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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><cite><span style='font-family:
"Roboto","serif";color:#666666'>Science </span></cite><span
class=apple-converted-space><span style='font-family:"Roboto","serif";
color:#666666'> </span></span><span style='font-family:"Roboto","serif";
color:#666666'>31 Aug 2018:<br>
Vol. 361, Issue 6405, pp. 857-858<br>
DOI: 10.1126/science.aau7973<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";font-weight:
normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";font-weight:
normal'>Chile's salmon escape demands action<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><b><span
lang=ES style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><span class=name><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>Daniel Gomez-Uchida</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-2"
id=xref-aff-2-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>2</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#corresp-1"
id=xref-corresp-1-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;
border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>*</span></a></span></b><b><span
lang=ES style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><span class=name>Maritza Sepúlveda</span></span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-2><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-3"
id=xref-aff-3-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>3</span></a></span></b><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><span class=name>Billy Ernst</span></span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-3><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-4"
id=xref-aff-4-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>4</span></a></span></b><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><span class=name>Tamara A. Contador</span></span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-4><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-5"
id=xref-aff-5-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>5</span></a></span></b><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><span class=name>Sergio Neira</span></span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-5><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-4"
id=xref-aff-4-2><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>4</span></a></span></b><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><span class=name>Chris Harrod</span></span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-1"
id=xref-aff-1-6><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>1</span></a></span></b><span class=xref-sep><b><span
lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'>,</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><a
href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6405/857.2#aff-6"
id=xref-aff-6-1><span lang=ES style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#37588A;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;
padding:0in;font-weight:normal'>6</span></a></span></b><b><span lang=ES
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#666666'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=contributor-listreveal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
box-sizing: inherit;cursor:pointer;font-size:0.75rem'><span
class=apple-converted-space><span lang=ES> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>////////////////<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Chile's
massive salmon escape raises concern, and questions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black;font-weight:normal'>By Tomas Moggia -</span></strong><strong><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></strong><em><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Translated
by Brent Harlow</span></em><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=createdate><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>02 August 2018 </span></span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> http://www.patagonjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4155%3A-los-insospechados-alcances-de-la-masiva-fuga-de-salmones-en-isla-huar&catid=78%3Amedioambiente&Itemid=268&lang=en<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>In early July, an escape
of unprecedented proportions at a salmon farm run by the Norwegian salmon
farming giant Marine Harvest caused a national uproar in Chile. Greenpeace
called it “an environmental disaster with severe and unimaginable
consequences.” According to reports, a storm producing strong winds and
rain caused serious structural damage to the Punta Redonda fish farm on Huar
Island, located just south of Puerto Montt in the Los Lagos region, freeing
some 690,000 Atlantic salmon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Due to the large-scale
nature of the event, Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) asked the
regional environmental court to issue an Urgent and Transitional Measure (MUT),
which closed down salmon fish farm operations at the site for 30 days due to
its imminent and grave environmental and public health impacts. The company
itself declared that they had temporarily suspended their operations
voluntarily. The National Fishing Service (Sernapesca) said that Marine Harvest
Chile may receive a fine of 143 million Chilean pesos ($US 222,000) and
possibly the loss of its operating permit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>According to the SMA, the
environmental permit that the company has does not consider measures for
reparation, compensation, or mitigation of any impact that may follow such a
massive escape, and it was determined that in two of the damaged cages, about
463,000 individual salmon were being treated with an antibiotic called
florfenicol, which makes them unfit for human consumption. Despite repeated
warnings from authorities about this, there have been numerous reports of
salmon being sold illegally and intensively in the Calbuco and Puerto Montt
areas, a situation which Marine Harvest Chile also has confirmed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The Coastal Border Defense
Committee, also known as “Calbuco Emergente,” affirms that the
company, instead of using the 20 circular floating cages set forth in their
permit, used rectangular cages for at least four years. Whatsmore, it has been
alleged that the fish at the Punta Redonda salmon farm were infested by caligus
(sea lice) and the bacterial diseases SRS and BKD.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The salmon escapees are
mature, averaging 3.4 kilos (7.5 pounds) in weight, and prior to their breaking
free were planned for harvesting in two more months. Currently, several weeks
after the escape, only a small fraction of the salmon have been recaptured --
around 40,000 -- a little more than 5% of the total.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Under Chilean law, a
company has 30 days to recover at least 10% of their escaped salmon. If this
does not occur, then the government must declare that environmental damage has
occurred. To avoid such a fate, the company is attempting to recapture the fish
by, among other things, paying local fishermen 7,000 pesos ($US 10.85) per
trapped fish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>There exist few studies
about the environmental impacts of salmon escapes on Chilean ecosystems, but
experts say the likely outcomes are not encouraging.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“They are telling
people that since these fish feed on pellets, they are accustomed to being fed,
and they will not feed on their own. That is a lie," said Lisabeth van der
Meer, executive director of Oceana Chile. "These fish are invasive
carnivores. When they get hungry, they will eat absolutely anything they
encounter. They are predatory fish."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>In fact, a study carried
out between 1995 and 1996 found that 20% of 271 escaped salmon had native fish
in their stomachs, with an average of 25 pejerreyes and 40 motes per salmon
stomach, so experts suspect that the fish escapees from the Punta Redonda farm
will indeed migrate in search of other fish to feed upon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> Atlantic salmon are
not a native species to Chile. The fish is an introduced, invasive species
originally from the west coast of the United States and Canada. Local officials
fear that, due to the magnitude of this event, there is a strong likelihood that
some of the salmon will find suitable areas to settle and reproduce: a
phenomenon that has already occured elsewhere in Chile with species such as
Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and brown trout.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“Clearly, the
ecosystem is very fragile and such an escape is going to cause irreparable
harm. I doubt they are going to reproduce. But they can live in the fjords for
three or four years, so the ecological damage they can cause from feeding is of
great concern,” adds Oceana's Lisabeth van der Meer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>In recent days, the SMA
ordered the implementation of seven provisional measures at the Punta Redonda
farm. Among them, that they remove all structures and clear the seafloor;
institute a program of periodic reconnaissance overflights to rule out
mortalities in the Seno de Reloncaví; devise a plan for disposing of any
mortalities they find; and implement a plan for environmental vigilance of the
region's most important rivers and fresh water sites.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>A strict monitoring of the
area could turn out to be key for avoiding the naturalization of the species,
since in cases of massive Atlantic salmon escapes in the United States, there
have been instances of individuals recaptured in rivers more than 100 kms (62
miles) away from their source.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“Events like this
one dramatically increase uncertainty about whether we can preserve the
functional integrity of the marine ecosystems as currently constituted.
Therefore, prevention should be top priority in our efforts,” says
Rodrigo Torres, a marine biologist and oceanographer at the Coyhaique-based
environmental research group Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la
Patagonia (CIEP). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><strong><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Lack of contingency plans</span></strong><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>One aspect of this story
that has generated the greatest controversy is the lack of preparation and
sheer capacity in Chile to handle an event of this magnitude, both by the company
and the salmon industry. Where are the prevention, mitigation, and emergency
measures? Whatsmore, when faced with an incident with these characteristics,
one gets the impression that there is a high degree of permissiveness on the
part of Chile's environmental and fishing authorities when it comes to salmon
farming. Is there a lack of funding? Is it necessary to raise the evaluation
standards in environmental impact studies? Or is this sort of aquaculture
simply unfeasible in the Patagonian fjords?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“On repeated
occasions, we’ve seen that there is no emergency protocol. The industry
is not prepared. But it is also because they lose nothing: the salmon companies
have insurance for such events. The companies that are insuring salmon farms need
to have stricter requirements. Ultimately, it is all Chileans who lose the most
with these escapes, and that is troubling,” asserts van der Meer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Fernando Villarroel,
general manager of Marine Harvest Chile, indicated to<span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>El
Mercurio</span></em><span class=apple-converted-space> </span>that
“we will start a scientific investigation, with independent
investigators, that will allow us to specify the probable environmental impact
of this escape.” Once that happens, it will also be necessary to
determine if the company will pay for recovering the ecosystem, a task which is,
in itself, complex.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“The legislation
must evolve to ensure safe industry practices that prevent these
accidents,” says Torres, adding that “our environmental legislation
favors human activities whose environmental externalities are much greater than
the fines they must pay for failure to comply with some norm.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Van der Meer goes further
and wonders aloud if this kind of economic activity ought to be even practiced
in the waters of southern Chile. “The industry has to commit to
minimizing the risks of salmon farming, and that is something we have never seen
from them. The quantity of antibiotics and antiparasitics they are using does
not represent a serious effort to confronting these problems. This is what is
especially worrisome. We don’t see much will from industry to change its
practices.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:14.65pt;background:#F1F1F1'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Recently, the environmental
consequences stemming from the escape of some 200,000 salmon from a Cooke
Aquaculture site in the United States led to a decision earlier this year by
the state of Washington to close down altogether the salmon farming industry
there by 2025. Might Chilean authorities consider such action when evaluating
the future of the salmon industry in the country? Only time will tell the true
significance of this massive salmon escape for the industry, and for
Chile. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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