Marine area in which microalgae surveillance and preventive control measures have been activated. (Photo: Sernapesca)

Preventive controls activated due to presence of microalgae in southern zone

CHILE
Monday, February 13, 2017, 23:10 (GMT + 9)

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) has announced the implementation of a package of measures aimed at identifying microalgae present in the area and reducing the risk of mortality in aquaculture.

The measures, contained in the Emergency Resolution issued Friday by the monitoring agency, will govern the so-called surveillance polygon, which covers the Gulf of Penas and its adjacent areas to the south and north. In addition, a sentinel area will be included, in order to warn early on the possible presence of harmful algal blooms (HAB) in farming centres of Concession Group 23, the closest to the bloom of Karenia mikimotoi, detected last week.

This was reported by the national director of Sernapesca, Jose Miguel Burgos, who added that within the framework of this contingency, an inter-institutional table was also activated in conjunction with the Navy, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) and the Superintendence of the Environment.

"The damages have mainly occurred in the transport of fish from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt and in the transfer of juvenile fish to be fattened in the area of Punta Arenas. The nearest farming centres are quite far, around 300 kilometres, however, to avoid any damage and maintain a strict monitoring, we have established as a norm the monitoring of these centres and so far all the results have been negative," the authority said.

Among the measures implemented to monitor the affected area, overflights together with the Maritime Authority in the regions of Magallanes, Aysen and Los Lagos are being considered, to identify the presence of algal blooms.

Likewise, Sernapesca announced the accomplishment of a HAB technical survey aboard a ship of the Navy that will set sail from Punta Arenas. The crew in charge of sampling and analysis will be composed of phytoplankton experts from INCAR (Interdisciplinary Centre for Aquaculture Research) and the Institute for Fisheries Promotion (IFOP). The initiative is also supported by the Salmon Technological Institute (Intesal).

The study will complement the samplings carried out by the IFOP in a research cruise currently under way and that was sailing very close to the affected area.

The plague emergency declaration also includes restrictions on the movement of fish to and from the Magellan region, which can only be carried out with closed vessels, that is, with no water change during their navigation.

These extraordinary measures are considered in the Plague Regulation and will be maintained for the next 30 days, and may be extended for a further 30 days, depending on the evolution of the contingency.

On the other hand, the national director of Sernapesca explained that there is a second situation under surveillance, this time in the Concession Group 28B, located in the Aysen Fjord, where companies have reported the presence of Thalassiosira pseudonana microalgae, in addition to feeding suspension and increases in mortality in some centres.

"Regarding the Aysen Fjord the situation is complex because it is an area that is also affected by a significant outbreak of SRS, which from the point of view of mortality could complicate the operation," Burgos explained.

He said that in that area they are doing very strict monitoring of compliance with health standards, "basically when 15 tonnes of daily or weekly mortality are exceeded, the provision should be immediate." If the program is not respected, companies that do not comply with this requirement will be notified."

"The idea is to require the industry to act very early and to avoid situations such as those we developed in Puerto Montt in February 2016, where probably because of the explosive situation, but also because of the slow response in some cases, we reached to a very complex situation," Burgos stressed.

Related articles:

- Sernapesca evaluates declaring state of plague emergency due to toxic microalgae
- Nova Austral loses 149,000 salmon due to toxic microalgae
- Sernapesca investigates microalgae linked to salmon mortalities

[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print