Camanchaca has decades of experience feeding the world from the sea. Operations are carried out along the length of the Chilean coast, exporting fish and seafood to more than 50 countries. Hannah Barnett spoke to CEO Ricardo García Holtz to learn how the company runs so smoothly.
The distinctive geography of its location allows Camanchaca to stand out in the worldwide fishing sector. Chile is an extremely thin country of more than 4,000 km in length.
“That is the equivalent of the distance from Madrid to Moscow,” Ricardo García Holtz, CEO, explained. “But we are very slim. So, we offer a sort of diversification that is very unique.”
History making
Camanchaca was founded in the early ‘80s, as a small fishing operation in the south of Chile. It grew substantially as the industry developed and expanded to the north. The scope of the company’s operation has now extended beyond fishing to include salmon and mussel farming in Patagonia.
These days, the company is active in markets across Europe, North America, Mexico, China, Japan and Latin America, producing 120 million kilos of frozen fish a year to be sold around the world.
“We have big diversification in terms of markets and also in terms of formats,”
Mr García Holtz explained. “We export whole salmon fish for the Brazilian and the Chinese market, but we also do a lot of salmon portions. We are the largest portion producer in Chile, targeting mar kets such as Mexico and the US, for both frozen and fresh. This diversification gives us flexibility so that we can optimise the return on the fish.”
This diversification appears to be paying off; the company now has more than 4,400 employees and an annual
turnover of around $800 million. But its mission statement remains focused.
“We have a stated our core purpose to feed the world from the ocean,” said Mr García Holtz. “97 per cent of the food system on the planet comes from land –only 3 per cent of the food system comes from the ocean, and yet 1/3 of gas emissions is generated by the land-based food industry. So, the world needs to change its diet and rely more on the ocean, whether that’s from algae, seafood or fish.”
Upholding regulations
Camanchaca is a highly integrated busi –ness. As well as owning its own fleet, the company plays a role in every stage of the production cycle. As Mr García Holtz explained: “In salmon farming, we are
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present from the laying and hatching of the fish eggs, to the growing period inland with RAS facilities, the sites in the ocean, and then on to the slaughtering and value-added processing plants and, ultimately, into the global markets.”
The company strives to uphold Chilean fishing regulations, ensure responsible fishing and fight illegal and unregulated fishing; these include certification of catches, onboard surveillance, minimising by-catch, cooling systems to preserve freshness of the catches and processing excellence. There are also strict regu –laions and certifications for the market on which the products are sold.
“In the case of jack mackerel, the most valuable fishing species in Chile, it is certified by the MSC as well as Marine Trust,” explained Mr García Holtz. “This is the strictest certification for fishing oper –ations. It’s like ASC for salmon farming; we have very strict regulatory entities surveying the industry, and we have markets and clients that require or appreciate certification of the farming operation, in particular, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and BAP.”
As a result, up to two thirds of Camanchaca’s farm sites are certified by the ASC and all accredited by BAP. “This means that even if we comply with all regulations, the catches or farming fish need to have all the proper certifications to access every possible market and get a better price for our fish” said Mr García Holtz. “So, there is an economic incentive for both responsible fishing and responsible aquaculture.”
Energy efficient
In March 2024, Camanchaca became the first fishing, salmon and shellfish farming company in Chile to be awarded an energy efficiency management certification. The initiative was framed by the Energy Efficiency Law and includes commitments to save 13.5 million kWh of energy by December 2024, the equivalent to the annual energy consumed by 1,700 houses.
The energy tax implemented in Chile penalises businesses that generate high emissions, meaning there is further incen –tive for the company to move towards cleaner energy sources and renewables.
“The energy efficiency certification is just the tip of an iceberg,” Mr García Holtz said. “It may take a few years to accom –modate and to find the right technology, but once energy efficiency is addressed in a more systematic way, we become more sustainable every year. We are aiming to be carbon neutral on Scope 1 and 2 within the next few years.”
Managing a global operation like Camanchaca can be a challenge,
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particularly as Chile is relatively far away from most of the consumption markets based in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, the company must work closely with its network of business partners, including strategic suppliers like feed companies and logistics.
Feed represents around 40 to 45% of the cost of the fish once harvested, so strong and loyal relationships are also very important for Camanchaca to maintain its competitive positioning and success.
“We are confident because we are sourcing the feed from very strong multi –national companies, which we know are aiming to have sustainable sourced ingredients in the diets,” said Mr García Holtz. “These include Cargill from the US, Skretting from The Netherlands and BioMar from Denmark, all of which are responsible in their own sourcing of ingredients. We also require our feed providers to ensure that there are no unethical activities, such as deforestation, in their processes.”
Navigating the future
Camanchaca has confronted many chal –lenges in recent years including damage caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Then the Covid pandemic brought its own set of challenges, although the company was able to con –tinue operating in very restricted conditions.
“We did not stop fishing or farming during the pandemic, working every single day” said Mr García Holtz, “despite the lock –downs, the disruption in transportation and the fall-off from consumption at restaurants. We carried on successfully and were able to continue feeding the world from our ocean. We are very resilient.”
It is clear that Camanchaca is the sort of company with a strong sense of pur –pose – one that will not be thwarted by natural disaster or a worldwide public health emergency.
“I’m very engaged with the purpose of Camanchaca, which is feeding the world from the ocean,” Mr García Holtz concluded.
“I think society has paid little attention to the power of the ocean to resolve most of the planet’s problems, including gas emissions. We need to be responsible in the way we treat the ocean, based on science.
“So, it motivates me to utilise the advan –tages of Chile to feed the global population. Chile has an enormous wealth in the ocean – and we want to be able to share it. I think that’s a noble purpose and mission.” n
