More than 42,000 salmon escape from coho farm in Chile

More than 42,000 coho salmon are estimated to have escaped from a fish farm in Chile, reports Fish Farming Expert’s Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl.

Last Friday, Los Lagos regional office of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) received a notification from the company Granja Marina Tornagaleones (Marine Farm), reporting the escape from its farm in the San Antonio Channel, Calbuco, due to a tear in a net.

According to Sernapesca records, the farm held a total of 1,165,260 coho salmon, averaging approximately 3 kilos, distributed across 26 cages. Of these, an estimated 42,618 escaped, affecting two cages. 

Following the company's initial actions, 3% of the escaped fish had been recaptured as of Sunday.

'Don't buy these fish'

Cristian Hudson, Sernapesca's regional director for Los Lagos, said: “We will continue to conduct in-person and documentary inspections to verify that the company’s Contingency Action Plan is fully implemented, and we will take the appropriate legal action.

“It is important that citizens always prefer to purchase salmon from established retailers that ensure its legal origin and adequate sanitary conditions for consumption.”