Abstract
AEI Aquaculture Environment Interactions Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections AEI 4:273-283 (2013) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00089 REVIEW Escaped farmed salmon and trout in Chile: incidence, impacts, and the need for an ecosystem view Maritza Sepúlveda1,*, Ivan Arismendi2, Doris Soto3, Fernando Jara4, Francisca Farias5 1Centro de Investigación y Gestión de los Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile 2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Nash Hall, Room 104, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA 3Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service (FIMA), Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO of UN, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy 4Statistics and Information Service (FIPS), Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO of UN, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy 5Oficina OCDE y Foros Internacionales, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Teatinos 258, Santiago, Chile *Email: maritza.sepulveda@uv.cl ABSTRACT: The exponential growth of the salmonid farming industry during the last 3 decades has created conditions for massive escapes of these exotic species into natural environments in southern Chile. Here, we review and update information about salmonid escapes from 1993 to 2012 and examine their potential environmental, social, and economic consequences. We estimate that more than 1 million salmonids escape each year from marine farms, mainly due to weather conditions and technical and operational failures of net-pens. While a decrease in the magnitude of escaped Atlantic and coho salmon has occurred during the last several years, escaped rainbow trout have not followed the same pattern. Rainbow trout have become a greater threat to native ecosystems due to their greater potential to establish self-sustaining naturalized populations. The main ecological effects of escapees are related to short-term predatory effects upon native fish, long-term effects linked to the likelihood of farmed salmon establishing self-sustainable populations, and disease and pathogen transfer to native fauna. More research is needed to identify and develop reliable indicators to estimate the impact of escapees at the ecosystem level in both marine and freshwater systems. An understanding of the mechanisms of coexistence between native fishes and introduced non-native salmonids may be useful to design effective management strategies aimed at protecting native fish from salmonid introductions. A precautionary approach that encourages local artisanal and recreational fisheries to counteract colonization and naturalization of salmon species in southern Chile may constitute another management option. KEY WORDS: Fish farming · Salmo salar · Oncorhynchus kisutch · Oncorhynchus mykiss · Exotic species Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Sepúlveda M, Arismendi I, Soto D, Jara F, Farias F (2013) Escaped farmed salmon and trout in Chile: incidence, impacts, and the need for an ecosystem view. Aquacult Environ Interact 4:273-283. https://doi.org/10.3354/aei00089 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AEI Vol. 4, No. 3. Online publication date: December 19, 2013 Print ISSN: 1869-215X; Online ISSN: 1869-7534 Copyright © 2013 Inter-Research.
Highlights
Farming of salmon and trout has experienced an exponential growth during recent decades, with Chile and Norway accounting for over 80% of the global salmonid aquaculture pro-Publisher: Inter-Research · www.int-res.comAquacult Environ Interact 4: 273–283, 2013Production (×1000 t)Others Canada Faroe Islands United Kingdom Chile Norway YearSource: FAO aquaculture statistics1993 to 2012, and examine their potential environmental and economic consequences
We propose actions to diminish escape risks and highlight some management practices to mitigate negative impacts and enhance those which appear to be positive. This information is fundamental to understand the trade-off between the negative effects of biological invasions upon natural ecosystems and the high economic value of salmonids for aquaculture and recreational purposes in Chile and elsewhere
Salmonids were initially introduced in the Southern Hemisphere for recreational purposes in the early 1900s, and additional introductions occurred during the 1970s when they were farmed in hatcheries for ranching and aquaculture-fishery purposes (Basulto 2003)
Summary
1993 to 2012, and examine their potential environmental and economic consequences. We provide a summary of the main factors that influence escapees, and discuss mitigation and prevention alternatives. We propose actions to diminish escape risks and highlight some management practices to mitigate negative impacts and enhance those which appear to be positive. This information is fundamental to understand the trade-off between the negative effects of biological invasions upon natural ecosystems and the high economic value of salmonids for aquaculture and recreational purposes in Chile and elsewhere. It has been shown that as the magnitude and number of sites where salmonid farming occurs increases, the potential consequences due to net-pen or farm failure increase, resulting in a higher probability of exotic escapees in the environment (Arismendi et al 2009, Jensen et al 2010, Niklitschek et al 2013). We review and update information about salmonid escapes in Chile during the period from
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