The Chilean salmon industry – the second largest in the world – is reportedly using record levels of antibiotics to treat fish suffering from salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), a disease that causes haemorrhaging, kidney damage, and even death. Chilean salmon farmers used 557 tonnes of antibiotics last year and the consumption rate reached 660 grams per tonne of fish – the highest in nine years. High levels of antibiotic use are affecting sales to the US where fears of drug-resistant superbugs are increasingly leading customers and retailers to choose antibiotic-free produce. Last year, Undercurrent News abandoned Chilean farmed salmon in favour of salmon from Norway where antibiotic use is lower. Algal blooms in Chile’s coastal waters have also led to a 15% reduction in salmon production costing at least $800m.
The Chilean salmon industry – the second largest in the world – is reportedly using record levels of antibiotics to treat fish suffering from salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), a disease that causes haemorrhaging, kidney damage, and even death. Chilean salmon farmers used 557 tonnes of antibiotics last year and the consumption rate reached 660 grams per tonne of fish – the highest in nine years. High levels of antibiotic use are affecting sales to the US where fears of drug-resistant superbugs are increasingly leading customers and retailers to choose antibiotic-free produce. Last year, Costco abandoned Chilean farmed salmon in favour of salmon from Norway where antibiotic use is lower. Algal blooms in Chile’s coastal waters have also led to a 15% reduction in salmon production costing at least $800m.