Unfulfilled Patagonia Promise: Leaders Express Disappointment Over President Boric’s Failure to Remove Salmon Farms from Protected Areas

Original article: Promesa patagónica no cumplida: dirigentes manifiestan desazón por incumplimiento de presidente Boric en erradicar salmoneras de áreas protegidas

From Hope to Disappointment: Leaders Accuse Boric’s Government of Breaking Promise to Remove Salmon Farms from Patagonia’s Protected Areas

  “The unfulfilled promise of Gabriel Boric, the first Patagonian president, is a blow to the trust and hope of protecting Patagonia,” asserted Juan Carlos Viveros, coordinator of the citizen campaign Defend Patagonia.

The activist recalled that the commitment to remove salmon farms from protected areas “turned into an example of how words can become meaningless in the face of political and economic realities, when statements are made without genuine conviction.” Viveros stressed that “Patagonia, one of the most pristine ecosystems on the planet, a beacon of hope for global biodiversity, continues to be polluted by the salmon farming industry, which destroys ecosystems and natural habitats. It is dramatic that this occurs within State-protected areas, even in national parks, where the law clearly prohibits it.”

The leader expressed his dismay: “Many of us thought the promise was genuine. The government’s inaction has been particularly disappointing given Boric’s eco-friendly campaign and his Patagonian origins.”

Pollution of Protected Areas: Impunity and Lack of Oversight

Daniel Caniullan, a prominent leader from the Pu Wapi community in Las Guaitecas, a diver and artisanal fisherman, was blunt: “Over the four years of Boric’s presidency, regarding the protected areas in Patagonia and other locations, we saw a president generating many expectations, yet after four years it became clear he lacked the resolve to enforce and respect the marine protected areas that exist in Patagonia.”

Caniullan described the devastating scenario: “Regarding the heavy pressure and threats from the salmon farming industry, which is damaging the fjords and channels, causing low oxygen levels, massive fish deaths, and significant harm to natural benthic resource banks due to chemical overload, antibiotics, and pesticides.”

Additionally, Juan Carlos Viveros added, “The consequences are severe: water contamination, destruction of seabeds, threats to native species like the chungungo and huillín, and antibiotic resistance.”

Caniullan also made a critical accusation: “We regret that the marine protected areas exist only on paper. The world is sold the idea that these are protected areas, but if you travel the channels, you will find salmon farm waste, cage buoys, chains, and metal buoys littering the seabed, with antibiotics and pesticides being dumped into the sea. Sernapesca, the agency responsible for oversight, doesn’t even have a boat to conduct inspections; they only have a bunch of trucks, making it impossible to enforce the protected areas effectively.”

Finally, Viveros posed an unanswered question: “The lingering question is: what happened to Boric’s political will? Did he succumb to industry pressure or was it simply not a real priority? Patagonia and its inhabitants deserve to know. It is imperative that the new government takes concrete actions to protect Patagonia. No matter how impossible it may seem with Kast, we will pursue this.”

Daniel Caniullán: “International Treaties and Current Indigenous Rights Laws Were Not Respected”

The Mapuche-Williche leader extended his criticisms to indigenous rights: “What’s worst is that he also received significant support from indigenous peoples across the country, yet in terms of indigenous rights, international treaties and current laws were not respected. Whenever decisions had to be made in favor of indigenous peoples, all of Boric’s regional staff aligned with the industrial sector, sidelining the interests of indigenous communities.”

Caniullan concluded: “It is unfortunate that not all, but a significant part of his regional officials lacked the resolve to engage in territorial work that includes good faith dialogue, and this is regrettable. It is disheartening to say they did not have the backbone to conduct real work and establish credibility. We lament this attitude and this bad practice that leaves a country completely disillusioned with everything said in speeches.”