MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Magallanes: dispute over the origin of salmon disease

Although it is now certain that at least one salmon farm in southern Chile's Magallanes (Region XII) has tested positive for Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA), what is not yet clear is how the debilitating disease made it to Chile's southernmost region.

ISA is a highly contagious virus that can be lethal to fish but does not affect humans. In statements published last week by Ecoceanos News, the government's National Fishing Service (SERNAPESCA) appeared to put the blame on industry leader Marine Harvest, which owns the Caleta Delano fish farm where the Magallanes ISA case was detected (PT, July 3). Last Thursday the Norwegian farmed salmon giant fired back, denying SERNAPESCA's claim that it brought the infected fish into the region in 2005. Instead, the salmon in question contracted the disease in Region XII itself, Marine Harvest noted in a press release. "A basic analysis," the company said, "allows one to conclude that the (reproduction) center was infected in the zone." The Marine Harvest press release also said SERNAPESCA had suspicions about the possible presence of ISA in Magallanes as far back as March. The company's take on the matter raises the possibility that Region XII's ISA woes could well go beyond just a single, isolated case, a problem indeed given plans by salmon companies to expand into Magallanes and thus escape the contaminated and overcrowded waters of Region X. Region XII currently accounts for only 1 percent of Chile's total farmed salmon and trout production. But, as a recent spike in concession applications suggests, that could soon change. The lion's share of the 2.2 billion US dollar industry continues to be housed in Region X, which has been hit hard over the past year by the ongoing ISA outbreak. Marine Harvest, the world's largest farmed salmon company, has suffered a particularly harsh blow. The Norwegian company owns 10 of the 24 salmon farms on SERNAPESCA's most recent outbreak list. By Patagonia Times Staff (patagoniatimes@gmail.com)