April 25, 2007

Marine Harvest's fish farm gains French approval for organic standard

Organic salmon farmed by Marine Harvest at Clare Island, off the west coast of Ireland, has gained certification under the French national organic standard, Agriculture Biologique (AB), the company announced Wednesday (April 24).

The farm, at the lee of Clare Island, off the west coast of Ireland, would be making the first generation of its organic salmon available in June.

Agriculture Biologique certification is a prestigious certification in France. Auditing was conducted by Qualite France and the certificate was issued in September 2006, following the final audit in June. Both the farm and processing plant would be audited annually.

The AB protocol sets specifications for stocking density, feed and its sustainability.

The standard also has a strong focus on the environmental impacts of a farm on its surroundings.

Clare Island Sea Farm was able to demonstrate excellent environmental performance which was fully endorsed by an independent environmental impact assessment.