SERNAPESCA National Director joined the Service in 1998 and since 2013, she has been the Sub-Director of Aquaculture. (Photo: Sernapesca)

SERNAPESCA confirms Marine Harvest recaptured fewer salmon than required by law

CHILE
Thursday, September 27, 2018, 21:30 (GMT + 9)

SERNAPESCA national director Alicia Gallardo informed that the 60-working day legal term granted to the company Marine Harvest for the recapture of the fish has just finished after the massive escape of 690,000 salmon at the beginning of July from Punta Redonda centre, located on Guar Island sector, Calbuco.

The authority confirmed that the company recaptured 38,286 specimens, equivalent to 5.54 per cent of the total escaped fish. Therefore, there are grounds to presume environmental damage, according to the provisions of the General Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, which requires at least 10 per cent recapture.

Aerial photo of Punta Redonda centre, located on Guar Island, Calbuco, as part of the control actions. (Photo: Sernapesca)

The director explained that in order to supervise the transitory urgent measures decreed by the Superintendency of Environment and the correct performance of the contingency plan, the institution carried out an intense field deployment, with around 50 control actions. These actions included overflights, road checks, inspections at the farming centre (with the support of underwater robots), as well as at the collection sites of the recapture and at the reduction plant.

"As a result of this activity, we can now prove the recapture of these 38,000 salmon," said Gallardo.

Judge Michael Hantke of the Environmental Court of Valdivia with jurisdiction from Ñuble to Magallanes ordered last July the total detention of the Salmon Farming Centre of Punta Redonda sector on Isla Huar, in Calbuco, belonging to the company Marine Harvest. (Photo: gentileza radiosago.cl)

The official explained that the entity also analyzed the Contingency Term Report submitted by the company on September 14, which also included an estimate of additional catches, which can not be considered in the final calculation.

Gallardo announced that all of these antecedents will be handed over to the State Defense Council, which must evaluate whether or not it should submit actions for alleged environmental damage, in accordance with the Fisheries Act, as it does not reach the minimum percentage of recovery of escaped specimens.

Related articles:

- Environmental organization accuses Marine Harvest of 'frameup and corporate fraud'
- Marine Harvest and Sernapesca disagree on recaptured escaped salmon number
- Marine Harvest signs agreements after salmon escape
- Marine Harvest given 30 more days to recapture escaped salmon

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