ISA virus has affected less than 1% of the biomass

Christian Pérez Maria Eugenia Wagner, president of the Association of the Chilean Salmon Industry, SalmonChile, put cold cloths to the tense atmosphere generated by the presence of ISA virus in three farming sites (in the north of the Region of Aysén) during the past month. The Chilean Authority imposes mandatory harvests in the cages affected by ISA virus, which, according to Wagner, correspond to less than 1% of the biomass of the local salmon industry. The president of SalmonChile emphasized that the various improvements in the existing regulations, after the sanitary crisis experienced in 2007, have paid off. "We are pleased that the regulation is working. It has been successful and can contain the disease," she said Regarding the initiatives taken by the Authority and the fish farming companies, Wagner noted that in those areas considered most critical, sampling is being performed every 15 days, in order to anticipate potential problems. She also said that the fish mortality rates are "stable" and that SalmonChile is contributing in the development of vaccines, farming methods and solutions to withstand the presence of ISA virus.