Salmon farming centres halved in Chile

Chile has seen a drop in the number of salmon farming centres fall by 55 percent over the last year.

The numbers now stand at 160 compared to 356 in June last year according to a report from SalmonChile, the Chilean salmon industry association.

The drop has been put down mainly to the effects of the ISA virus. The number of farms with entering smolts has fallen 80 percent.

SalmonChile said the number of farms with entering smolts fell from 52 to 10 in the same period.

SalmonChile general manager Carlos Odebret said this situation is explained by the uncertainty caused by the financial and sanitary status of the industry.

Odebret said this productive condition will affect exports and reduce markets in the short run, increasing the costs and impacting on local employment.