Italian aquaculture business Compagnie Ittiche Riunite Società Agricola (CIR), has been found compliant with Friend of the Sea''s sustainability requirements for European seabass and gilthead seabream.
CIR’s twenty-one floating cages are protected by grids designed to prevent birds’ entanglement and fish escapes, meaning farmed species cannot reproduce in the wild. Fish feed used is also certified sustainable.
“Aquaculture is gaining a growing importance in the international seafood market,” said Paolo Bray, founder and director of Friend of the Sea. “Retailers and aquaculture companies like CIR increasingly collaborate to reduce their impact on the marine environment to a sustainable level.”
Protected environment
Located near Figarolo Island in Sardinia, Italy, the cages extend over 7500sqm. The geographical position together with the pureness of the water enables CIR to supply Italian large-scale retailers with fresh fish in 24 hours.
The Island, named after the widespread presence of fig trees, has been recognised a Site of Community Importance (SCI) together with Capo Figari. It hosts the mouflon, an endangered subspecies of the wild sheep, and several bird species including the Manx shearwater, buzzards and ravens.
Santino Cherchi from CIR stated: ““We initially came across Friend of the Sea through one of our client from the large-scale industry and decided to apply for the sustainability certification whose principles and values are at the base of our work.
“Moreover, our farm is located in an area of environmental interest, which we consider strategic for our business. For this reason, we respect the marine environment hosting our cages and comply with sustainable practices.”
