The spread of the ISA virus has inflicted great economic loss and serious sanitary and labour problems in the sector. (Photo: Fedequellon/Stock File)

Salmon crisis elevates unemployment in Los Lagos

CHILE
Monday, February 01, 2010, 16:20 (GMT + 9)

The sectors of fishing, agriculture and hunting registered a significant annual diminution in the number of active workers, according to the findings of the National Employment Survey presented by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The report reveals that the region of Los Lagos is the one that displays the greatest increase in the unemployment rate at the national level. This situation is directly related to the crisis that has affected the salmon farming industry for several years, mainly due to outbreaks of infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) virus in various domestic farming centres.

The spread of the ISA virus has inflicted great economic loss and serious sanitary and labour problems in the sector.

For the Chilean Salmon Industry Association AG (SalmonChile), the data released by the INE reaffirms the need to depend on a law that regulates the aquaculture sector as quickly as possible.

In item ‘Occupation by branch of economic activity,’ the sectors agriculture, hunting and fishing had negative variations of 3.1 per cent between 2008 and 2009, which meant that 24,000 people stopped working in this area, the INE indicates.

With respect to the item 'Country and regions unemployment rate,' the results for the Region of Los Lagos were worrisome.

Although the national average this past year was 8.6 per cent (it reached 7.5 per cent in 2008); in Los Lagos it went from 3.1 per cent in 2008 to 7.8 per cent in 2009. That variation was one of widest registered in the country.

Regional capital Port Montt surpassed the national average in reaching 10.5 per cent and stood as one of the cities with the highest number of unemployed people at the national level.

In the case of the Region of Aysen, the results were the opposite, as it went from 4.4 per cent in 2008 to 3.6 percent last year.

With respect to the state of Los Lagos, the general manager of SalmonChile, Carlos Odebret, related the unemployment figures to the global economic crisis as well as that derived from the ISA virus and its impact on Atlantic salmon production.

“We have been able to see that other regions are recovering thanks to greater confidence and that allows investments to be reactivated. In our case, to recover investor confidence we are in need of a suitable regulatory framework, and for that reason it is necessary to pass the General Fisheries and Aquaculture Law as soon as possible,” Odebret affirmed.

“Unlike that which has occurred with salmon coho – which requires seasonal work between October and March, Atlantic salmon can be harvested throughout the year and we need to return to sowing these fish for that reason,” the executive continued.

“At that time we will begin to recover employment in the sea and, 18 months later, jobs in processing plants will increase significantly. I insist, however, that a law is needed as quickly as possible for investments to return,” he concluded.

Last week, SalmonChile clarified that salmon farming companies to date have only invested 5 per cent of the USD 400 million necessary towards productive renovation, an essential move to making the activity viable in the long term.

Related articles:

- Salmon farms cover only 5 pct of 'sanitary investment'
- House halts advance of aquaculture law

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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