The managing director of Marine Harvest Chile, Fernando Villarroel, has spoken out on July’s escape.
Talking to Soychile website, the MD addressed concerns over the 690 thousand salmon that escaped from the Punta Redonda farm early in July.
Among the concerns of Fernando Villarroel was the effect on the health of the people who may buy the caught salmon from local markets.
He warned the publication that that given the impossibility of guaranteeing sanitary management “our company does not recommend its consumption.”
This echoed the initial concerns of Ruth Alarcon, deputy director of aquaculture at the government’s national fisheries service, who told Reuters:“We are monitoring all recapture efforts, ensuring that these fish are taken to a fishmeal plant because obviously they cannot be considered for direct (human) consumption.”
463,000 fish had begun to be treated with florfenicol before they escaped, though Fernando Villarroel assured the publication that no traces of the antibiotic had been found to date in their tests.
He also said that the company were working on all fronts to retrieve the fish, using the support of local fisherman, throughout the 30 day target.
