Chilean Yelcho Alliance appoints Fernando Flores as new Executive Director

Yelcho Alliance, a public-private initiative in Chile's salmon farming industry created to prevent diseases in farmed salmon and reduce antibiotic use, has announced the appointment of Fernando Flores as its new executive director.

A veterinarian and graduate in Veterinary Sciences from the Austral University of Chile, Flores has more than 30 years of experience in animal health, specializing in aquaculture and salmon farming. He also founded Aqua Health Chile, a company dedicated to the research and development of vaccines for aquaculture.

Also, he is a member of the World Aquaculture Society, the Global Seafood Alliance and the Association of Aquaculture Veterinarians (MEVEA). He has held executive positions at Elanco Animal Health, where he led the Aquaculture Business for Latin America from 2015 to 2024, and at MSD Animal Health Chile, where he served as Associate Director of the Aquaculture Business Unit.

Regarding his appointment, Flores said: "I take on this challenge with enthusiasm and commitment. Yelcho Alliance has the opportunity to establish itself as a trusted and technically strong platform for collaboration, capable of coordinating efforts to address one of the main health challenges facing Chile's salmon farming industry."

Meanwhile, María Soledad Tapia, national director of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca), said: "Fernando Flores has extensive experience that will undoubtedly be a valuable contribution in his role as coordinator of this intersectoral alliance."

With this new appointment, Yelcho Alliance strengthens its goal of generating scientific evidence, promoting innovation and coordinating efforts between the public and private sectors, with the participation and expertise of institutions such as the Veterinary Medicines Registration and Control Division of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) and Sernapesca.