August 2, 2024

 

Chile's salmonid industry reports increased mortality and lower harvests in first half of 2024

 

 

Atlantic salmon recorded an accumulated mortality rate of 11.4% in closed groups during the first half of 2024, up from 10.3% in the first half of 2023. Rainbow trout experienced a more significant increase, with mortality doubling to 14.3% from 7% in the same period last year. The coho salmon season for 2023, which extended into 2024, ended with an accumulated mortality rate of 8.2%, approximately 20% higher than the previous season.

 

In total, 15.3 million salmonids perished in marine sites in the first half of 2024. Of these, 10.7 million were Atlantic salmon, 2.3 million were coho salmon, and 2.2 million were rainbow trout. The figures may not sum precisely due to rounding.

 

From January to the end of June, almost a quarter (23%) of fish deaths resulted from disease, 22% were due to mechanical damage, and 16% had environmental causes. An additional 17% of the fish were categorised as Eliminated.

 

For Atlantic salmon, specifically SRS (salmon rickettsial septicaemia) and tenacibaculosis accounted for 42% and 25% of infectious causes, respectively. coho salmon, specifically Jaundice and bacterial kidney disease made up 51% and 19% of infectious causes. rainbow trout were affected by SRS and proliferative gill disease, responsible for 52% and 19% of infectious causes, respectively.

 

In the second quarter of 2024, smolt stockings decreased by an average of 8% compared to the same period in the previous year, with a total of 137.7 million smolts stocked (down from 149.3 million in H1 2023). However, the average weight of smolts at stocking increased.

 

The decline in stocked fish numbers varied by species. rainbow trout was down by 9%, coho salmon down by 13%, and Atlantic salmon down by 3%

 

For the average weight of smolts stocked in the first half of 2024, Atlantic salmon was 187g, a 5% increase compared to H1 2023. coho salmon was 337g, up 15%, and rainbow trout was 236g, up 12%.

 

By the end of the second quarter of 2024, there were 247.6 million farmed salmonids in the water, a 5% decrease from Q2 2023. The number of rainbow trout decreased by 25% to 11.9 million live fish, while coho salmon numbers dropped by 13% to 62.2 million. The population of Atlantic salmon saw a slight decline of 0.2%, totalling 173.5 million live fish.

 

The total live biomass volume at the end of June 2024 fell by 1% compared to the same period last year, amounting to 546,387 tonnes across the three species. While the volume of Atlantic salmon, which constituted 78% of the total live biomass, increased by 2% to 426,006 tonnes, the volumes of rainbow trout and coho decreased by 7% and 26%, respectively.

 

The total salmonid biomass harvested in the first half of 2024 was 428,000 tonnes (whole fish equivalent), 9% lower than in the first half of last year. The accumulated harvested volumes (WFE) for H1 2024 were Atlantic salmon at 316,789 tonnes, coho salmon at 73,828 tonnes and rainbow trout at 37,791 tonnes.

 

These figures represent a decrease of 53,261 tonnes for Atlantic salmon and 4,124 tonnes for coho compared to H1 2023, although the trout harvest for H1 2024 was 12,498 tonnes larger than in the same period last year.

 

The average harvest weight for H1 2024 was 4.9kg for Atlantic salmon, 4.7kg for coho, and 3.3kg for rainbow trout.

 

-      Fishfarmingexpert