Fishmeal processed at Camanchaca. (Photo: Stock File)

High mortality of salmon due to algae will be processed into fishmeal

CHILE
Friday, March 04, 2016, 22:10 (GMT + 9)

Local news media El Repuertero has reported that authorities indicated that there is a faster way to dispose of 12 thousand tonnes of dead fish. In Los Lagos Region there is only capacity to process 2,000 tonnes; the rest will be sent to the area of Biobio, where fishmeal is traditionally processed from pelagics such as the anchovy.

The rise of harmful algal blooms (HAB) caused by climate events and the phenomenon of El Niño has caused the loss of 12 thousand tonnes of salmon, which could lead to environmental consequences if it is not adequately processed.

Therefore, the Government has taken steps to control this crisis, which were released by the Regional Governor, Leonardo de la Prida, who said that to address this situation there is coordination with the Ministry of Economy, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries, the National Marine Fisheries service and the Navy.

"The National Director of Aquaculture held a video conference with the companies concerned to take charge, together with the Ministry of Environment, of environmental issues that could be produced by this situation, we have about 12 thousand tonnes of mortality, a very significant figure," De la Prida said.

Among the mitigation measures, the regional authority said guidelines were sent to salmon companies to ensure the rapid removal of mortalities under maximum biosecurity, smoothing emergency transfer among sea centres to try to save the fish and implement sanitary control of the specimens at risk.
Thus, the mortality will be transferred to local industries in the Biobio region to process and transform it into fishmeal.

"When we think of volumes, where we can leave that amount of dead salmon, it is not feasible to build wells for burial, so the solution is to process and transform it into fishmeal. To do this, the region has a maximum capacity of 2,000 tonnes so we must move these remaining fish to the Eighth Region, which is being carried out by Sernapesca, coordinating it with industrialists. Along with it, the salmon must also be transferred alive to another sector of the region," he said.

Regarding the causes and duration, El Repuertero says that De La Prida, together with Sernapesca Regional Director, Eduardo Aguilera and Seremi of Environment, Jorge Pasminio indicated the origin and possible duration of the phenomenon: "This algae causes the blockage of the fish’s airways, and thus they die by asphyxiation, the other species experience the same effects, but as they are able to move, nothing happens to them, while salmon in captivity can not leave."

"The length is variable, it is a natural phenomenon, it is impossible to know how long it will last, but we have some indications, the algae grow due to temperature and luminosity, we are already in late summer, as autumn is coming, which decreases what contributes to its decline, we pay attention to these changes," De la Prida concluded.

[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print