Sernapesca warned salmon farmers that this measure does not exempt fish farming sites using it from monitoring for caligus on the dates established by the regulations.
Photo: Sernapesca.
Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) announced that, exceptionally, it authorizes the pharmacological treatment of Caligidosis, "outside the official bathing windows, when carried out in watertight vessels, as authorized by the Specific Health Program for Surveillance and Control of Caligidosis."
According to Sernapesca, this exception allows the application of a measure that constitutes a new specific treatment alternative that favors the prevention and control of Caligidosis in farming sites, while the use of watertight vessels allows the recovery of viable parasites, which contributes to the disease control.
Likewise, the Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service pointed out that it also allows for better control of used doses and treatment application times.
However, Sernapesca made a warning: "It is important to note that this measure does not exempt the farming sites using it from monitoring for caligus on the dates established by the regulations, which will allow them to maintain the necessary vigilance for timely detection and the appropriate application of the measures required by the program."
Less researched than other species, when the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) launched its Salmon Standard (v 1.4) - which focused on sea lice management - it included monitoring of caligus as a major change.
Caligus is a parasite that attaches to the skin, gills, and fins of fish and can cause various problems in salmon, such as skin irritation, gill damage, general weakening, stress, and even death. In addition, among other problems, Caligidosis can cause stunted growth in parasitized fish.
The objective of caligus dips is to control the parasitic load to ensure the animal welfare of the salmon. In Chile, it is mandatory that before performing these baths, the companies previously inform Sernapesca, from where they are supervised remotely or in person to ensure they are carried out with the proper handling of the medication.
Among other considerations established in the law, the Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service controls that the proper medication is used and that it is done at the established times and concentrations. In Chile, last year, companies such as Salmones Camanchaca saw how caligus outbreaks damaged the costs of fish harvested in some of their farms, causing a drop in their profits.