Coho Salmon Welfare in Chilean Sea Pen Aquaculture

Chile is the world's second-largest salmon producer, with coho salmon farmed in Patagonian fjords under conditions raising serious welfare concerns around disease, sea lice, and slaughter practices.

Key Facts

Chile produces around 800,000 tonnes of Atlantic and coho salmon annually
Piscirickettsia salmonis (SRS) is a devastating bacterial pathogen responsible for high coho mortality in Chile
Sea lice infestations require chemical treatment that itself causes welfare harms
Coho are slaughtered primarily by live bleeding (gill cutting without prior stunning) at many Chilean facilities

Welfare Considerations

SRS causes systemic disease with internal haemorrhage, lethargy, and mass mortality events. Antibiotic treatment (florfenicol, oxytetracycline) is administered to feed but can cause gut microbiome disruption and antibiotic-resistant pathogen development. Crowding during disease outbreaks worsens stress and transmission. Live bleed slaughter without stunning causes prolonged suffering. Chilean aquaculture has faced international criticism for high antibiotic use, disease burdens, and slaughter welfare.

What You Can Do

Avoid coho salmon sourced from Chilean aquaculture without welfare certification
Support organisations advocating for mandatory stunning before slaughter in Chilean aquaculture regulation
Encourage retailers to source from operations with independently audited welfare standards
Raise awareness of welfare and antibiotic resistance issues in Chilean salmon farming