Last month, headlines in seafood industry publications reported a 22% increase in antibiotic usage in Chile’s salmon farming sector during the first half of 2024. At first glance, this seems like a step backward for an industry that has made public commitments to reducing reliance on antibiotics. But a deeper look at the data reveals a more complex story - one where efforts to curb antibiotic use are being outpaced by biological realities and structural challenges within the industry.
Efforts to reduce antibiotic usage in Chilean salmon farming are not new. In 2019, the Monterey Bay Aquarium launched the Chilean Salmon Antibiotic Reduction Program (CSARP+), aiming for a 50% reduction in antibiotic use by 2025. This initiative, which engaged 95% of the industry, sought to achieve its goal through increased transparency and cooperation.
More recently, Project Yelcho, a public-private partnership involving over 90% of Chile’s salmon producers, has emerged as another attempt to address antibiotic use, focusing on developing alternative treatments and vaccines.
Yet, despite these initiatives, antibiotic usage trends remain largely unchanged. The latest reports indicate that 217 tons of antibiotics were used in the first half of 2024, up from 177 tons in the same period of 2023. While absolute tonnage has increased, a different measure—the amount of active substance used per ton of salmon harvested—paints a more nuanced picture. In 2024, this figure stood at 300 grams per ton, the lowest recorded since data collection began in 2007, but only marginally better than 310 grams per ton in 2023 and 320 grams per ton in 2022.
This data suggests that while some efficiency has been gained in antibiotic use, the industry remains far from achieving its stated goals.
Looking at global comparisons, Chilean salmon farming appears to have a high reliance on antibiotics. According to data from Our World in Data, global antibiotic use per ton of animal protein produced is lowest in chickens (35g/ton), followed by cattle (60g/ton) and pigs (173g/ton). Sheep (243g/ton) and Chilean salmon (300g/ton) rank higher, placing salmon among the more antibiotic-intensive animal protein industries.
However, other livestock industries have managed significant reductions. Over the last 12 years, countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands have cut antibiotic use in livestock by more than 50%, with some nations achieving reductions of up to 80%. These reductions were largely possible because, in many cases, antibiotics were used not only for treating infections but also as growth promoters, which could be phased out through regulatory measures and incentive programs.
In salmon farming, the challenge is different. Antibiotics in aquaculture are almost exclusively used to treat bacterial infections, not to promote growth. This means that reducing antibiotic use requires alternative disease management strategies, such as vaccination or improvements in farming conditions—solutions that take time and investment to implement.
One major driver of antibiotic use in Chilean salmon farming is Piscirickettsiosis (SRS), a bacterial disease that remains widespread in the region. Unlike Norway, where vaccines and advanced biosecurity measures have nearly eliminated the need for antibiotics, Chile continues to struggle with high infection rates.
Initially, there was hope that CSARP+ would mirror the successes seen in European livestock industries, as early trends suggested a decline in antibiotic use. Between 2017 and 2019, the industry reduced antibiotic use from 412 grams per ton to 293 grams per ton. But by 2022, usage climbed back into the mid-300s, raising questions about the feasibility of the original reduction targets.
While efforts to reduce antibiotic use have faced setbacks, the industry has not abandoned the goal. The launch of Project Yelcho in 2023 signals a new approach, focusing on developing new vaccines and alternative treatments with pharmaceutical companies.
Beyond vaccines, other emerging technologies—such as bacteriophages (viruses that target bacteria) and antimicrobial peptides—show promise in reducing reliance on antibiotics. However, these solutions are still in the early stages of commercial adoption.
The increase in antibiotic use in 2024 underscores the difficulty of achieving ambitious reduction targets in an industry where bacterial disease remains a persistent challenge. Unlike terrestrial livestock farming, where removing growth-promoting antibiotics can yield immediate reductions, aquaculture requires more complex, long-term solutions.
Norway has demonstrated that near-elimination of antibiotic use is possible, but achieving similar success in Chile will require significant investment in vaccination programs, biosecurity improvements, and alternative treatments. The challenge is not just meeting reduction targets—it’s ensuring that salmon farmers have viable tools to maintain fish health without compromising production.
As new initiatives like Project Yelcho take shape, the industry will need to balance the urgency of reducing antibiotic use with the reality of managing bacterial disease. The future of antibiotic stewardship in Chilean salmon farming depends not just on regulation and commitments but on scientific and technological breakthroughs that can provide sustainable, long-term solutions.