Salmon transnational company, sanctioned for violating the law and providing false health and environmental information, obtains international certification

• Nova Austral, owned by Norwegian and US capital, was sanctioned by the Chilean authorities for falsifying health-environmental information, and carrying out overproductions of salmon in its farming centers.
•  However, the transnational company affirms that its farmed salmon productions are carried out with the “highest standards in terms of sustainability, which was verified by BAP through an audit carried out by the independent entity SAI Global”.
• The Ecoceanos Center called on “the consumers and citizens of Chile, the United States and Norway to be vigilant to ensure their right to obtain true information about their health, environmental and labor standards of Chilean salmon production.

Punta Arenas, March 24, 2021. (Ecoceanos.cl) – The environmental certification company Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), which is part of the Global Alliance for Aquaculture (GAA), delivered certifications of good practices on environmental responsibility , social, animal welfare, food safety and traceability to one of the most questioned salmon producing companies operating in Chile.

It is Nova Austral, the Norwegian-American capital company, which has its cultivation centers in the Magallanes region, Chilean Patagonia, which between 2015 and 2019 violated the fishing and aquaculture law by falsifying environmental and health reports to the state authorities, while altering the seabed under his net-pens (floating farm cages).

After being denounced by a media outlet, in August 2019, the governmental Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) initiated four sanctioning proceedings against Nova Austral for environmental breaches detected in four farming centers in Magallanes region.

At the same time, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) reported Nova Austral to the same Superintendency and the Public Ministry for delivering false information and after the deadline, related to the mortalities of fish in its farming centers. Alicia Gallardo, The National Director of SERNAPESCA, requested the maximum possible sanction in accordance with the General Law of Fisheries and Aquaculture (LGPA), in addition to the suspension of its operations for up to two production cycles.

In July 2020, the First Court of Punta Arenas, Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, found Nova Austral guilty. Condemning the company to pay CLP $154 million (US $ 200,000). Subsequently, the business Association of Salmon Farmers of Magallanes, ended the membership of the Norwegian-North American salmon company of its organization.

Ecoceanos Centre alerts international consumers about the not very credible environmental certifications of Chilean salmon

In a statement released by salmonexpert.cl, the transnational stated that “obtaining this prestigious international accreditation (…) guarantees that Nova Austral’s salmon production is carried out in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and that the product obtained is safe for human consumption».

The company stated that “These certifications were achieved after hard work deployed by the new Nova Austral management team so that the company’s facilities operate with the highest standards in terms of sustainability, which was verified by BAP through an audit carried out by the independent entity SAI Global ”.

Ecoceanos Centre pointed out that «it is unacceptable that salmon companies with Norwegian-American capital such as Nova Austral do in Chile everything that they are prohibited from doing in Norway, and that at the same time they deceive the Chilean State and international consumers»

For the Chilean citizen organization, the industry that produces and exports farmed salmon has a global character, therefore companies must abide by the same international standards in all countries where they operate, the truthfulness of the information they provide is key.

The Ecoceanos Center called on “the consumers and citizens of Chile, the United States and Norway to be vigilant to ensure their right to obtain true information about their health, environmental and labor standards of Chilean salmon production. Organized citizens and the original peoples of Patagonia are showing that they do not accept the colonialist actions of this transnational company in South American Patagonia.».-