Massive salmon mortality due to algal bloom
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) of the Los Lagos Region reported that on November 14, 13 salmon farming centers belonging to ACS 1 (Reloncavi Estuary) reported the activation of the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) contingency plan due to the presence of the microalgae Thalassiosira pseudonana, at levels considered harmful to fish.
Subsequently, 7 of the centers also activated their contingency plan for massive mortality associated with the presence of microalgae. After analysis of the information by Sernapesca, it was determined that only 2 centers are in this condition, since the other 5 cases do not correspond to mass mortality events due to the magnitude and management already reported.
The Regional Director of Sernapesca Los Lagos, Cristian Hudson, indicated that "from Sernapesca we are monitoring and inspecting in person, remotely and documenting compliance with the contingency action plans of each affected cultivation center, in coordination with the institutions that make up the regional CIICA. So far, the situation is being dealt with normally by means of the capacities available to the owners of the affected centers to deal with this type of event. For our part, we will maintain vigilance until the contingency is closed".
Sernapesca indicated that this algal bloom does not correspond to the so-called red tide, and therefore there is no effect on bivalve mollusks or other fish.
From Ifop, Dr. Leonardo Guzmán, an expert in algal blooms, explained that "in spring there are ideal conditions of light and nutrients, which favor the increase of these microalgae. The available information does not allow us to link this bloom with the El Niño event that is currently affecting the north of our country. Crean Ifop will continue to monitor, as it has been doing since 2006, the entire inland sea of the Los Lagos region, including the Aysén and Magallanes regions".
Although this algal bloom is not a direct consequence of El Niño, Sernapesca has been informing since September about its possible effects through workshops in the regions of Los Lagos, Aysén and Magallanes, in addition to the collaborative and coordinated work of the national and regional Interinstitutional Environmental Contingency Committees (CIICA), with the participation of the Ministries of Health, Economy, Interior, Environment, Navy, Subpesca, Sernapesca, Superintendencia de Medio Ambiente, and Senapred, Ifop, as well as presidential delegations.
In addition, last week Sernapesca published the aquaculture pre-alert that establishes exceptional measures in the event of possible mass mortalities of salmonids generated by harmful algal blooms.