Mainstream Canada demonstrates committment to sustainable aquaculture

Mainstream Canada continues to demonstrate the company's commitment to sustainable aquaculture, according to parent company Cermaq ASA's sustainability report for 2010, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Mainstream Canada.

Each year, as part of the company's annual report, Cermaq also publishes sustainability results for the public to see.

"Our basis is sustainable aquaculture; the manner in which we operate should reflect a long-term perspective. The most important thing for Cermaq in 2010 is therefore not the solid profits, where salmon prices contribute significantly, but our excellent operational performance. By presenting and explaining our results we want to contribute to knowledge-based debate on important areas for national and global value creation," says Cermaq CEO Geir Isaksen.

The results for Canada show:
 Zero escapes in 2010. Mainstream Canada has not had any escapes since 2008.
Low levels of sea lice, with an average for 2010 of less than 1 louse per fish.
Low antibiotic use, with less than 15 grams used per tonne of fish produced. For reference, 15 grams is about the size of half of one granola bar.
Low use of SLICE sea lice treatment, with 0.09 grams used per tonne of fish produced. For reference, 0.09 grams is smaller than one quarter of one Tic Tac mint.

The results for all of Cermaq ASA show:
 Reduction in the amount of marine ingredients (fishmeal and fish oil) used in salmon feed, from 53 per cent of the feed in 2009 to 42 per cent in 2010, the lowest amount in the past 10 years.
An increase in the amount of trimmings and byproducts used to make fish feed, taking pressure off wild sources.
A reduction in the amount of energy used to grow one tonne of salmon from 4.25 gigajoules in 2009 to 3.61 gigajoules in 2010. For reference, one gigajoule is the energy equivalent of 30 L of gasoline, smaller than a compact car's gas tank.
 A reduction in the amount of energy used to produce one tonne of fish feed, from 1.04 gigajoules in 2009 to 1 gigajoule in 2010.
A 32 per cent reduction in the number of fish mortalities compared to 2009.