In early October 2008, Chile’s National Fishing Service (Sernapesca) launched a Specific Health Surveillance and Control Program for Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA), the purpose of which is reducing the incidence and prevalence of the disease. ISA has caused sizeable losses to a sector that has been characterized in recent years for driving production in the southernmost regions of Chile. At the same time, and up to the present day, the Chilean Association of the Salmon Industry (SalmonChile) has also developed its own measures, which despite being broader than the ones proposed by the authority, lack force of law to be requested to be fulfilled by all salmon farmers in Chile.

In general, both organizations demand greater fish surveillance (Atlantic salmon), both in fresh and sea water, screening specimens along all the stages of their life cycle (egg to breeding specimen); coordinated entrance, handling and harvests in the 54 Health Management Areas or “neighborhoods”; and different hygiene, disinfection and biosafety measures.

The application of these and other actions permitted the sector to reduce fish mortality caused by the ISA virus from 14% in early 2009, to less than 1% in the middle of the year. It must be noted, however, that during the first quarter of 2010, this figure could rise again due to higher temperatures and their impact on the health conditions of the fishes.

In this context, three salmon farming companies wanted to share their experience with virus ISA with the rest of the industry. Salmones Cupquelán, Salmones Itata and Salmones Friosur, which have their growing centers in the Aysén Region, give us a detailed account of the measures they have applied and some of the results obtained.

The consulted companies state that to prevent virus ISA from contaminating their growing centers or to reduce ISA prevalence, they are applying the measures devised by Sernapesca and the ones proposed by SalmonChile like vaccinating all salmons introduced to the sea; implementing “all in all out” systems both in the farming center and in the “neighborhood”; and acquiring certified eggs.

Although implementing these measures has resulted in increased production costs, it has been well worth it. Executives of Salmones Cupquelán inform that “Mortality in the sea has declined.” This is like a breath of fresh air for an industry that has grounded expectations that by applying the health measures proposed by the authority and the association, companies will be able to coexist with ISA, as it as occurred in countries that were successful in reinventing themselves in the salmon business.

Áreas de Manejo Sanitario: Por una buena vecindad Nº 138

Artículo central
Áreas de Manejo Sanitario
Aprendiendo a vivir en comunidad
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Salud
Con medidas de bioseguridad
Combatiendo al ISA
• • • • • • •

Salud
En Chile
Herramientas para el control del Cáligus
• • • • • • •

Salud
Vacunas y antivirales
Protección contra el ISA
• • • • • • •

Entrevista
Wout Dekker, CEO de Nutreco
“Cuidar la reputación de la industria es un desafío constantemente presente”
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Summary
Health Management Areas
Learning to live in community
• • • • • • •

Summary
Applying biosafety measures to
Combat ISA virus
• • • • • • •

Summary
Vaccines and antivirals
Protection against ISA virus
• • • • • • •

Summary
Wout Dekker, Nutreco’s CEO
“Taking care of the industry’s reputation is a permanent challenge”
• • • • • • •

Editorial
Las nuevas prioridades pesqueras
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