Chile produces coho salmon primarily for Japanese and Asian markets, with welfare challenges around sea lice, crowding, and disease in coastal fjord cage systems.
Coho salmon welfare in Chilean systems faces multiple simultaneous threats from sea lice, SRS bacterial infection, and crowding stress. SRS causes haemorrhagic lesions, skin ulceration, and organ failure over several weeks, producing significant prolonged suffering in affected fish. High antibiotic use reflects the scale of disease challenge and inadequate welfare management capacity in some operations. ASC certification programmes are driving improvements in biosecurity, disease management, and welfare monitoring. Consumer demand for certified Chilean coho provides commercial incentives for welfare improvement that regulatory requirements alone may not deliver.