Chile-based Salmones Antarctica did not report this to authorities.
Chilean aquaculture and fishing authority Sernapesca writes in a press release that the salmon farmer Salmones Antarctica is in hot water authorities after it detected mass mortality events in three of its grow-out sites in Chonchi, Los Lagos, southern Chile.
The story was first reported in El Mostrador.
As well as not reporting the incident, authorities found decaying fish inside the pens that had not been removed. The salmon farmer was at 80% of its mortality storage capacity.
Sernapesca said that there was “a clear deficiency in the procedures for handling these types of events, maintaining decay mortality inside the cage pens”.
Authorities have ordered the salmon farmer to act immediately, first removing the floating and existing mortality. Within seven business days, the salmon company must also “submit a daily report of the withdrawal of mortality in each of the three sites”.
On top of that, it must also submit two other daily reports. One about how and where the dead fish were disposited. And another other to check on the condition of the seabed through the use of ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).
Salmones Antarctica is 100% owned by one of Japan’s biggest seafood companies, through its subsidiary Nippon Suisan America Latin.
