The Business Case for Pre-Competitive Collaboration

The document examines the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) as a model for pre-competitive collaboration in the salmon aquaculture industry. It details how 14 member companies, representing 50% of global production, have used the platform to share data and innovate on environmental challenges. Key achievements include the rapid uptake of Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification, the reduction of medicinal sea lice treatments, and improvements in feed efficiency. The GSI demonstrates that by collaborating on non-competitive sustainability goals, companies can reduce costs, improve industry-wide reputation, and secure the long-term viability of shared resources.

• The Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) has significantly accelerated the adoption of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification; since the standard's 2012 establishment, 40% of the global salmon market is certified, with 60% of GSI member production achieving this status.
• The GSI facilitated the discovery that rotating different non-medicinal treatments—such as laser treatments, high concentrate hydrogen peroxide baths, and the use of wrasse—increases the duration of each treatment's effectiveness.
• Industry-wide collaboration and engagement with feed companies has improved feed efficiency, reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) to approximately 1.1:1 or 1.2:1, with a target of 1:1.
• The use of marine ingredients in feed has been reduced over six years, with fishmeal use decreasing by 17% and fish oil use decreasing by 9%, partly through the innovation of algae oils.
• The GSI provides a mechanism for companies to mitigate shared reputational risk by agreeing on common sustainability metrics and reporting data publicly side-by-side with competitors.

APA

Devine, K. (n.d.). The Business Case for Pre-Competitive Collaboration. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/161/7935u7f16i_GSI_Business_Case_07_19_v8.pdf

Chicago

Devine, Katherine. The Business Case for Pre-Competitive Collaboration. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/161/7935u7f16i_GSI_Business_Case_07_19_v8.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Devine |first1=Katherine |title=The Business Case for Pre-Competitive Collaboration |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/161/7935u7f16i_GSI_Business_Case_07_19_v8.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{devinendbusiness, author = {Devine, Katherine}, title = {{The Business Case for Pre-Competitive Collaboration}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/161/7935u7f16i_GSI_Business_Case_07_19_v8.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }