Volcano Eruption In Chile Has Devastating Effects On Fish And Livestock

Local officials in Chile are fearful about the possible long-term effects of the Calbuco volcano eruption on the fish and cattle industries in the country.

The ash fall from the eruption dealt a blow to local salmon fisheries, with companies moving millions of their fry and smolt stocks out of fear of getting smothered by volcanic debris. National Fishing Service representative Eduardo Aguilera said that around 20 million fish have died because of the eruption.

The losses in salmon stocks could potentially affect the supply to the United States. Chile exported an estimated 132,000 metric tons of salmon products to the U.S. the previous year worth more than $1.4 billion.

Franco Adam, CEO for ACME Chile, said that the affected fish were smolt stocks that were not scheduled to reach markets for at least one to two more years.

A salmon importer and distributor in the U.S., however, claimed that by the second quarter of 2016, the impact of the Calbuco eruption to salmon exports could be substantial, potentially lessening supplies by 10 to 20 percent.

SalmonChile, an association of salmon farmers in the country, have expressed their optimism that the potential losses to the industry should be limited since the fish stocks affected were still in their growth stage and can easily be replenished.

The association\'s general manager, Felipe Manterola, said that destruction will not affect Chile\'s salmon exports because the losses amount to only a small portion of the country\'s total production.

[Ted Ranosa, Tech Times. Read article]