The salmon producers Nova Austral, Salmones Magallanes, Cermaq, Multiexport and Salmones Blumar, together with the Association of Salmon and Trout Magallanes Producers, have initiated the programme, which is supported by Elanco and Cargill, and is being coordinated by the consulting firm Conecta.
The plan is for the companies involved to gather and share technical and scientific information and, so far, two technical committees have been established within the group – dealing with issues relating to fish health and the environment. These are overseeing two projects – one investigating the presence of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in the region and the other looking at the best means of evaluating the carrying capacity of salmon farm sites.
All the participants emphasise that the realisation of this initiative will be an important step for salmon farming in the region to operate in a manner that preserves the area’s unique conditions.
