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Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), headquartered in Washington D.C., USA, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the well-being of farm animals raised for food production. HFAC is introducing its Certified Humane credential specifically designed for farmed salmon, marking its first standard developed for fish or seafood. The certification initiative will initially target producers in Chile, as stated by Humane Farm Animal Care Global Programs Director Luiz Mazzon.
"The animal welfare standard that we will soon launch is for farmed Atlantic salmon; therefore, it is focused on Chile – the only country in the Latin American region with this type of production," Mazzon told SeafoodSource. "Other salmon-producing countries such as Canada or Australia can also apply for certification if they wish."
The official launch of the certification is scheduled for the Aquasur 2024 international conference, happening from March 19 to 21 in Puerto Montt, Chile. This conference is recognized as the largest aquaculture trade fair in the Southern Hemisphere.
According to HFAC, the primary goals of the Certified Humane program include enhancing the welfare of animals in the food production industry, raising awareness among the public and farm producers about animal welfare best practices, assisting producers in adopting production practices that prioritize animal welfare, and establishing maximum credibility in animal welfare standards, inspection, and certification processes.
The criteria farms must meet to obtain certification include ensuring that their animals can exhibit natural behaviors and are provided with a high-quality diet free from sub-therapeutic antibiotics or growth enhancers. Individuals responsible for farm operations must also undergo animal welfare training.
Mazzon noted that work on this new certification began in 2022. Given Chile's position as the second-largest salmon producer globally and its exports to significant markets like the U.S., where consumers increasingly demand assurances of humane animal treatment, HFAC saw an opportunity to introduce a reputable animal welfare certification into the salmon industry in Chile.
HFAC initiated its efforts by studying salmon aquaculture in Scotland, which it regarded as a global benchmark for salmon welfare certification. Subsequently, it launched a pilot project in collaboration with Cermaq Chile in 2023, gaining insights into critical welfare aspects for Atlantic salmon at the company's fish farms and seawater grow-out centers in the Magallanes and Los Lagos regions.
When considering salmon welfare, HFAC adapted its existing guidelines for land animals, addressing aspects such as farm infrastructure, pen density, and water quality.
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