– The company announced the social, environmental and financial results for fiscal year 2023, highlighting important advances in its sustainability strategy. Also, they referred to the challenges that industries will face in regulatory matters, especially fishing.

“As a company, we are not opposed to a new regulation, but we hope that it strengthens human consumption, the sustainability of resources and the intergenerational approach, combating illegal fishing,” said the president of the board of directors, Rodrigo Sarquis regarding a new fishing law.

 Blumar, a fishing and salmon company, presented its third integrated report under General Standard 461, the GRI and SASB standards, highlighting the progress and challenges they have addressed in economic, environmental and social matters. Among the most relevant milestones are the celebration of the company’s 75 years of history, the creation of a Gender Equality Executive Committee and the reaffirmation of the commitment to ocean sustainability following the UNO principles. 

Regarding financial sustainability, the total economic value generated by Blumar in 2023 was US $759.2 million and US $778 million was distributed to its different groups of interest such as suppliers, workers, investors, the state (taxes) and communities.  The value distributed exceeded the value generated, due to the variation of debt of the period for US $21.4 million. This result is an improvement compared to 2022, due to the company’s higher operating volume in both segments. 

The company also highlighted the good performance of the fishing segment, which reached revenues of US $308.6 million last year, growing 20% ​​compared to the previous year. The company also highlighted that it reached a production of 107,000 tons of frozen mackerel for human consumption. All this in a year in which Chile increased its quota of mackerel by 20% given the excellent conditions of the fishery. 

“Our 2023 results and the increase in the mackerel quota are testimonies that we have a good Fishing Law, with correct incentives and with a focus on the ecosystem that provides food security and advances sustainability. For this reason, we continue with great concern the discussion of the new fishing law project, since we see that the destiny of mackerel to people could be affected by the reduction of the industrial quota of this species,” indicated the company’s general manager, Gerardo Balbontín.

Along the same lines, the president of the board of directors of Blumar, Rodrigo Sarquis, pointed out that “as a company, we are not opposed to a new regulation, but we hope that it will strengthen human consumption, the sustainability of resources and the intergenerational approach, combating illegal fishing.” 

In its aquaculture segment, the company showed important advances in terms of innovation and efficiency, highlighting, among other things, the launch of the Puyehue Fish Farm, which is supplying the company with smolts. In addition, Blumar commented on the opportunities that the segment has for the country and the importance of discussions around this industry. 

“We are convinced that Chile can and should continue to be an aquaculture power, but we must work to feel like a proud salmon country. To do this, it is urgent to forget slogans and baseless speeches that seek to destroy an activity that delivers prosperity and decentralization,” emphasized the president of the board. 

On the other hand, the fishing and salmon company once again advanced in its sustainable financing model, registering important progress in its commitments subscribed within the  credit subscribed under the Sustainability Linked Loan modality in 2020. 

The company achieved that 89% of its energy supply in its plants is from clean and renewable sources. They also reduced the use of antibiotics by 56% and certified 72% of their farming centers with ASC. Likewise, they valued 86% of their waste and reduced carbon footprint intensity by 28% of scope 1 and 2 in 2023, compared to 2020.