Environment watchdog sends biomass warnings to 223 Chilean salmon farms

Chile’s environment watchdog has notified the operators of 223 salmon farms of their current estimated biomass, so that the farmers don’t exceed maximum production limits.

The Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) says the notifications will enable the site operators to implement preventative actions to avoid overproduction.

Notices were emailed to 89 farms in Los Lagos region, 97 in the Aysén region, and 37 in the Magallanes region.

The SMA, which has retrospectively issued hefty fines for overproduction by some farmers, said it was able to send out notifications thanks to an unprecedented system consisting of an algorithm that allows the production of farms with cycles in progress to be estimated.

Compliance is imperative

The reports use updated data obtained from the Aquaculture Control Information System (SIFA) of the state aquaculture agency Sernapesca, and includes the identification of the operator, geographical location and code of the farm in the National Aquaculture Registry (RNA), and its Environmental Qualification Resolution that establishes its maximum authorised production, along with the estimated effective production to date.

“The SMA seeks to promote the industry’s environmental compliance. With these reports, the owners will be alerted about how their production level is going as permitted in their environmental permit, so that they adjust to it. We have already indicated that environmental compliance must be imperative for companies, it is part of the rules of the game,” said the Superintendent of the Environment, Marie Claude Plumer.