[Pharmwaste] antibiotic use in Chile's fish farms

[Tenace, Laurie]

Facing Deadly Fish Virus, Chile Introduces Reforms 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/world/americas/04chile.html?_r=1&ref=world&
oref=slogin - page one of two
 
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
Published: September 3, 2008 
RIO DE JANEIRO - With a deadly virus threatening its fish farms, Chile has
introduced measures to improve the sanitary conditions of its salmon industry
and reduce the levels of antibiotics used to treat the fish.

Chile exports more salmon to the United States than to any other country
besides Japan, but it has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists and
other experts in recent months as a virus has killed millions of its salmon.
The illness, infectious salmon anemia, or I.S.A., continues to spread,
underscoring how the crowded conditions of Chile's fish farms and other
sanitary concerns are giving rise to a variety of fungal and bacterial fish
ailments. 

Environmentalists and industry officials applauded the Chilean government's
efforts, which were first announced last week, to clean up the industry and
reduce antibiotic use. Hugo Lavados, Chile's economy minister, said that
after almost four months of study, a government panel identified steps that
would ease conditions in crowded salmon pens and provide greater protection
against the introduction of high-risk illnesses in salmon eggs. The economy
minister also noted that the "intensive" use of antibiotics, although legal
in Chile, needed to change and that a specific plan for lowering levels would
be finalized by December.

"This is a step in the right direction," said Dr. Felipe C. Cabello, a
professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at New York
Medical College in Valhalla who has studied Chile's fishing industry. Dr.
Cabello has said that Chilean salmon producers are using an estimated 70 to
300 times more antibiotics to produce a ton of salmon in Chile than are their
counterparts in Norway. He has been the subject of repeated attacks by
Chile's salmon industry for making those claims.

Alex Muñoz, vice president for South America for Océanos, a group seeking to
protect marine environments, said, "Unsafe use of antibiotics in salmon pens
threatens Chile's oceans and access to the U.S. seafood market." He argued
that the misguided use of antibiotics could increase bacterial resistance to
them. "We are pleased to see the Chilean government act."

Chile's salmon industry, the country's third largest export industry, has
been undergoing growing pains as it has expanded to meet a rising world
demand for fish. Mr. Lavados, the economy minister, noted that the industry
needed to adapt to grow in a sustainable way. In 1990, Chile produced 28,810
tons of salmon and trout. Last year it produced 664,661 tons.

"The development of this sector can only continue to grow and be successful
if the private sector and government continue to work in a responsible and
coordinated way," Mr. Lavados said in a statement.

The crowded conditions have given rise to illnesses and stressed the fish,
making them more susceptible to catching viruses, experts say. Concern about
the I.S.A. virus caused the American supermarket chain Safeway to reduce
Chilean salmon purchases in late March, soon after The New York Times
published an article about the virus and concerns about sanitary conditions
in the industry. 

The virus is not harmful to humans and cannot be treated with antibiotics.
But Safeway cited concern that the virus was "impacting the quality of the
product" as a main reason for its decision. Brian Dowling, a company
spokesman, said this week that Safeway was continuing to buy Chilean salmon
from only one company, which he would not name, and was refusing to buy
salmon from two regions where 95 percent of Chile's salmon is produced and
where the virus has been concentrated.

Marine Harvest, a Norwegian company operating fish farms in Chile, continues
to be the most affected by the spread of the virus. The company already lost
Safeway as a customer for its Chilean salmon, and the disease is expected to
lower its production in Chile by 30 percent this year, said Álvaro Jiménez
Seminario, Marine Harvest's managing director there.

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

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http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm

Unwanted Medications web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications/default.htm




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