Modifications to institutional structure and regulations
During the Freshwater Conference organized by the fish feed company Skretting last week, Burgos confirmed what was announced by the Under-secretary of Fisheries earlier that same day: the Sanitary Regulation for Aquaculture (RESA) is going to be enacted in September.
According to José Miguel Burgos, the objectives of this new regulation will be: avoid the entrance and establishment of exotic diseases in the country; and, decrease the frequency and impact of endemic diseases.
Among other modifications, Burgos mentioned that transference of broodstock from the sea to land-based facilities will not be allowed in the case of Atlantic salmon and will be restricted when it comes to other salmonid species. Disinfection of inflow and effluent waters are part of these changes too, as well as a mandatory fallow of (at least) one month after 12 months of operation in freshwater
Regarding the institutional structure of the Under-secretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca), he commented that the project to establish an Under-secretary of Aquaculture is almost entirely ready and approved.
Later on, during the Skretting’s conference, Javier Ovalle, legal consultant of the Association of the Chilean Salmon Industry (SalmonChile), commented that the new RESA poses several restrictions over salmon farming in lakes, rivers and estuaries, discouraging its usage, while liberalizes salmon farming in land-based facilities.
Ovalle also said that the definition of several topics, such as: usage of lakes, rivers and estuaries; characteristics of macro-zones; and risk scoring will be responsibility of an expert panel.
The third annual conference on freshwater salmon farming organized by Skretting was held on the Puyehue Hotel between 7-9 September, 2011.
