Hundreds of thousands of Salmon dying due to algae in southern Chile

Four years ago that the salmon industry revived not due to one of its greatest fears: the massive death of your fish by health factors, causing an intense operation by the Government through the Servicio Nacional de Pesca (Sernapesca).

Last week four companies, whose cultivation centres hundreds of kilometres away in the southern area, lit the alarms of the health authority due to its high mortality rates. It’s the companies: Blumar, Friosur, Acuinova and Acuimag, the first three in Aysén and Magallanes last.

This time two foci of – also called bloom of algae – algae blooms caused high mortalities of fish and occurred simultaneously in the northern area of Aysén and Magallanes, in the sector of Última Esperanza.

In the latter, the case generated impact in Puerto Natales, closest town to affected culture centers, due to fulminant death of the fish that were in those moments of fattening.

“In four days in Magellan 400 thousand fish died in a Center. Many animals die in a very short time and what is important is that we are acting quickly to prevent the spread,”explains the Sub-director of aquaculture of the Sernapesca, Alicia Gallardo.

And adds: “the researchers have published is that climate change could affect temperatures in the sea and that could lead to an increase of populations zoo planktonic that produce these bloom.” Therefore, it is expected that such events come with climate change”.

Such was the level of impact that Magellan at the peak there were between 5 to 6 thousand fish killed per hour, detailing the authority.

An Executive linked to precise industry that if well loss itself is not so much, in the future, the impact is greater.

The above due to lower revenues in the order of US$ 10 to US12 million, just in the Magallanes Region. Add to that the losses of Aysén figure doubles, reaching US$ 24 million, explains a high source of industry.

Blumar – linked to family Yaconi-Santa Cruz and Sarquis-families, commissioned a study to “find a scientific explanation” to the mass flowering of algae affecting their centers in Aysén, which would be in the hands of the directory in one more week.

Blumar, Gerardo Balbontín CEO says “a long time ago we had an episode like this, which was strong enough”, but so far the damage is limited. In his view the generated losses, estimated to be at least $1.5 million, does not warrant deliver a particular controller, since the insurance cover the impact.

While the President of SalmonChile, Felipe Sandoval says that “they are specific cases, but what we have spoken with Sernapesca is that there should be a monitoring particular to these episodes.” There should be a greater observation to the rise in temperatures. You have to go try checking if this could be repeated in most followed way”.