Is Chile's aquaculture export target over-ambitious?

Chile's aquaculture exports goal has been set at US$4 billion by 2015, a target that is viewed with skepticism in the salmon industry.

Chilean Ministry of Economy Mr. Hugo Lavados, who announced the target at a recent seminar, said they had an ambitious goal for 2012 but keeping it in the same time-scale is meaningless due to the crisis in the salmon industry, which represents 90% of Chile's aquaculture exports.

Lavados admitted that the goal is demanding and tough, but pointed out that objectives easy to achieve are pointless. The minister also acknowledged that the target might not be reached.

Among the factors that would help to achieve the target, Lavados said by 2010 there should be a crucial recovery in the salmon industry, including better salmon prices and the development of new aquaculture species in Chile.

But some industry sources noted that producer companies are just aiming to recover their production levels prior to ISA virus by 2015. The disease had caused severe losses in the salmon industry in Chile, to the point of forcing out the Chilean operations of Marine Harvest, an Oslo-based Norwegian aquaculture group.

The sources added that the new production model, which will lower farming densities and establish sanitary fallows, will reduce farming productivity potential by 30%.