Oceana has called on the Chilean Government to put a brake to the expansion of salmon aquaculture activity toward the south of the country, through the suspension of granting concessions in the Aysén and Magallanes regions. Oceana sent a letter to the Minister of Economy, Hugo Lavados, expressing its deep concern about the imminent development of this industry in both regions, and urged it to suspend delivery of new concessions, at least until they have finished revising and modifying the applicable regulation to the aquaculture sector.
Alex Munoz, Oceana Vice President for South America, explained that to continue granting aquaculture concessions while the regulation that will govern the salmon sector in the next years is being revised, does not only not make sense but also generates doubts on the real disposition of wanting to undertake in depth the environmental and sanitary problems of the salmon aquaculture industry through the Salmon Task Force.
He also added that the logical thing is to suspend the granting of new concessions in Aysén and Magallanes while it is not shown that the crisis of the salmon industry is really controlled and the future of the sector is defined. According to Oceana the Government cannot continue ignoring the high environmental impacts of the intensive cultivation of species such as salmon, that has generated high environmental and sanitary impacts to the Region de Los Lagos, where the industry is now primarily located.
Munoz told that the salmon expansion toward Aysén and Magallanes will imply, which enlarging maritime transportation with the consequent environmental impacts associated, therewith, and increasing the works of road infrastructure which could affect protected wild areas and other sites of important ecological value.
