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Gerardo Balbontin, GSI co-chair. (Photo: Blumar)
Global Salmon Initiative supports UN’s sustainable development goals
(NORWAY, 6/9/2017)
The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) has expressed its commitment to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.
The commitment was announced on World Oceans Day, and alongside the UN's Ocean Conference in New York, held this week.
By aligning its work with SDG 14, the GSI can ensure it is driving the farmed salmon sector towards continuous improvements in sustainability, implementing real and measurable change to support the future biodiversity of our oceans, and to help safeguard the planet.
“Responsibility and accountability are very important for us,” said Gerardo Balbontin, co-chair of the GSI and CEO of Blumar SA.
In his view, this alignment with the SDGs makes it possible to identify, and effectively incorporate, the important actions to support the SDGs, and then transparently report on the progress being made.
Recognizing the critical need for progress towards the SDGs, and in particular the importance of the aquaculture industry in guaranteeing the sustainable use of marine resources, the members of the GSI have committed to the following:
- Utilizing the GSI model of pre-competitive collaboration to facilitate knowledge transfer and the sharing of best practices to promote accelerated improvements;
- Transparently reporting on environmental and social performance via an annual industry-wide Sustainability Report;
- Driving innovation through continued partnerships and sharing of expertise;
- Supporting knowledge transfer from salmon aquaculture to developing aquaculture sectors to drive accelerated improvements across the wider industry.
From identifying that acting individually will not generate the progress needed to protect the world’s oceans at the scale or speed needed, the GSI members have committed to working pre-competitively, with their partners and other industry groups, to promote accelerated progress.
“About 70 per cent of the planet is water and yet it provides less than 5 per cent of our food,” said Per Grieg, co-chair of the GSI and chairman of Grieg Seafood ASA.
“Considering the population growth and its increased economic development demand for food, the oceans will offer a huge potential solution in feeding the future 9 billion people – this makes it even more important that we make every effort to ensure we balance growth with conservation,” Grieg stressed.
The entrepreneur also pointed out that the farmed salmon sector has already made significant improvements in reducing the amount of marine ingredients used in the feed and that sustainable aquaculture can play a very important role in feeding the world, and responsible use of marine resources can protect them for future generations.”
The SDGs were established as part of the UN’s 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, and the 17 goals are designed to steer the world onto a more sustainable and resilient path – protecting both the future of humanity and the planet.
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