Storm sinks salmon cages containing over 875,000 fish

Blumar reports potential mass escape and/or mortality.

Around 1am on Saturday morning, a salmon farm site which belongs to the Chilean salmon farmer Blumar sunk containing up to 875,144 salmon average weight of 3.8kg, reports Aqua.cl.

Battered by Storm Puelche, the site is based in Hualaihué commune, Palena province, Los Lagos region, southern Chile.

Due to the climatic conditions of the sector, the company has not yet been able to establish the exact mortality or escape figures reported Chilean aquaculture authority Sernapesca. There were no injuries to staff.

Gerardo Balbontín said that the 16 of the 18 sea cages that make up its fattening sea site location were now underwater because of the storm.

Sernapesca confirma escape de peces en centro de cultivo de la Empresa Salmones Blumar S.A. https://t.co/M5zpdhv9kY pic.twitter.com/95b9l7N5py

— Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura 🇨🇱 (@sernapesca) June 28, 2020