Between 2015 and 2020, salmon production in Chile's Magallanes increased from 47,000 tonnes to 175,000 tonnes. Magellan District is known for its excellent water quality, is the only chilean production area that is not suitable for antibiotic farming, the Chilean government and salmon industry have given high hopes for the future development of Magellan District, while gradually increasing production, pay more attention to environmental and ecological sustainability.
Carlos Odebret, president of the Asociacion de Productores de Salmon y Trucha de Magallanes in Chile, told UCN that starting in 2021, the production strategy of farming enterprises in the Magellan region will undergo some changes, no longer pursuing production as in previous years, but more focused on improving efficiency, while ensuring production. Optimize feed conversion factors and reduce mortality.
Between 2020 and 2023, Chile's salmon industry plans to invest $280 million in the Magellan region, including the construction of local fish processing plants and hatcheries. With the superior farming environment, the salmon farming cycle in magellan is relatively short, and with the commissioning of the processing plant, producers can directly export high-end value-added products.
Carlos Odebret, President of the Salmon Producers Association of the Magellan Region of Chile
For example, Australis Seafoods invested $70 million to build a Dumestre plant in Puerto Natales; Blumar and Multixport Foods invested $50 million to form a joint venture plant that began operations last year and created more than 300 jobs during the pandemic. Landes has started a salmon by-product processing plant in punta Arenas to produce fishmeal and fish oil.
In addition, Sealand and Bluriver also plan to build a freshwater hatchery in magellan, which is currently in the approval stage. AquaChile, Cermaq and Nova Austral all have their own hatcheries, but some other producers still buy seeds from other production areas and transport them by water.
Photo: Association of Salmon Producers in Magellan District
Odebret said that the logistics system will be another major investment focus in the salmon industry in magellan in the next stage, and the current traffic development rate in magellan is much lower than the increase in salmon production, and manufacturers often have to bear high transportation costs.
The Magellan region is located at the southernmost tip of Chile and is more than 1,000 km away from traditional production areas and feed production concentrations such as Los Lagos. Odebret explained that the Port Expansion will be carried out in the Magellan District to strengthen the links with the Los Lagos District and other industrial centers, and the shipping business will be developed.
At present, the export of salmon in magellan is mainly transported by truck, and trucks carrying chilled salmon leave port Natales, pass through Argentina, and directly reach the Brazilian market. Odebret said some Magellan producers are negotiating with the local government to open direct flights from Punta Arena to the United States and expand the export of chilled salmon.
In 2016, the Chilean government stopped issuing aquaculture licenses in magellan, after 140 permits had been issued and 140 more applications were pending.
Odebret said that in the next 3-10 years, the Chilean government may issue another 40 permits according to the environmental assessment report, but the specific time is unknown. In 2020, Nova Austral's aquaculture application was approved by the Chilean government and officially settled in the Magellan appellation.
"Salmon farming mortality rates in Magellan are below the base of 5-10 percent, and the authorities have to take environmental considerations into account, so production is limited. The sanitary conditions on all farms are currently well done, and the space for increased production is limited to those 40 (pending) licences. Odebret said.
According to Odebret, salmon fry in Magellan district need to be vaccinated against bacterial kidney disease, infectious salmon anemia and other fish infectious diseases, Odebret said. In addition to not using antibiotics, producers are actively applying for international sustainability certifications, such as ASC certification (Aquaculture Stewardship Council).
Odebret pointed out that from the recent aquaculture situation, fish and fish disease is becoming a potential problem in the aquaculture industry in magellan, and the higher the salinity of the waters, the higher the incidence. In 2012, magellan was designated as a salmon production area, decades later than other production areas, so the layout of farms in magellan is relatively scattered, with only one or two breeding companies in most waters. In addition to environmental sustainability, Magellan businesses also need to maintain good social relationships with indigenous peoples.
Last year, the COVID-19 situation in Chile was grim, and the number of infected people in Magellan was relatively small. Odebret said the salmon industry in Magellan has about 3,500 workers, including 500 foreign workers. Local enterprises strictly follow the epidemic prevention regulations and conduct nucleic acid testing on all foreign personnel, resulting in delays in the salmon harvest plan, so the size of the finished fish is larger than expected, and the production progress and logistics are also affected to varying degrees.