More fish and higher mortality rates
According to the director of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca), there was a 30.13 percent increase in the number of salmon farming sites in operation during Q2 2012 compared to the same period of the previous year.
Regarding biomass, Juan Luis Ansoleaga commented that there is a sustained upward trend since the year 2009. This trend is especially strong in the 11th Region (Aysén) where a new production record is expected to be set this year.
Likewise, there was an increase in the monthly mortality rate in comparison to the second quarter of 2011 which did not surpass 2 percent per month with the exception of Rainbow trout which totalized 2.7 percent in May this year. The main disease associated to this increase is SRS, Piscirickettsia salmonis.
