Chile’s salmon industry, still recovering from the devastating economic impacts of an outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus (ISA) in 2007, is facing an even bigger crisis. In February, a toxic algal bloom was discovered at salmon farms ranging from the Aysén region to Puerto Montt, causing a massive die-off so far of about 23 million fish and financial losses approaching US$800 million in exports. Government and industry officials assert the spread of the microalgae (Rafidoficea chattonella sp.) is due in large part to unusually warm waters and less rain this year, which they say can be traced to a combination of climate change and the El Niño phenomenon. But salmon-farm workers, environmental groups and some scientists assert the crisis is... [Log in to read more]