GSI's 2025 Sustainability Report: How Aligned Data Drives Better Decisions
How do you measure real progress in salmon farming? GSI’s 2025 Sustainability Report shows why the answer starts with aligned, transparent data.
Sustainability reporting is most valuable when it helps drive better decisions. For GSI, that is the whole point. The report is not simply a record of where member companies stand. It is a tool for understanding what is changing, where progress is being made and where collective effort is still needed.
By tracking aligned metrics across 11 member companies operating in Australia/Tasmania, Canada, Chile and Norway, GSI provides something that is still uncommon across production sectors: a transparent, long-term view of sustainability performance using consistent metrics that provide a clear picture of sector-wide performance on key priorities.
A clearer view of progress over time
One of the strengths of a long-running report is its ability to show trends. A single year provides a snapshot. Thirteen years can reveal direction, pace, and variation.
Long-term reporting allows members and stakeholders to ask better questions. Are improvements being sustained? Which challenges require greater attention? Where are new technologies beginning to make a difference? Where could shared research or coordinated action help accelerate progress?
When companies report against aligned metrics, the data becomes more than a collection of individual disclosures. It creates a shared evidence base for benchmarking, learning, and greater improvements.
Hear from GSI members Estefania Humud and Sofia Retamal on what it takes to develop the GSI Sustainability Report.
What this year’s data shows
The 2025 report findings show measurable change across several of GSI’s longstanding priorities, reflecting sustained investment in research, innovation, and improved farming practices.
Feed efficiency
64% decrease in average fishmeal use and 31% decrease in average fish oil use since 2013
Improvements in feed formulation, ingredient utilization and feeding strategies are helping members use marine resources more efficiently while maintaining the health and nutritional profile of farmed salmon.
Responsible production
65% of members’ average production is ASC-certified
Nearly two-thirds of members’ average production is certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Salmon Standard, a recognized global benchmark for environmental and social performance.
Expanding transparency on feed
Feed is one of the most important and complex areas of aquaculture sustainability, connecting marine resources, agriculture, land use, traceability, nutrition, and emerging technologies.
There is no single pathway to responsible feed sourcing, and no single metric can capture its full complexity. That is why this year’s report introduces three new measures across marine, plant-based and novel feed inputs:
- Marine ingredients derived from trimmings
Tracking the percentage of marine ingredients derived from trimmings provides greater visibility into the use of by-products and the efficient use of existing marine resources.
- Novel ingredients used in aquafeed
Reporting on the inclusion of novel ingredients helps show how emerging feed solutions are moving from research and innovation into practical use.
- Soy verified as low-risk
A new metric tracks the percentage of soy used in feed which is verified as low-risk for deforestation and conversion, based on ASC Feed Standard methodology.
Together, these metrics provide a more holistic view of feed sourcing and establish baselines for future reporting. Over time, they will help show how ingredient use is evolving, where traceability is improving and where further collaboration is needed.
How does salmon farming support local communities and employment?
Responsible production also includes people and communities. GSI members employ more than 21,600 people worldwide, including people working on farms, in laboratories, in processing facilities, and across supporting functions.
This year, members expanded their employment reporting to include data by age, gender, and employment type. This additional information provides a clearer picture of the people behind the sector and salmon farming’s contribution to employment and economic activity, particularly in coastal and remote areas.
Explore the Data Deep Dive for company-level data and examples of community engagement in action.
Turning transparent data into collective action
As aquaculture’s role in global food systems continues to grow, so does the need for credible evidence about how aquatic foods are produced and how performance is advancing over time.
A complete view of farmed salmon’s role in food systems requires looking at both its production impacts and its nutritional contribution. The Sustainability Report brings together global data on measures such as carbon footprint, feed conversion ratio, and land use, while showing how farmed salmon performs relative to other animal-based proteins. It also highlights the nutrients farmed salmon contributes to global diets, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Learn more about farmed salmon's role in sustainable food systems.
FAO’s latest assessment found that aquaculture produced 103 million tons of aquatic animals in 2024 and now supplies more than half of global aquatic animal production. Aquatic food systems also support approximately 65 million primary-sector jobs. This growing role brings a shared responsibility to better understand performance and where further progress is needed.
GSI’s Sustainability Report is one contribution to that wider effort. By making progress visible, transparency can support accountability, shared learning, and more effective collaboration. It gives members a common evidence base from which to act, helping them work together on challenges that no single company can solve alone and continue advancing salmon farming that contributes positively to people, communities, and a more resilient food system.
Explore the latest data in GSI’s 2025 Sustainability Report.