Comment to Protect Chilean-Patagonia from Destructive Industrial Salmon Farms
Happening now -- one of the world's largest aquaculture certification groups, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), is taking public comments to revise its standards for the salmon aquaculture industry. Global retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Kroger rely on third-party certifications like ASC and other similar certification organizations such as the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to provide assurances that the seafood they are sourcing is sustainably and ethically produced.
However, ASC is failing to meet its mission of promoting "environmental sustainability and social responsibility" in the seafood farming industry," "with care for people and the planet," and "setting strict standards for seafood and farms [that] deliver high assurance throughout the supply chain."
Certified farms that operate outside their allowed permits, falsify records, and/or operate in protected areas are getting certified every year. Certainly, this should not be considered a responsible practice. If certification of the production-level of the supply chain is broken, as it appears to be, consumers like you and global retailers bringing these products to market need to hold ASC accountable.
There has been explosive growth in the Chilean farm-raised salmon industry over the last thirty years as production has increased over 3,600% to more than 1 million tons annually -- making Chile the second largest producer of farm-raised salmon in the world. But environmentally destructive practices by many Chilean aquaculture farms are proving disastrous for the Patagonia ecosystem.
Industrial waste from net-pen salmon aquaculture pollutes the coasts and alters the landscape. Pesticides and antibiotics, used to help control disease and pests like sea lice, leech into the environment and are harmful to many native species. 350 times more antibiotics are used in Chilean salmon farming compared to Norwegian salmon farming. Between 2004 and 2021, 8.5 million salmon escaped from production centers. Because salmon species are not native to the Southern Hemisphere, their escape has significant impacts on native fish populations and local ecosystems. .
But perhaps most concerning is ASC's certification of industrial-scale salmon aquaculture farms operating in nationally protected areas. A good case in point is ASC's certification of 4 salmon farms owned by Nova Austral within Chilean Patagonia's Alberto de Agostini National Park, despite the company's history of significant environmental violations. The company has been labeled as a "serial offender" by Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA), which in 2022, revoked permission for three of the company's salmon farms operating within the Park.
Unfortunately, Nova Austral is not an anomaly. Just in 2023, the SMA initiated sanctions processes towards 35 companies for non-compliance. Some of these farms were at the same time being certified under the ASC standard. Shockingly, the proposed ASC Standard includes more permissive language that threatens to open the door to ASC certified aquaculture in large portions of the world's marine protected areas.
It is clear that "sustainable" certifications such as the ASC are not an effective tool to keep Chilean salmon farmers from causing environmental damage in protected areas. Instead, ASC is disregarding the defined goal of protected areas to preserve biodiversity and protect against industrial activities, such as salmon farming.
With the climate crisis ever present and a landmark United Nations agreement to protect 30% of the planet by 2030, we must maintain the integrity of protected areas. We as consumers should refuse to buy salmon grown in protected areas.
We, the undersigned concerned organizations and individuals, urge ASC to:
1. Update their Farm Standard to make industrial salmon farms operating within protected areas ineligible for certification and;
2. To decertify all existing industrial salmon farms currently operating in a protected area.
However, ASC is failing to meet its mission of promoting "environmental sustainability and social responsibility" in the seafood farming industry," "with care for people and the planet," and "setting strict standards for seafood and farms [that] deliver high assurance throughout the supply chain."
Certified farms that operate outside their allowed permits, falsify records, and/or operate in protected areas are getting certified every year. Certainly, this should not be considered a responsible practice. If certification of the production-level of the supply chain is broken, as it appears to be, consumers like you and global retailers bringing these products to market need to hold ASC accountable.
There has been explosive growth in the Chilean farm-raised salmon industry over the last thirty years as production has increased over 3,600% to more than 1 million tons annually -- making Chile the second largest producer of farm-raised salmon in the world. But environmentally destructive practices by many Chilean aquaculture farms are proving disastrous for the Patagonia ecosystem.
Industrial waste from net-pen salmon aquaculture pollutes the coasts and alters the landscape. Pesticides and antibiotics, used to help control disease and pests like sea lice, leech into the environment and are harmful to many native species. 350 times more antibiotics are used in Chilean salmon farming compared to Norwegian salmon farming. Between 2004 and 2021, 8.5 million salmon escaped from production centers. Because salmon species are not native to the Southern Hemisphere, their escape has significant impacts on native fish populations and local ecosystems. .
But perhaps most concerning is ASC's certification of industrial-scale salmon aquaculture farms operating in nationally protected areas. A good case in point is ASC's certification of 4 salmon farms owned by Nova Austral within Chilean Patagonia's Alberto de Agostini National Park, despite the company's history of significant environmental violations. The company has been labeled as a "serial offender" by Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA), which in 2022, revoked permission for three of the company's salmon farms operating within the Park.
Unfortunately, Nova Austral is not an anomaly. Just in 2023, the SMA initiated sanctions processes towards 35 companies for non-compliance. Some of these farms were at the same time being certified under the ASC standard. Shockingly, the proposed ASC Standard includes more permissive language that threatens to open the door to ASC certified aquaculture in large portions of the world's marine protected areas.
It is clear that "sustainable" certifications such as the ASC are not an effective tool to keep Chilean salmon farmers from causing environmental damage in protected areas. Instead, ASC is disregarding the defined goal of protected areas to preserve biodiversity and protect against industrial activities, such as salmon farming.
With the climate crisis ever present and a landmark United Nations agreement to protect 30% of the planet by 2030, we must maintain the integrity of protected areas. We as consumers should refuse to buy salmon grown in protected areas.
We, the undersigned concerned organizations and individuals, urge ASC to:
1. Update their Farm Standard to make industrial salmon farms operating within protected areas ineligible for certification and;
2. To decertify all existing industrial salmon farms currently operating in a protected area.
We, the undersigned concerned organizations and individuals, urge ASC to:
1. Update their Farm Standard to make industrial salmon farms operating within protected areas ineligible for certification and;
2. To decertify all existing industrial salmon farms currently operating in a protected area.
signersigner1. Update their Farm Standard to make industrial salmon farms operating within protected areas ineligible for certification and;
2. To decertify all existing industrial salmon farms currently operating in a protected area.
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