Salmon Farming Industry in Chile Faces 710 Legal Complaints Amid Calls for Deregulation

Original article: «Se resisten a cumplir las reglas»: Investigación revela que salmoneras en Chile acumulan 710 denuncias y procesos sancionatorios

Salmon Farming Industry in Chile Faces 710 Legal Complaints Amid Calls for Deregulation

The salmon farming industry in Chile is facing an unprecedented regulatory crisis: according to an investigation by Mongabay Latam, it has accumulated 710 violations based on complaints from Sernapesca and actions from the Superintendence of the Environment (SMA) in recent years. The report was authored by Benjamín Bravo, Nicolás Cerpa, and Nicolás Sepúlveda.

Data compiled by the outlet reveals that the National Fishing and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) filed 475 complaints between 2021 and 2025 across the regions of Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes for serious infractions such as overproduction, mass escapes of salmon, beach contamination, and providing false information to regulators. The Aysén region has the highest number of cases, totaling 203 complaints.

Also see / Unfulfilled Patagonian Promise: Leaders Express Disappointment Over President Boric’s Failure to Remove Salmon Farming from Protected Areas

Additionally, the SMA has initiated 235 sanctioning processes since 2013, with 73% concentrated from 2020 onwards. Overproduction accounts for nearly half of these cases (47%), involving more than 168,000 tons of salmon raised beyond authorized limits, many in protected areas such as the Las Guaitecas National Reserve and the Alberto de Agostini National Park.

Check out Mongabay’s Instagram post featuring Michelle Carrere, Oceans Editor:

Flavia Liberona, Executive Director of Fundación Terram, explained to Mongabay Latam that «overproduction leads to an increase in waste and undigested food settling on the seafloor, creating a crust that causes anoxic conditions and stifles life development.» Environmental lawyer Alex Muñoz added that the seafloor under the cages is «tremendously impacted» and that the escapes of salmon —an exotic and invasive species— threaten native species like bass.

Among the most severe cases is Australis, controlled by Chinese investments, which exceeded production limits within the Las Guaitecas Forest Reserve by 50% and 31% in two cycles. Norwegian giant Mowi faces sanctions for the escape of more than 690,000 salmon in 2018, of which only 5.54% were recaptured. Cermaq, owned by Mitsubishi, has accumulated 20 sanctioning processes, 15 of them for overproduction, despite production chief Raúl Rivera stating that «regulations come first.»

Also see: Over 700 complaints and sanctioning processes faced by the salmon farming industry in Chile between January 2021 and September 2025 (Mongabay on Instagram)

Despite these figures, companies—through their organizations SalmonChile and the Salmon Council—oppose regulations. Glenn Cooke, owner of Cooke Inc, stated to El Mercurio that «the Chilean industry is probably the most regulated in the world,» while Steven Rafferty, CEO of Cermaq, argued for a «more suitable regulatory framework» to support the industry. This appeal echoes with elected president José Antonio Kast, who promised significant deregulation to stimulate sector growth.

For detailed information on each sanctioned company and complete case files, access the original Mongabay Latam report through the following link:

In Chile, Salmon Farms Resist Following Rules: Accumulate 710 Complaints and Sanctioning Processes