June 10, 2011
Chile suffers from massive salmon deaths
More than 4.3 million salmon died in the Nilahue River farming centre due to the abrupt interruption of normal water flow in the river Nilahue, according to Guillermo Rivera, Los RÃos regional director of the National Fisheries Service (Sernapesca).
The flow interruption may have been caused by a landslide, among other factors, following the eruption of Caulle-Puyehue range.
One hundred percent of the Atlantic salmon, fry and smolts, from the fish farming plant of the company Nilahue SA died, that is to say, 150 tonnes of fish.
In the coming days, the dead salmon will be removed from the Nilahue River to prevent them from being scattered in the river due to excessive flooding, Aqua reported.
Rivera said the transfer of about five million fish to other centers that the firms involved have in the region of Los Lagos was authorised in Ranco I and Ranco II centers, located in Riñinahue heart of Ranco Lake, and in another located in Mantilhue area of Lake Puyehue, as a precaution.
"The risks associated with the retention of fish in the centers located in the disaster zone exist mainly due to the eventual precipitation of volcanic ash or to the changes in the quality of the water delivered to the centers that alter the physiological condition of the animals," explained Sernapesca regional director.
Agriculture Minister, José Antonio Galilea, said that efforts were being made to monitor the fish kills in fish farms and that they would contact the company concerned to ascertain the impact on their activities.
