Meeting Norway-Chile focused on fish health management

Christian Pérez In connection with the Aqua Nor exhibition show, yesterday there was a meeting between Norwegian and Chilean representatives from the Veterinary Institute and Food Safety Authority of Norway, and the Chilean Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture. They exchanged information about their fish sanitary status and health management. Sea lice would be the most relevant sanitary issue in both countries according to the speakers. Subsequently, they shared information about their lice control technologies and management tools. For example, Alicia Gallardo from Sernapesca commented some experiences obtained from the fish health measures already implemented in Chile and explained that this winter the local salmon producers are facing a period of low sea lice abundances. However, the Chilean Authority is already working on contingency plans to deal with the commonly high abundances experienced during the summer/fall season. Likewise, Pål Nergård from Mattilsynet commented that the sea lice situation in Norway is still far from being solved, mainly because there are still much lice on wild salmonids, with high abundances in salmon farms occasionally and resistance against delousing drugs in some areas. In turn, Randi Grøntvedt from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute presented an update on new technologies to control sea lice. Several of those technologies are being used in different trials in both countries. Finally, Yngve Torgersen from the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs commented some of the contents in the Seafood White Paper which rests on three pillars: Knowledge, Profitability and Environmental sustainability.