"Salmon Farms in Patagonia Face Growing Opposition"

"The Chilean industry’s expansion has drawn repeated challenges from environmentalists and Indigenous people of the region, and prompted calls for a moratorium."

"The sea is calm as dusk descends on Tarsicio Antezana’s home island of Quinchao in southern Chile. In the distance, snow-capped volcanoes turn a deep violet with the setting sun.

It’s a serene sight — except for the one thing Mr. Antezana, a retired oceanographer, cannot ignore. Not far out in the water, a strip of small, rectangular objects stretches across the sea, swaying ever so slightly with the tide. These structures might not seem like much, but Mr. Antezana knows what lies beneath the surface: a salmon farm.

Below the water, high-density net cages teem with thousands of salmon. Farms like this one are common in Los Lagos, the primary aquaculture region in Chile. The South American country is the top exporter of farmed salmon to the United States. But the popular fish are not native to this place, and many environmentalists and activists have long complained that the farms are damaging Chilean ecosystems and threatening native wildlife."

Lucy Meyer and Casey Ann Smith report for the New York Times with photographs by Marcos Zegers August 13, 2024.

Source: NYTimes, 08/14/2024