'Those who eat Chilean salmon can't imagine how much human blood it carries'
9 days ago
- #Chile
- #Environmental Impact
- #Salmon Industry
- Julia Cárcamo López lives in Maullín, Chile, where her husband Arturo Vera, a salmon farm diver, died in a workplace accident in 2019 due to alleged negligence.
- Chile's salmon industry, the second-largest globally, faces criticism for deadly labor conditions, environmental damage, and excessive antibiotic use.
- Over 83 workers have died in Chile's salmon industry accidents between 2013 and 2025, compared to just three deaths in Norway over 34 years.
- Chilean salmon farms use high levels of antibiotics (351 tonnes in 2024), polluting waters and threatening marine ecosystems and human health.
- Indigenous communities, like the Mapuche, report loss of wildlife, polluted rivers, and threats to cultural practices due to salmon farming.
- Government oversight is weak due to limited resources, with labor inspectors unable to regularly monitor remote salmon farms.
- Legal battles by Indigenous groups have temporarily halted some salmon farming operations, but companies often resume activities despite sanctions.