The Canadian Ambassador to Chile, Michael Gort, and his team visited our facilities and crops.
The Embassy does essential work supporting trade and investment between our two countries. Chile is an important bilateral, regional, and multilateral partner of Canada in the Americas.
We are very proud of our people and operations in Chile.
We appreciate the visit of the ambassador and his team.
We traveled to this southern Chilean commune to share knowledge of production and environmental care in aquaculture operations. We also collaborated with delivering 100 life jackets to the Union of Employers and Crew of Puerto Tranquilo.
Volunteers from our Company came to the Adán Shelter for Abandoned Dogs in the Lagunitas neighborhood to carry out repair and restoration work.
We have developed a long-term relationship with the Renacer Family Residence in Los Muermos.
This home houses girls whose rights have been violated and who are currently in the process of reparation or adoption. As a company, we provide the home with a monthly donation of salmon to ensure that they can incorporate a healthy protein option into their diet.
Recently, we provided them with board games, personal protection items, a computer, and a printer in addition to our monthly donations so that they can continue their education during this time.
Cooke Chile recently obtained certification to produce organic salmon. For the first time in the region the accreditation guarantees that salmon farming is carried out in accordance with the organic production standards of the European Union (EU).
The certification was achieved after a long process, which involved additional efforts throughout the entire production chain. The above, given that organic production responds to a general management system for aquaculture and food production that combines the best environmental and cultivation practices, a high level of biodiversity, the conservation of natural resources and the application of demanding standards. on animal welfare and safety in production.
Among the main standards required by the European Union (EU), the following stand out:
● The freshwater, saltwater and processing plant facilities have been converted and certified for operation according to the requirements of the organic standard.
● Culture densities in freshwater breeding centers are limited to a maximum of 20 kg/m3.
● Culture densities in saltwater fattening centers are limited to a maximum of 10 kg/m3.
● All ingredients in organic salmon feed are certified organic.
● Fish oil and fishmeal come only from 100% certified sustainable fisheries.
● For the natural color of the salmon, Panaferd was used, a 100% natural and ecological dye.
● Biosafety management free of chemicals.
● During production the absence of genetically modified animals is certified.
This milestone not only represents a new standard in the way salmon is produced in Chile, with a method that is more respectful of the environment and healthier for consumers, but also symbolizes the entry of our country into the international organic salmon market, considered by many as a fundamental part of the food solution of the future.
The company’s first organic production cycle is the result of a process of excellence that takes care of the land, water and genetic resources of flora and fauna.
Cooke Chile’s path towards environmentally, economically and socially responsible salmon farming involved a series of more sustainable practices, which pay special attention to the care of the land, water and genetic resources of flora and fauna, in addition to duly comply with the certification guidelines imposed by the European Union (EU).
The above implied that the company had to adopt changes in the entire production chain, in aspects such as fish feeding, the density of the farming centers and the adoption of measures for animal welfare, in addition to the training of teams. and the use of modern technologies in production processes. The above made it possible to achieve the European certification of a high quality product.
Concrete changes
Organic salmon cannot be produced in spaces previously used in traditional farming, but must be grown in centers that have been previously conditioned and certified. Therefore, before starting production, the company had to empty, clean and disinfect its facilities. The fish farms had to go through a period of 6 months of sanitation and productive rest, while the open sea structures had to go through a period of 3 months.
Fish feed was not available in Chile according to the organic standard. For this reason, the company had to import from Scotland all the tons of certified food necessary to carry out organic production.
The farming process was also carried out under demanding standards, which are mainly associated with maintaining the salmon at low densities, minimizing the level of stress, with a high level of animal welfare and with the exhaustive use of state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructure. .
Likewise, Cooke Chile’s multidisciplinary teams had to acquire new knowledge, necessary to carry out the implementation of the organic standard in an optimal manner, through a training process that included 460 hours of work.
This achievement is another clear demonstration of Cooke Chile’s commitment to the most demanding practices in farmed salmon production in the world, in line with its global mission, in order to ensure the present and future sustainability of the industry.
The launch of the first cycle of certified organic salmon in the country marks a new milestone in the history of the company and the salmon industry as a whole. And, to meet this important challenge, the company has developed production processes that are increasingly sustainable and respectful of the planet, in order to respond with the highest standard to the food challenge of the future, demonstrating that it is possible to boost the food industry. salmon in harmony with the environment.
The organic production that Cooke Chile is promoting combines the best environmental and cultivation practices, a high level of biodiversity, the conservation of natural resources and the application of demanding standards on animal welfare and safety in production, offering great benefits for the ecosystem , among which stand out:
● Given the cultivation conditions in freshwater and seawater at lower densities, 20 and 10 kg/m3 respectively, there is less risk of proliferation and dissemination of diseases.
● Given the lower number of fish per cage and per culture center, there is less waste contribution to the seabed and bodies of water.
Regarding the manufacturing of food for organic salmon farming, the negative impact on fisheries is reduced, since the raw materials used are 100% certified by independent international organizations.
“Support the planet that sustains you” sets a precedent in the salmon industry in our country, which represents enormous technical, logistical and productive challenges, but which at the same time is one of the pillars of Cooke Chile‘s efficient and professional work, always focused on animal welfare and environmental care.
As a company committed to its community, Cooke Chile recently donated sports equipment to the Paul Harris Club of Aysén. This sports club is attended by children between 6 and 13 years old, including some of our Cooke Chile employees. The donation includes items such as balls, cones, ladders, and T-shirts, which will help the Club fulfill its task of promoting children’s sports.
