Sernapesca Joins the First International Meeting to Address Challenges and Advances in SRS Control in Salmon Farming

The first International Conference dedicated exclusively to piscirickettsiosis—commonly known as Salmon Rickettsial Septicaemia (SRS)—has secured the sponsorship of Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca).

With only a few months to go before the event, the Applied Research Center CIA-INCAR² confirmed the support of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) for the International Conference SRS2026. This will be the first international meeting dedicated exclusively to piscirickettsiosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis, which generates significant economic losses for Chilean salmon farming and is currently attracting growing interest in other countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

In response to this challenge, the INCAR² Center has organized the SRS2026 conference as an initiative aimed at creating a space for international collaboration that facilitates the exchange of experiences, the dissemination of new knowledge, and the identification of opportunities to advance toward more sustainable production systems.

The conference will take place at the Wyndham Petra Hotel in Puerto Varas from November 9 to 11 and will bring together researchers, producers, regulatory authorities, supplier companies, and representatives of civil society to address scientific and technological advances related to the prevention, diagnosis, and control of piscirickettsiosis.

According to Dr. Ruben Avendaño-Herrera, academic at Andrés Bello University and Deputy Director of INCAR², “current health challenges require a broad and collaborative approach. We want this conference to serve as a meeting point for the entire salmon farming value chain, where companies, research centers, technology providers, and public agencies can share experiences and build long-term solutions.”

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service of Chile (Sernapesca) is a public agency under the Ministry of Economy, Development, and Tourism. Its mission is to contribute to the sustainability of the sector and the protection of hydrobiological resources and their environment through comprehensive enforcement and sanitary management that influences sector behavior by promoting regulatory compliance.

“As CIA-INCAR², we deeply value the sponsorship of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service for this first international conference. Sernapesca plays a fundamental role in the sustainability of Chile’s aquaculture sector, not only through rigorous enforcement but also through sanitary management that promotes good practices and raises industry standards. These types of partnerships between science, the public sector, and the productive sector are key to addressing challenges such as SRS, strengthening knowledge, and advancing toward a more sustainable and responsible salmon farming industry for the country.”

For her part, Dr. Valentina Valenzuela, a member of the organizing committee, extended an invitation to companies, institutions, and organizations interested in joining as sponsors and collaborators of this initiative. “SRS 2026 represents a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and the various stakeholders of the aquaculture ecosystem, promoting knowledge exchange and the joint search for solutions to one of the main health challenges facing salmon farming,” she noted.

Companies interested in learning about sponsorship and collaboration opportunities can contact the organizing team for more information on participation and visibility options during the event at eventosincar2@udec.cl.

The SRS2026 program will include keynote lectures, thematic sessions, scientific presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, featuring national and international experts who will address the sanitary, environmental, regulatory, and socioeconomic aspects associated with the disease. For more details about SRS2026, the program, and the registration process, visit:https://www.srs2026conference.cl/