Farmers use antibiotics to control fish diseases, but excessive use can develop ‘superbugs’ capable of unleashing incurable infections.
Chile has the second largest salmon farming industry in the world, only behind Norway.The fish are reproduced in hatcheries south of the country where decades were introduced artificially.There, the salmon are fed antibiotics to prevent contracting diseases such as Piscirickettsia salmonis, caused by some types of bacteria .
In 2015, 557.2 tons of drugs were used in a production of 846,163 tons, according to the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture Chile. This is the amount needed to control the diseases, say workers from the industry.
However, the antibiotics consumed by the Chilean salmon have an impact on the health of consumers. The intake after ingestion, the bacteria that are trying to combat with these substances is generating a chain of resistance. What can lead to what we call ‘ bacteria extremely resistant ‘. Then people who eat these animals are exposed to this type of bacteria. This is the real risk that bacteria generate impossible infections to heal , ” Said infections specialist Fabio Grill, who works in the public hospital Maciel in Montevideo (Uruguay).
According to the doctor, the use of antibiotics is not limited to salmon. This is a problem that affects the entire meat industry. He added that the antibiotics used in this sector are the most dangerous. Not so much by their differences with those used in the field of medicine, but because being in a sphere where medicine has less access, the task of awareness among people about the dangers when they consume these foods becomes much more complex.
The clinical sector is not alone in this issue that raises concerns. Restaurants serving dishes with salmon in Chile also face a dilemma.
“When I talk about this issue, I do from my two roles, the chef and owner. As a chef I have to say that this is venom and I do not like it on my tables. Uruguay is a country that buys only Chilean salmon. I worked at the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este and not even one Norwegian salmon is bought , ” Said Jorge Medina, owner and chef of the restaurant Casa de Amigos in the Old City of Montevideo.
