Inspection carried out by a team of SMA and SERNAPESCA to the salmon farming centre Punta Redonda. (Photo: SMA)

SMA requests permission from Environmental Court to stop operations at Marine Harvest centre

CHILE
Friday, July 20, 2018, 01:40 (GMT + 9)

The Superintendency of the Environment requested the Third Environmental Court to be granted authorization for the issuance of an Urgent and Transitory Measure (MUT) consisting of the total operation stoppage at the Salmon Farming Centre (CES) Punta Redonda, owned by the company Marine Harvest, for a term of 30 calendar days.

The court has not ruled on this request yet.

This Urgent and Transitory Measure is based on the information obtained in an inspection carried out by SMA Los Lagos Regional Team, together with SERNAPESCA team, on Thursday, July 12, to the Norwegian company's farming centre, where the state of the facilities was inspected after the massive salmon escape occurring on July 5.

After the analysis, the Third Environmental Court, based in Valdivia, was requested to authorize the issuance of an Urgent and Transitory Measure, due to the imminent and serious damage to the environment and the health of the population. This, considering that the RCA does not contemplate compensation or mitigation measures of the impacts that can produce when more than 900,000 salmon escaped, generating a risk for both the marine environment and the population’s health.

As for the population’s health, it was established that in two cages the salmon were being treated with an antibiotic called Florfenicol, which is not suitable for use in humans.

Related articles:

- Marine Harvest clarifies information on massive salmon escape
- Salmon escape could cost USD 14 million to Marine Harvest
- Marine Harvest tries to recapture some 900,000 escaped salmon not fit for consumption

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