The first International Conference dedicated exclusively to piscirickettsiosis or commonly known as Salmonid Rickettsial Septicemia (SRS) already has the sponsorship of the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Sernapesca.

A few months before its realization, from the Applied Research Center, CIA-INCAR², confirmed the sponsorship of the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sernapesca) for the International Conference SRS2026, which will be the first international meeting exclusively dedicated to piscirickettsiosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis and causes significant economic losses for Chilean salmon farming and is currently generating growing interest in other countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

In response to this challenge, the INCAR² Centre opted to organize the SRS2026 conference, an initiative that seeks to create an international collaboration space that facilitates the exchange of experiences, the dissemination of new knowledge and the identification of opportunities to advance towards more sustainable production systems.

The conference taking place at the Wyndham Petra Hotel in Puerto Varas, between 9 and 11 November, 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 the academic from Universidad Andrés Bello and deputy director of INCAR², Dr. Rubén Avendaño-Herrera, "current health challenges require a broad and collaborative approach. We want this conference to be 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 Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Chile, Sernapesca, is a public body dependent on 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 supervision and health management that influences sectoral behavior and promotes compliance with the regulations.

Like CIA - INCAR², we deeply value the sponsorship of the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture for this first international conference. Sernapesca plays a fundamental role in the sustainability of the Chilean aquaculture sector, not only through strict supervision, but also through health management that guides good practices and raises industry standards. This type of alliance between science, public sector and productive ones are key to facing challenges such as SRS, strengthening knowledge and moving towards a more sustainable and responsible salmon farming for the country.

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

Companies interested in knowing the different alternatives of sponsorship and collaboration can contact the organizing team to obtain information about the opportunities of participation and visibility during the event at incar2eventos@udec.cl.

The SRS2026 program will include keynote lectures, thematic modules, scientific presentations, discussion panels and networking spaces, with the participation of national and international experts who will address the health, environmental, regulatory and socio-economic aspects associated with the disease. For more details about the SRS2026, the program and the registration process, visit https://www.srs2026conference.cl/