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Our History

The Company Our History

Founded in Iquique, a city in northern Chile, in 1965, the Company began catching and processing langostino lobsters thousands of kilometers south, in Tomé, two years later.

1965​

Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca was founded in the city of Tomé, Bio Bio Region, to catch and process shrimp and langostino lobster. It established a very highly valued market in the United States for these products.​

1980​

Camanchaca’s ownership changed. Jorge Fernández Valdés and Francisco Cifuentes Correa became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, respectively. The Company shifted its focus to production of fishmeal and fish oil in Talcahuano, Bio Bio Region.​

1984​

The first prime fishmeal and fish oil plant, outfitted with indirect drying technology, was built in Talcahuano, Bio Bio Region. ​

1985​

A shrimp and langostino lobster processing plant was built in Caldera, Atacama Region. ​

1987​

• The Company acquired the Polcura Hatchery, which represented the first steps toward founding the Salmon Farming Division.
• The first stage of scallop farming began in Caldera, Atacama Region.​

1990​

• The first Coho harvest began at the Isla Tabón farming site, Los Lagos Region.
• Facilities in Tomé were refurbished, updating the frozen food plant.
• The first canning plant and a new fishmeal and fish oil plant were built in Talcahuano, Bio Bio Region.​

1993​

• Camanchaca purchased Pesquera Tarapacá, a fishmeal and fish oil plant located within the port of Iquique, and four fishing vessels. This marked the beginning of the fishing operations in northern Chile and the Company acquired 4% of available anchovy rights. ​
• En San Antonio, Región de Valparaíso, s​e construye la planta de harina y aceite de pescado .
• Fishmeal and fish oil plant was built in San Antonio, Valparaíso Region.​

1996-2003​

Camanchaca acquired Pesquera del Norte, Pesquera Oceánica and Pesquera Península, bringing its share of the anchovy fishing market to 20%. ​

1997​

• The Corsario and Bucanero vessels—specially made for Camanchaca by ASENAV—began operating. Each vessel featured state-of-the-art technology and a capacity of 1,850 m3.
• The Company acquired the Playa Maqui smoltification center in Llanquihue Lake, Los Lagos Region. ​

2000​

• The first closed-cycle wellboat in Chile, the Ana Cristina, begin operating.
• The San José primary processing site in Calbuco, Los Lagos Region was opened.​

2001​

• Operations began at Chile’s first recirculating hatchery, Río Petrohué, Los Lagos Region.
• Camanchaca set up a sales office in Miami, Camanchaca Inc., to sell salmon directly to the North American market.
• Camanchaca added the land-based abalone business line with annual capacity of 150 tons, located in Caldera, Tarapacá Region.​

2003​

• The Company purchased Cultivos Marinos del Pacífico and began a new line of business: mussel farming.
• Pesquera Miramar was acquired in Coronel, Bio Bio Region.​

2004​

Camanchaca acquired Fiordo Blanco, enhancing the salmon farming division by contributing concessions, the Lochy strain and the Rio de la Plata hatchery in the Los Lagos Region. ​

2005​

Mussel processing plant built.​

2007​

• Camanchaca purchased Cultivos Marinos Internacionales in Caldera, Tarapacá Region, expanding its capacity to 350 tons/year.
• New offices were opened in Puerto Montt, Los Lagos Region, and Tomé, Bio Bio Region.
• The Company opened a sales office in Tokyo.
• A mussel plant was opened in Rauco, Los Lagos Region, with capacity of 20,000 tons/year.​​

2008​

• ISA virus seriously impacted salmon production, slashing it from 40,000 to 10,000 tons per year.
• Subsidiary Salmones Camanchaca was created.​

2010​

Camanchaca placed 31.5% of its shares on Santiago Exchange.​

2011​

Camanchaca Pesca Sur was born of the merger between Camanchaca and Pesquera Bio Bio’s fishing assets in south central Chile. Camanchaca retained a 70% interest in the new company. ​

2012​

Camanchaca became the world's first salmon producer to earn three stars for the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. ​

2013​

• Camanchaca joined the newly created Global Salmon Initiative (GSI
• The Company organized trout production through a joint venture with two other companies.
• Camanchaca created its first sustainability program: Friendly Camanchaca, which focuses on community outreach, caring for the environment and healthy living.​

2017​

• Camanchaca implemented the SAP technology and operations platform (an accounting and management software) for more efficient performance.
• Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca earned international certification from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for its langostino lobster fishing. ​

2018​

• Salmones Camanchaca completes simultaneous IPOs on the Oslo and Santiago stock exchanges, placing 30% of the subsidiary’s capital.
• The Company becomes the first salmon company in Latin America to trade on the world’s leading seafood market. ​
• Administrative support areas were centralized in the city of Tomé, Bio Bio Region.​

2019​

• Salmon processing plant in Tomé, Bio Bio Region, was remodeled and updated with new MAREI technology.
• Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca opened new Rocuant Logistics Center (RLC) in Talcahuano, Bio Bio Region, with 45,000 m² of warehouses on 100,000 m² of land. ​

2020​

Name changed from "Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca S.A.” to "Camanchaca S.A.” at annual general shareholders’ meeting.​

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