What does Verlasso Salmon taste like?
Verlasso salmon is known for its mild flavor profile, light aromas, thick flakes, and buttery mouthfeel. The low-stress environment of our farm sites contributes to the consistent firm texture and flavor of the fish.
Are farmed fish as nutritious?
Responsibly raised salmon from farms and in the wild are known to have a combination of healthy Omega-3s (DHA & EPA).
Fresh wild salmon is seasonal. Depending on the opening and closing dates of fisheries, Verlasso can be 20% more or 50% less than wild.
Is Verlasso salmon affordable compared to wild caught?
Does Verlasso use any antibiotics? Do Verlasso salmon carry any parasites or diseases?
Preventative antibiotics are never used. Verlasso follows strict requirements by ASC®.
The region where Verlasso is farming has exceptionally cold water, which limits disease and parasites. If a pen is ever in need of being treated, the fish are tested to ensure they are 100% antibiotic free prior to harvest.
Does Verlasso use any growth hormones?
No.
Are the fish treated humanely?
The fish are respectfully handled throughout their life.
Verlasso has a low pen density of 2 fish for every cubic ton of water. (Industry norms are often 4 fish for every cubic ton of water.) This ensures the fish have plenty of room to swim and grow.
At Verlasso, we utilize a two-net system in-water with a canopy net over the water to protect the fish from predators and to protect the natural environment.
At harvest we anesthetize the fish and harvest without brutality to ensure quality fish for our customers.
What does Verlasso feed its salmon? Is it of marine origin?
Following nearly a decade of ingenuity, and in a continued effort to improve the brand’s sustainability, Verlasso has developed and is now utilizing a proprietary feed.
Verlasso’s Feed Model Commitment:
Supplement the diet with necessary proteins, vitamins, colorant, and oils rich in Omega-3 (DHA & EPA)
Verlasso’s farmers who live on-site, monitor the amount of feed distributed to the fish to prevent excess feed from entering the water
Is the water where the salmon are raised clean? Do you monitor the effluence?
The government of Chile selects sites for farming that have clean water with strong currents, including the nutrient-rich Humboldt current that runs through the Antarctic. Verlasso has then chosen sites within those that are farthest away from any industry and the waters are the coldest.
By law, the PH and oxygen levels of the water are checked weekly.
Do any of the Verlasso salmon escape their pens and enter the wild environment? Do any wild fish enter the pens where Verlasso salmon are raised?
Verlasso has never had escapes.
The fish are protected by a system of three nets. The first encloses the fish in the water. A second net surrounds the perimeter of the site to prevent escapes and protect the fish from predators like sea lions. The third, located above the pens, deters predatory birds. There is also an emergency system in place for catastrophic incidents (like strong storms) to counteract net collapse.
We utilize technology to prevent algae growth on the pens, instead of harmful exposed copper wire. Our “vacuum” cleans the nets on an ongoing basis to maintain their quality and efficacy.
How does the Verlasso farm affect the natural environment surrounding it and other marine life?
After each harvest, Verlasso allows the fjords where it farms to stand fallow for a minimum of 3-6 months during which the area is thoroughly tested. Nets are removed, giving the water a chance to flow and rejuvenate. This promotes the health of the surrounding environment. We only establish another farm site when it’s determined the area has returned to its natural state.
No. Verlasso farm sites are uniquely located in areas where there are no native salmon species. It is not possible for Verlasso salmon to interact with wild salmon populations.
Can Verlasso salmon harm wild salmon populations?
No. Verlasso has never had fish escapes.
The fish are protected by a system of three nets designed to withstand extreme weather events. The first net encloses the fish to prevent escapes. The second net surrounds the perimeter to prevent predators like sea lions from harming the fish. The third is a canopy net located above the pens to deter predatory birds from harming the fish. There is also an emergency system in place for catastrophic incidents (like strong storms) to counteract net collapse. We have farmers on houseboats 24/7 to ensure the integrity of the nets.
Do any of the Verlasso salmon escape their pens and enter the wild environment?
Responsible aquaculture has the power to feed our planet while taking the pressure off of our natural resources on land and in the water.
The demand for protein is increasing as our population expands by an additional 2.5 billion people by 2050. According to the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), aquaculture is the most efficient animal protein source available to meet the gap in supply and demand, and it must be done responsibly. Farmed fish takes the pressure off of wild stocks allowing them to replenish while producing a sustainable protein source with a lower overall carbon footprint than beef, pork, and chicken.
It’s been said that fish farming increases global demand for seafood, which would then drive more fishing and hurt wild fish populations. And, it’s been reported that wild salmon stocks are high. Is it necessary to farm raise fish? How does Verlasso’s mission fit into this concern?
What are Verlasso’s sustainable practices?
Verlasso salmon is on a mission to be the most sustainably raised salmon in the world.
Verlasso salmon was the first ocean raised salmon to receive the coveted “Yellow, a Good Alternative” recommendation from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program.
Since its inception in 2010, Verlasso has been known as a leader in responsible aquaculture with its ongoing sustainability commitments including:
No Hormones
No Preventative Antibiotics
Pollutant-free waters of the Patagonia
Traceability from egg to harvest to distributor with QR coded gill tags
Spacious Pens (2 fish for every cubic ton of water)
Gentle Handling
Humane Harvesting
3-6 month fallowing period after each harvest allowing for environmental rejuvenation
Feed utilizing sustainably sourced ingredients
Seeding new farm sites in the colder waters and stronger currents of the remote Region XII
Where can I find Verlasso salmon?
Verlasso salmon can be found in stores, restaurants, and resorts throughout the U.S. To locate the nearest grocer, visit the Where to Buy link on the Verlasso website.
Salmon is rich in healthy Omega 3 (DHA & EPA) fats, which make it less likely to dry during cooking. Verlasso salmon is sushi-grade making it easy to serve sashimi-style and in cooked preparations.
How can I safely prepare and handle seafood at home?
We are proud to be the first ocean raised salmon to receive the coveted “Yellow, a Good Alternative” recommendation from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program.
Verlasso is Four Star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Certified. The BAP program is the world’s most trusted, comprehensive and proven third-party aquaculture certification program with achievable, science-based and continuously improved global performance standards addressing environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, animal welfare, and traceability. BAP certification ensures seafood products come from facilities that are managed in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible manner. It’s the world’s only third-party certification program encompassing the entire aquaculture production chain: farms, processing plants, hatcheries, and feed mills.
Verlasso is also certified for sustainable aquaculture practices by Det Norske Veritas, an independent organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment
What third-party sustainability certifications does Verlasso have?
It is our goal to be the most sustainable salmon company in the world. Several Verlasso sites are currently ASC certificated and our goal is to be 100% ASC certified in the coming years.
Is Verlasso certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or is it aiming to be?
Atlantic Salmon is a non-native species to Patagonia. How does the population of non-native farmed Verlasso salmon affect the ecosystem?
We take thoughtful, deliberate steps to minimize impact on the surrounding natural environment while promoting a healthy farm, having a positive net impact on our food system, and providing economic security to the people who live in the area.
At Verlasso we remove the nets after harvest to allow the fjords to stand fallow for a minimum of 3-6 months. Another farm site is only established after it’s determined the area has returned to its natural state. The most responsible farmers on land use the same practice to give the soil a break where they raise crops and animals.
Our farmers live on houseboats next to the pens monitoring activity 24 hours a day to ensure the care and well being of the fish and the surrounding environment.
Verlasso salmon are placed onboard existing passenger plane routes scheduled from Santiago to the US, which results in a lower carbon footprint for transportation
How does Verlasso salmon get to the U.S. in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way?
Verlasso salmon is only harvested to order, which prevents waste. Once ordered it is cleaned and prepared (as whole fish, fillets, or portions), packed in traceable Verlasso boxes, and only opened once delivered to the distributor, retailer, or restaurant. The fish arrives at its destination on average within 2-3 days out of the water.
Is the salmon fresh if it’s traveling to the U.S. from Patagonia?
Responsible aquaculture creates a balance alleviating human dependence on wild stocks while creating a supply of farmed fish to meet the demands of a swelling global population.
At Verlasso, we think about all levels of impact including the way we source feeder fish. By only using trimmings (not whole fish) from sustainable fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Seafood Watch, Verlasso is following one of the most sustainable and responsible feed models for raising salmon.
Wild fish are at risk of being overfished. How is sustainable aquaculture preventing this?
Verlasso has always worked under a mandate of continuous improvement. Beginning with our ground breaking feed, pen densities and much more! Our current salmon pens reside in an area of Patagonian Chile known as Region XI of Aysen. This area has provided us with so many learnings as we grew over the last eight years. Though this region is remote and has a sparse population, Region XII of Magallanes, is even more isolated and pristine allowing us to improve our already sustainable farming practices that much further. Far from environmental pollutants, the Magallanes region is also called the Chilean Antarctic and is the southernmost part of the country. Due to the strong currents and lower water temperatures in this area, the waters of Magallanes provide a natural and continuous filtration system. Needless to say, this region’s cold, immaculate waters are ideal for raising quality fish.
If you want more information about this, visit our blog.
What is Region XII and why is it so important for salmon aquaculture?
At Verlasso, we have always reached out to thought leaders and chefs for guidance and to provide their perspective on issues pertaining to the industry. Andrew Zimmern is not only a champion for the future of food and for sustainability, but a consummate storyteller. His interest in learning more about sustainable aquaculture will fuel his adventure as he follows and captures Verlasso’s process of raising salmon sustainably at every level, leading our industry into the future.
Why is Andrew Zimmern making a documentary about Verlasso?