Minister Presents Second Salmon Aquaculture Health Report

The visit began with a meeting with the Board of the Technological Institute of Salmon, INTESAL, and representatives of Acotruch, where salmon contingency plans were discussed.

"This is a key tool in responding to health emergencies, in addition to all bills that are working for the salmon farming industry," said Mr Ansoleaga after the presentation by the Deputy Director of Aquaculture Sernapesca, Germain Iglesias, Consultant and professional CERES.

The same afternoon, the National Director met with the Association of Maritime Transport Ships, ARMASUR, where in addition to the present contingency plans, a presentation of the new programme-specific Health Surveillance and Control Caligidosis (Caligus) was made.

The authority's visit concluded with a meeting with the Cluster of Mussels, which discussed topics relevant to this important sector, particularly with regard to the low uptake of seeds. A visit to the Chauquear Tornagaleones Sea Farm, which is implementing a new technique for the control of Caligus using tarps, followed.

The central activity of this visit took place before an audience of about 90 people, where the Director of Sernapesca presented the Second Report of the Salmon Health, which corresponds to a diagnosis made quarterly by the National Fisheries Service, to find out the status of the salmon.

Thus, Mr Ansoleaga confirmed that this year there has been an increase in the number of active centers, which nationally rose 30.13 per cent over the same period last year. In terms of biomass, there is also a sustained upward trend since 2009, especially in the Aysen region, where the projection is that this year will get the maximum past production.

The report also shows an increase in official monthly mortality compared to 2011, which does not exceed two per cent per month, except for rainbow trout in the months of March, April and May. "The trend of these indicators give us a warning light, for which we must intensify preventive measures and control Sernapesca" said Mr Ansoleaga.

Regarding the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus, Mr Ansoleaga said "as a result of the strategy implemented through the new ISA control programme, since 2010 there have been no outbreaks in the country."

However, the institution agent detected Piscine reovirus (PRV) that causes the disease "Inflammation of the heart and skeletal muscle" (HSMI) without clinical signs and associated mortality. Finally, Mr Ansoleaga pledged a strengthening of control measures to Piscirickettsiosis in Grants Fellowships Salmonids (ACS) criticism.