Chile salmon industry expects worst production ever in 2010

Next year will be Chile's worst salmon production year ever in the industry's history, no thanks to the destructive Infectious Salmon Anemia Disease (ISA) virus, according to trade association Salmon-Chile.

Estimates show that about 300,000 to 350,000 tonnes of salmon will be produced in 2010, about half the quantity produced in 2008 and 1,000-tonnes less than in 2009.

Still, SalmonChile general manager Carlos Odebret estimates that the situation will start to improve towards the end of 2010 and the start of 2011.

The ISA virus first broke out in 2007, causing thousands of job losses in Chile's salmon industry as export slowed. Facilities were shut down, and the industry also had to face accusations of antibiotics misuse. Now thousands more fear job losses after the 2009 harvest season ends.