Sealand Aquaculture to invest US$ 14.3 million in post-smolt production

Christian Pérez The "Chayahué" smolt-farm is composed by two units (Sealand I and Sealand II) and was originally intended to produce 1,204 tonnes of smolts per year under state-of-the-art RAS technology. However, the company has decided to modify the original project since their clients have changed their requirements and are already asking for fish of larger weights. "This is due to the complex sanitary scenario seen at the sea production stage," Sealand Aquaculture explains. According to the information provided by the company to the public Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), this refurbishing process consists of two phases. First, the company will optimize its operations, in order to enlarge its production capacity up to 1,800 tonnes per year. After that, the company will expand its infraestructure to reach a maximum production capacity of around 3,750 tonnes per year. Currently, the "Chayahué" smolt-farm has an installed capacity of 10,360 m3. After the implementation of new equipment, tanks and fish ponds, this facility would have an installed capacity of 19,960 m3. Finally, the company explained that their annual production would consist of post-smolts of between 120 and 250 gr, depending on the requirements of each client.