Huge escape was no disease threat says Mowi Chile
The 690,000 salmon that escaped from a Mowi Chile farm because of storm damage to pens on July 5 last year were in such good health that they posed no threat of transmitting diseases to wild fish, the company has told regulators.
Mowi’s claim is based on a technical report commissioned from ADL Diagnostic Chile and prepared by its general manager, Patricio Bustos, a veterinarian.
Lawyers acting for Mowi have submitted the report to Chile’s environment agency, the SMA, as evidence in a process to determine what sanctions the company will face for allowing the escape from the Punta Redonda farm in Calbuco, Los Lagos region.
Vaccinated
At the time of the fish escape, the farm was classified as “under surveillance” for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) and piscirickettsiosis (SRS). Also, according to Bustos, the fish had been vaccinated against five pathogens to prevent and control the appearance of specific infectious diseases, which are endemic in Chile, such as vibriosis, furunculosis, infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN), SRS, and ISA.
At the time of salmon escape the farm had a lice load of 0.53 ovigerous females, which did not present a risk of dissemination of the parasite, said Bustos.
He added that according to a technical report by Paola Guarda, veterinarian responsible for the Mowi farm, the cumulative mortality rate amounted to 4.03%, “less than the respective concessions group and one of the lowest in the industry”, indicating the good fish health conditions of the site.
Low mortality
Specifically, mortality registered and classified on July 2, as well as in the week prior to fish escape, “was quite low, with values considered within the normal ranges, which range from 0.01% to 0.02% daily or 0.07% to 0.14% weekly”, Bustos said.
Thus, Mowi argues in its presentation to the SMA that “an eventual effect associated with the transmission of diseases to wild fish” by escaped salmon should be ruled out.
If it is decided that the fish escape caused irreparable environmental damage, Mowi Chile may face punishments such as revocation of the farm licence, closure or a fine of up to 5.6 billion pesos (£6.2 million).
