November 2021: Salmones Camanchaca starts its third consecutive antibiotic-free Coho salmon season.

Harvesting began on November 1 and will continue through mid-January 2022. The company sees this as a major achievement, as it is the result of internal dedication that includes using highly nutritional feed, a strict vaccination plan and R&D that takes advantage of advances in genetics.

Salmones Camanchaca has achieved a significant production milestone this year, by starting its third consecutive Coho salmon season without having used antibiotics during grow-out. Harvesting began on November 1 and will continue through mid-January 2022.

This has been achieved by providing these fish with highly nutritional feed, maintaining a strict vaccination plan while the fish are young, and concentrating R&D on disease resistance and productive efficiency using advances in genetics.

The main use of antibiotics in the Chilean salmon industry is to combat Salmon Rickettsial Septicemia (SRS), caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis, which affects salmon at the grow-out stage in marine farming sites and can cause high mortality. Salmones Camanchaca has succeeded in reducing the exposure of Coho salmon to SRS, although this species is less prone to infection, as it only spends 7 to 8 months in salt water.

Mr. Alfredo Tello, the company’s Sustainability Manager said, “We aim to competitively but sustainably farm salmon, and we are achieving that objective by continually reducing the use of antimicrobials for Coho salmon. However, we are committed to responsibly and efficiently using antibiotics in the remainder of our production cycles, where appropriate. Each antibiotic treatment is always prescribed by a certified veterinarian and supported by clinical evidence that treatment is required.”

The company harvested close to 5,000 tons of Coho salmon during the first and second seasons, and forecasts reaching 6,000 tons by 2023 and between 8,000 and 9,000 tons by 2024, all using the same approach of eliminating antibiotics.

Commercial outlook

An antibiotic-free product is highly valued by consumers, especially in certain international markets. The main market for antibiotic-free Coho salmon is Japan, which accounts for 80% to 90% of worldwide demand, with particularly discerning consumers. Furthermore, Salmones Camanchaca is promoting it in the USA under the Pier33 retail brand, which targets a public that is cautious about nutritional content and the affect on their immune system.

“The market is willing to reward this commitment. Accordingly, this is something we want to maintain, while strengthening sales and opening up other interesting market niches,” said Mr. Daniel Silva, Commercial Manager at Salmones Camanchaca.