The Prosecutor’s Offices of the Los Lagos and de Aysen regions and the State
Defense Council (CDE) are investigating the causes and responsibilities
surrounding various salmon and trout escape incidents and the mortality of these
species in domestic farming centres.
In early 2009, around 190,000 salmonids escaped from Mainstream farming
centre pens located in Seno de Reloncavi in the region of Los Lagos. An
estimated 500,000 rainbow trout had also escaped from two Aguas Claras centres.
In addition, thousands of dead fish reportedly piled up in AquaChile company
pen-rafts in the district of Repollal in Melinka. This incident alarmed the
government, due to the possible ecological damage inflicted, and led to
artisanal fishers filing complaints with the Prosecutor’s Office of Port Cisnes.
“When there are decisions of this nature, we are in the presence of
violations of an economic nature. We are keeping an eye on the contingency and
not on a pre-meditated attitude to undertake other kinds of damage, as that
would obviously signify another matter entirely," said the federal prosecutor of
the Fisheries Subsecretariat (SUBPESCA), Martin Manterola.
"It may be under the authorisation of the National Fisheries Service
(SERNAPESCA) to administratively uphold private sector responsibilities, but
eventually, if it is found out that it had been a deliberate act to inflict
damage on the environment we are obviously in a different situation altogether,”
Manterola explained to Ecoceanos News.
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor of Port Cisnes, Patricio Yori, indicated that the
investigation of the Prosecutor’s Office of Port Cisnes was initiated by a
complaint filed by the artisanal fishers syndicate of Melinka.
"The investigation will look into the penal responsibilities of the
people tied to the AquaChile company," he explained. "What is being investigated
is if the mass death of salmon that affected the nearest farming centre to the
Melinka sector might have been foreseen and dealt with more efficiently by the
company."
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Hugo Lavados announced that “SERNAPESCA oversaw
and corroborated the violations, and at this time the complaint is in the
courts.”
"The six-month suspension of this centre is being sought,” he added.
The salmon farming companies attributed the fish escape to poor climatic
conditions that led to pen damage. According to Senator Nelson Avila, fishers
denounced that the events were intentional, programmed by executives to avoid
the costs of harvesting a poor-quality and low-priced product.
