Chile's 19% Dip in Farmed Salmon Harvest Meets Algae Loss Projections  Chilean farmed salmon production this year is meeting federal estimates of how the severe algae bloom would impact the harvest in 2016. Chile's total salmon harvest through August is down about 19 percent compared to year ago levels. The decline represents a difference of about 100,000 tons, which coincides with federal estimates of how the first quarter algae bloom would slash Chile's salmon output for the year. In addition to the lower harvest projections, Chilean salmon smolt plantings are also down about 3 percent but mostly because of a decline in coho and trout plantings. Atlantic salmon plantings are about even with 2015 figures. This week Baader and Leroy announced a contract for an automated salmon gutting and feeding system for Leroy's new 100,000 ton state of the art salmon processing facility, which will be opened in May of 2018. This machine fits into Baader's move into the salmon industry, which has seen the equipment manufacturer focus on developing gutting, heading, and filleting machines for salmon. "The new BAADER 144 Gutting Machine together with the BAADER 1570 Speed Feed System will be our "money maker" due to a tremendous increase of efficiency. It is the best solution for a perfect and clean princess-cut at the most revolutionary speed ever," said Lerøy Production Director Frode Arntsen. Meanwhile, the push into white shrimp production in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has caused the region to convert a lot of its infrastructure along the Bay of Bengal coast to accommodate shrimp farms. Many of India's rice farmers have converted their operations to raise more lucrative shrimp crops. Indian rice production is now down 3 percent over the last few years. “The prime reason is that income from a shrimp farm is five times higher than paddy. Another reason is shortage of labor. While an acre of paddy farm requires 45 workers, the labor requirement for a shrimp farm is much less,” said Dr P Satyanarayana, director of Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Institute. In other news, the EU said it will increase the rate at which it inspects imported farmed shrimp and seafood from Indian suppliers in order to reduce the use of antibiotics among producers. According to the new rules the EU will now inspect at least 50 percent of all imported shrimp and seafood from India at the cost of the exporter. Finally, the EU Commission said it will still hold a vote next spring that will decide whether or not to list live North American lobsters as an invasive species. The vote will take place even though the EU's Committee on Invasive Alien Species already said this week that it does not support Sweden's proposal to ban North American live lobster imports from its market on the grounds that the species poses an invasive threat. Sweden said it intends to pursue the invasive declaration and the ban using national and local channels not associated with the EU.