July 19, 2007

Chile admits to sea lice outbreaks in its salmon farms

Chile has acknowledged that sea lice are causing serious problems for the country's farmed salmon industry.

Also known as Caligus, sea lice attach themselves to fish, causing infection-prone lesions that leave the host fish vulnerable to potentially fatal illnesses.

Fish farms are particularly prone to sea lice as they house large numbers of captive fish in high densities.

Ines Montalva Rodriguez, director of Chile's National Fishing Service (SERNAPESCA), admitted that Chile has experienced an ''outbreak'' of the parasites. She also outlined a series of actions authorities are taking to contain the problem.

The measures include monitoring the transport of fish from affected zones to non-affected ones, disinfecting salmon pens with hydrogen peroxide, and conducting workshops to educate salmon farmers about sea lice.

SERNAPESCA formally launched its Surveillance and Control Program for sea lice last month. The programme would aim to mitigate the impacts of Caligus on salmon aquaculture and would collect, record and analyse data about the disease.