Caleta Bay's Steelhead trout is farmed in fjord waters and marine environments of Patagonia, Chile.
Photo: Caleta Bay.
The U.S. National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Sushi Council announced this week that Chile's salmonid farming company Caleta Bay has joined it as its newest member. Recognized for its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and responsible aquaculture practices, the council noted that the Chilean aquaculture producer "adds strong perspective to growing food safety coalition."
Based in Puerto Montt, Chile, Caleta Bay is a leader in the production of farmed Steelhead trout, operating in fjord waters and marine environments in Chilean Patagonia. The company, which has a strong commitment to excellence, currently serves customers in more than 20 countries and has a growing presence in global markets that now takes it extends to the United States, where the sushi market has expanded to nearly 1.6 times the size of the Japanese market.
"After 30 years of selling our products in Japan for sushi restaurants, retailers and distributors, we think it is time to target the U.S.," explained Juan Carlos Garcés, Chief Commercial Officer of Caleta Bay. "Joining the NFI Sushi Council gives us immediate association with leading U.S. suppliers who share our principles of a robust and safe sushi supply chain."
Its vertically integrated approach, which includes its own hatcheries, farming centers, processing facilities, and sales operations, thus ensuring full traceability and total control throughout the supply chain, was one of the points highlighted by the NFI Sushi Council in its release.
Following its incorporation, Caleta Bay will join other council member companies and aquaculture associations such as Sea Delight, Aquamar, Hofseth, True World Foods, Blue Ocean Mariculture, Nusatuna, Nordic Aquafarms, or the Cod Cluster from Norway, among others.
Under the slogan 'However you sushi, sushi responsibly', the NFI Sushi Council is a pre-competitive platform that brings together stakeholders from across the sushi supply chain to promote best practices, ensure product integrity, and serve as a unified voice for the industry.
Its mission, its website claims, is to bring safety and integrity to the whole sushi supply chain, and, therefore, the other point the NFI Sushi Council emphasized about its new member is that the Chilean company's internal genetic program avoids the use of eggs from the market.
Instead, the NFI Sushi Council explained, Caleta Bay's fish come from a proprietary 'genetic family tree' developed over more than a decade, producing a robust biomass and superior product.
"Caleta Bay brings a deep understanding of aquaculture and a proven dedication to high-quality seafood production," said Council Chairman Michael McNicholas of Culimer USA. "Their addition strengthens the Sushi Council's diverse and international approach to enhancing product safety and consumer trust in the sushi sector," he concluded.
