Chile set for regulatory overhaul
The Chilean authorities have announced a number of planned regulatory changes to improve the sanitary situation of the salmon farming industry, in a move that has been broadly welcomed by the sector.
The salmon producing industry will have to reduce its farming densities to prevent further sanitary crises, according to a new rule announced yesterday (Monday) by the Chilean government.
Other rules planned by the authorities, which are expected to be implemented in the second half-year, include the certification of structures to minimize the risk of escapes, the mandatory surveillance of environmental variables of sites online and a change in the waste management policy.
Other plans are to revise the production model and fallowing policies; to increase the productive period from 21 or 24 months to 45 months, to avoid concentration of harvests at the same time; to eliminate excessive paperwork/bureaucracy at different stages; and to alter the process by which farms are relocated.
The president of the Association of the Chilean Salmon Industry, Felipe Sandoval, broadly welcomed the initiative, saying: “This scheme of progressing step by step sounds good, and we'll see how we move forward with the rest of the measures. What was presented is in the right direction and we agree with the concepts."
Yet he foresees the new regulations causing some complications too.
"However, there is still a problem, which is the regulations tied to the production scope. This works well in sanitary and competitive terms only if implemented as a whole,” he added.
