Report «Blood Salmon»: 83 Salmon Industry Workers Have Died in Just Over a Decade

Ecoceanos reports that the Chilean salmon industry has the highest workplace mortality rate globally, with 83 workers losing their lives since 2013. In a recent column, its director, Juan Carlos Cárdenas, reveals the precarious conditions behind record exports, blaming prioritization of profits, labor precarity, and weak government regulation.

The Citizen

26/10/2025 8:02pm

Original article: Reporte “Salmones de Sangre”: 83 trabajadores de la industria salmonera han muerto en poco más de una década

Chile, a Salmon Powerhouse with Alarming Death Rates: 83 Workers Lost in 12 Years, Reports Ecoceanos

A recent accident in Hualaihué, in which diver Jaime Ampuero Díaz was critically injured after being struck by a salmon farming vessel’s propeller, has raised fresh alarms about the hazardous working conditions in the industry, as highlighted by the Ecoceanos Center in a column published in Interferencia.

According to the Ecoceanos report, the Chilean salmon industry holds the highest global workplace mortality rate in its sector. Its director, Juan Carlos Cárdenas, reveals that “83 workers have died between March 2013 and July 2025” due to various incidents—a number he describes as “unacceptable” for the country’s second most important economic activity.

The column, part of the report “Blood Salmon”, portrays the harsh paradox of a major exporter. While Chile ranks as the second-largest global producer with shipments valued at $6.371 billion in 2024, Cárdenas argues that “behind these record figures lies a grim labor reality,” with 40% of workers subcontracted, long working hours, and low wages far below those of competing countries.

Just this year, the productive expansion in Patagonia has coincided with the deaths of three divers, whose cases are detailed in the report. Ecoceanos warns that this situation continues due to “institutional permissiveness” and the use of artisanal divers, whose licenses only permit operations up to 12 meters, for deeper work without adequate safety measures.

Veterinarian Juan Carlos Cárdenas concludes that while companies continue to multiply their profits, “the most basic right: the right to life” is still being denied. In light of the weak state oversight reported, Ecoceanos invites readers to access the complete column in Interferencia to understand the full extent of this humanitarian crisis.