Overdose of antibiotics

Christian Pérez

According to a report recently published by the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sernapesca), Chile's salmon industry used 563.2 tonnes of antibacterial agents in 2014, representing a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year (450.7 tonnes) and a 67 per cent increase compared to 2011 (337.9 tonnes). Chile's use of antibiotics in 2014 is only comparable to that in those years prior to the sanitary crisis triggered by the ISA virus.

When looking at the consumption of antibiotics in relation to the biomass of fish, both decreased after the ISA era, but, once the biomass of fish started increasing, the consumption of antibiotics did the same.

Atlantic salmon was the species with the largest share in the use of antibiotics (72%), followed by rainbow trout (17%) and coho salmon (11%). Florfenicol was the antibacterial agent most frequently used (63%), followed by oxytetracycline (35%), flumequine and erythromycine, with 1 per cent each.

Regarding the pathogens causing use of these antibiotics in the seawater stage, the report explains that 90 per cent of the antibacterial products were used against SRS, followed by BKD (9%), and flavobacterium (1%).

Regarding geographical distribution, Aysén had the highest antimicrobial consumption with 54 perc ent, followed by Los Lagos with 44 perc ent and Magallanes with 2 per cent.

Use of antibiotics in Chile

Source: Sernapesca

* Calculated over preliminary harvest figures from 2014