Authorities suspend recovery of 200 tonnes of salmon from ‘Seikongen’

Techincal difficulties at the site are believed to be the reason for the suspension.

It was Wednesday morning Chilean time that a wellboat owned by CPT Empresas Maritimas and under contract with Camanchaca, went down in silent weather at the village of Chonchi on the eastern side of Isla de Chiloé in southern Chile.

Since then 37,000 salmon, presumed to be dead, have been kept in sealed tanks to avoid environmental contamination. Repeated attempts to remove the fish have not succeeded.

The maritime governor of Chiloé, Héctor Aravena, told Chilean newspaper Soy Chile that there were problems with removing the salmon from the ‘Seikongen’ due to technical issues.

Therefore, a group consisting of the Navy, Chilean Directorate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, the government and the company Camanchaca, is meeting to solve the situation, according to Biobiochile.  To help out, two European experts and one American expert will assist in the process.

Certain parts of ‘Seikongen’ are visible at low tide; however, due to sea conditions, only two hours’ work is possible at a time.

None of the crew of 11 people were injured during the capsize last Wednesday.

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