Escape after earthquake

Chile: Due to the earthquake and after tsunami that affected Chile in February 27th 500,000 young Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) between 80gr and 130gr escaped from their cages nearby Valdivia (210km to the north from Puerto Montt).

Christian Pérez

According to the local newspaper El Austral, this situation happened in the area of Tornagaleones after the tsunami causing the escape of fish to the waters of the Valdivia River.

The regional director of the National Fisheries Service (Sernapesca) Guillermo Rivera said that “the number of escaped salmon is close to 500,000 fish. Although we thought that this number was bigger a lot of fish died enmeshed in the cages that went sink to the seabed”.

He also explained that because of its size and weight the escaped fish do not pose a risk to the local species in addition to the high mortalities that occur outside the cages, which might be close to 50%. Finally, he detailed that the affected producer company complied with the environmental regulation for these cases which included a contingency plan and a catching program.