Hiddenfjord named among most sustainable companies
Faroese salmon farmer Hiddenfjord has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the world for its decision to stop air freighting its fish.
Hiddenfjord, which produces around 18,000 gutted weight tonnes of Atlantic salmon annually, has reduced the amount of carbon dioxide created in transporting its salmon overseas by around 40,000 tonnes a year (94%) by switching to sea freight in October 2020.
That achievement has earned the company a 2021 SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement and Leadership) Business Sustainability Award.
Measurable contributions
Thirty-eight companies received the business sustainability awards, ranging from like General Motors and PepsiCo Beverages North America to high-growth start-ups and scale-ups such as electric car maker Polestar, which was recognised for its efforts to produce a car without creating any carbon emissions.
The SEAL Awards celebrate the companies and leaders across the globe that make measurable contributions to sustainability and develop innovative initiatives that will positively impact the environment for centuries to come.
Core value
“Our core value is sustainability, and our fundamental belief is that our activities today must not hinder future activities,” said Atli Gregersen, owner and chief executive of Hiddenfjord.
“We humbly accept this award, recognising that we all have to take more responsibility when it comes to making a change today. As current stewards of the planet, we owe it to future generations to not just talk about sustainability but to take direct action towards creating it.”
Business Brilliance Award
Hiddenfjord’s initiative – which involves constant monitoring and control of the salmon’s temperature as it is shipped to its destination in sealed shipping containers – has already earned it a gold award in the UK Business Brilliance Awards organised by the BOC Global Events and Training Group.
Gregersen is also one of nine nominees in the running to be named Business Leader of the Year by the edie Sustainability Leaders Awards. His nomination is based on Hiddenfjord’s work in animal welfare and sustainability over the last 30 years. Examples include their unique stress-free harvesting system and raising smolts to an average of 600g on land, shortening the time salmon spend in the ocean, and, therefore, minimising the risk of sea lice.
Hiddenfjord is taking the large smolt initiative further by investing in floating semi-closed containment systems that will allow it to grow fish to 2kg before they are introduced to net pens.
