The Chilean Food and Beverages Industry:
SEAFOOD
The clean and rich waters of the Chilean coasts run along more than 2,500 miles covering an array of different climates that offer a broad variety of outstanding fish, crustaceans and shellfish in terms of their flavor, texture and size. The Chilean fishing industry has traditionally been a world leader in the production of fish meal and fish oil.
With a 5 million ton catch that represents 4% of the world total, the Chilean fishing industry has come of age. A particularly successful performer is aquaculture, with 18% annual average growth and sales of more than $1.500 million dollars, representing 5% of overall country exports. Its 2004 catch positioned Chile as the seventh-largest fishing nation in the world. More than 76 percent is shipped to over 100 markets, notably Japan, the United States and Spain.
Chile’s fish and shellfish industry, including salmon, trout, hake, jack mackerel, sea bass, and sea urchin, have been earning international acclaim for 20 years. Other leading marine culture exports include scallops, mussels, seaweed, red abalone and turbot. However, salmon and trout are the undisputed leaders of Chilean seafood trade. Great natural conditions in the Chilean South, notably proper water temperature and pH, copious rainfall, and abundance of high-grade feeds have propelled Chile to the second place among world producers of these products.
To ensure sustainability, the industry and government are working together on quotas and temporary bans for certain species and industry continues to invest in new technologies for its fleets landing facilities, transportation hubs and processing plants.
Salmon:
Current export figures for salmon and trout reach approximately $1,750 million dollars. The main destination market is the United States, with a share of over 40%, followed closely by Japan (39%). Export sales of the industry have grown from around $5 million dollars in the mid 1980s to around $ 100 million dollars in the early 1990s and to more than $1,500 million in 2005. Thus, Chile has become the second largest world producer of salmon and exports to more than 60 countries around the globe. In 2006, imports of Chilean salmon into the US market reached around $800 million dollars.
Expertise in natural farming techniques allow Chilean salmon to reach full size and be ready for harvesting six months before any other salmon in the world.
The Chilean salmon and trout industry has also stood out for offering a large variety of by-products based on leading edge processing and manufacturing technologies. Thus major supermarkets offer smoked salmon, salmon snacks, salmon rissoles, marinated salmon and salmon rolls.
Salmon Chile