April 5, 2011
 

Ventisqueros invests funds to rear salmon in deep waters

In order to rear salmon in copper cages placed in deep waters for 18 months, salmon company, Ventisqueros S.A., is intending to invest about US$1 million in the project.

The project, which is co-financed by Innova Chile, will represent a major innovation in the Chilean salmon farming industry, because until now, companies only farmed salmon at sea level, according to the media.

According to Andrés Fletcher, general manager of the company controlled by German and Chilean capital, the cultivation of salmon will be carried out in copper cages installed more than five metres deep. This technique looks for cross-contamination and to improve salmon physiology and development, as there may be changes in water temperature or salinity variations, among other issues.

"Although wild salmon in Norway can live 40 metres deep, there is little international experience on fish in captivity. The idea is that if the natural environment is deep, we will carry out the cultivation under these conditions. That is why we will be the first in the industry," said the businessman.

He also noted that after the crisis caused by the spread of the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus across several farms in the country in 2007, Ventisqueros executives decided to reformulate their production processes.

In 2010, the company produced 20,000 tonnes of salmon and by 2013, they plan to double their production.

"We saw that the industry had failed in the business model. So the idea was to create an inner strength to reinvent ourselves and move forward, despite the fact that creativity and innovation need time to emerge," he added.

Last year, Ventisqueros was supported by the Catholic University to develop a prototype X-ray detector of spines and ensure that salmon fillets are 100% clean without destroying them.

"It is important to provide added value because it is what has differentiated the Chilean industry from the Norwegian one," added Fletcher.

For his part, Claudio Pavez, director of Innovation at the salmon company, informed that they are also backing new lines of products such as functional foods for the National Board of Student Aid and Scholarships (Junaeb) market, and the use of natural pigments in fish food.