Nova Austral is the only salmon farming company in Chile free of antibiotics

Nova Austral has turned out to be the only company with zero consumption of antimicrobials and antiparasitics in the Chilean salmon farming industry in 2023. This is stated in the recent annual report published by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca).

The conclusions are drawn from identifying data on antimicrobial use for those closed cycles at marine grow-out centers that completed their production between January and December 2023.

Thus, the calculation of the Antimicrobial Consumption Indicator (ICA) is applied to determine the amount of active ingredient used during the cycle, the dead biomass, and the harvests carried out.

"This is a motivation to continue operating properly, with ethical conduct in our relationships with the community, clients, and all stakeholder groups, and with the responsibility that comes with operating in the waters of the Magallanes Region," comments Nicolás Larco, General Manager of Nova Austral.

The report also shows that, overall, antibiotic use in salmon farming decreased by 0.8% compared to 2022. Additionally, when comparing 2021 versus 2022, the salmon farming industry had already achieved a 26% reduction in the total tons of active ingredient used, reaching an ICA% of 0.032.

Nova Austral has been operating in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region for more than 15 years. In 2024, the Court of Appeals of Valdivia sanctioned the company with a fine of USD 940,350 (EUR 866,318) as a result of environmental damage caused by the company by artificially altering the seabed of one of its salmon farming centers.