Aquabench supports the Chilean salmon farming industry through analysis, research, and audits.
The latest Aquabench report indicates a decline in the Chilean industry performance for Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, and Coho salmon farming during the first half of 2024. This is mainly due to an increase in mortality and lower harvest biomass, resulting in a decrease in kilos harvested per smolt stocked.
During the first half of 2024, accumulated mortality in Atlantic salmon in closed groups increased by 11.4% in Chile, which is 14% higher than the rate recorded in the same period the previous year.
As a result, the accumulated productivity balance for the first half of 2024 shows a total of 15.3 million dead fish in the fattening stage. Of this figure, 10.7 million correspond to Atlantic salmon, 2.3 million to Coho salmon, and 2.2 million to rainbow trout.
To be more specific, 23% of the total mortality to date was due to infectious causes, 22% to mechanical damage, 17% to culling, and 16% to environmental causes.
All this translates into less effective productivity for the Chilean salmonid sector, as the number of Atlantic salmon smolt stocked is 5% lower than in 2023.
Likewise, smolt stockings in Q2 of 2024 decreased by an average of 8% compared to the same period the previous year.
Finally, the total harvested biomass for the three species at the end of Q2 2024 reached 428 thousand tons, which is 9% lower than the same period the previous year.
Chile is not alone in this trend. In the same line, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute assured a few days ago that infectious diseases have been the main cause of salmon mortality, during the first four months of 2024.
Moreover, the Institute published a report that focuses on three major diseases affecting farmed salmon and trout: pancreatic disease (PD), bacterial kidney disease (BKD), and infectious salmon anemia (ISA).