainability activities, including a new UN initiative on oceans.
THE PATH TO THE FUTURE WE ALL WANT – STARTS WITH TRANSPARENCY. The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) continues on its pathway to a more sustainable future for aquaculture, today releasing its 5th set of transparent sustainability data via its online reporting platform.
Good fish health and low mortality are important in our salmon farming. The survival rate for our fish for the full year 2017 spanned from 94 % to 96% in our operating regions. Cermaq had no escapes in the last quarter of 2017, neither so far in 2018.
UN Global Compact, The Norwegian Government, and engaged companies announced today the launch of the Business Action Platform for Oceans. For the first time business will take a leading role in addressing ocean sustainability in the UN. The platform will be formally based in the UN Global Compact, the private sector initiative of the UN.
Good fish health and low mortality are important in our farming. The annual mortality in Cermaq’s global operations spans from 4 % to 6%. Although the relevance can be discussed, for comparison 6 % is the same level as the annual mortality in Norwegian lamb production*.
Cermaq aims to be leading in technology development that contributes to sustainable food production. FlexiFarm is a floating closed containment system based on flow-through technology. FlexiFarm strengthens the competitive advantages of fish farming in coastal areas and addresses the concerns raised by politicians, authorities, NGOs, our customers, and not at least by the industry itself.
The Directorate of Fisheries has found that Cermaq’s iFarm concept to be within the scope of the Norwegian development licenses system. Cermaq has applied for ten licenses to implement the technology that will reduce the environmental footprint of farming and bring fish welfare and fish health to a new level as each fish is being individually monitored.
Bendik Fyhn Terjesen has joined Cermaq’s R&D team as Innovation Manager. He will focus on technologies for advanced controlling of farming including closed systems on shore and in the ocean.
Cermaq Norway's summer campaign removed 200 cubic meters or 200,000 litres of plastic, from our beaches in the region. "The plastic campaign was a great success. We want to provide youth with working opportunities and cleaning beaches is important task. This is a win-win situation and we are definitely going to repeat this next summer" says HSE coordinator Torbjørn Hjerto.
Cermaq has published quarterly sustainability results on key indicators related to fish health, environmental and social topics in our operations since beginning of 2016. The quarterly sustainability results for April - June show low mortality level; for the last 12 months 4.4 % in Norway, 5.9 % in Canada, and ranging between the three species from 3%-6.8% in Chile.
Cermaq holds the # 1 position in Seafood Intelligence’s annual transparency benchmark report 2017. Cermaq is unique by having external assurance of its sustainability report and also publishing quarterly sustainability performance results.
“Aquaculture is the source of animal protein with the lowest carbon footprint, and this fact tells us that aquaculture must be a key part of the future food system”, said Cermaq’s CEO Geir Molvik in the panel Food can fix it at EAT Forum today.
