Small changes can make a big difference
Chilean salmon farmers hopeful that new government will make important tweaks to rules
Chile’s new government can make an immediate positive difference to the country’s salmon farming sector by making small-scale regulatory adjustments that could be implemented in the short term and would have a significant impact on production, the chief executive of a producers’ organisation has said.
Loreto Seguel, CEO of the Salmon Council, said the sector is “very stagnant in production due to various issues: regulatory, environmental, and political”, and that salmon farmers have high expectations that many things will be resolved following the inauguration of new president Antonio Kast on Wednesday this week.
Kast and his ministers are expected to be more business-oriented than the administration of Kast’s left-wing predecessor Gabriel Boric, which was let down by weak delivery, especially on public security and economic growth.
Micro-relocations
Although major policy changes may take time, said Seguel, the salmon sector had identified smaller-scale regulatory adjustments that could be implemented without needing to wait for more profound legal reforms. These include modifications to regulations and administrative procedures that currently limit the operation of fish farms, many of which were designed decades ago under technological conditions very different from those of today.
One example of these measures is the possibility of carrying out micro-relocations of aquaculture concessions.
“We are promoting concrete changes to the regulations. These are things that don’t require extensive processes and that directly impact an industry that has transformed the south. Today, with small but significant changes - and I say small because they are easy, yet high-impact - one can make a tremendous difference for Chilean salmon farming,” Seguel explained.
The Salmon Council points out that current technology allows for more efficient operations with less environmental impact, but that existing regulations hinder the utilisation of these capabilities.
Legal clarity
Patricio Melero, president of salmon farming body SalmonChile, said: “As salmon farmers, what we expect from the new government is legal certainty and regulatory clarity to realise our potential for sustainable growth.”
Melero said the Chile's salmon sector - the second largest in the world after Norway - generated 2.1% of GDP and 86,000 direct and indirect jobs in southern Chile.
“We deeply value the positive message from President Kast and his administration regarding the importance of designing a strategic public-private agreement to revitalise our sector,” said Melero. “With the right support and collaborative efforts, salmon farming can regain its dynamism and international standing, and become true allies in the growth that Chile so desperately needs.”
Did nothing in four years
Eugenio Zamorano, partner at aquaculture consultancy Acuiestudios, pointed out that in the last four years no relevant government initiative in aquaculture materialised that aimed to improve its sustainable development and competitiveness, which led to a scenario of great uncertainty for the sector.
Regarding the various challenges facing aquaculture, Zamorano stated: “President Kast has shown he understands and values the importance of aquaculture for the country, and especially for the southern regions, which suggests that there will be political support for the rapid implementation of high-impact measures in the sector and its future development.”
He said a clear sign of this was the appointment of Osvaldo Urrutia as Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Experience to lead
Urrutia is a lawyer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, holds a Master of Laws degree from University College London, and a PhD in Law from Victoria University of Wellington.
His extensive experience includes serving as a professor and researcher at the same university; an international consultant in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the FAO; and an advisor to the Legal Division and the International Affairs Unit of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Economy, Development and Reconstruction (2009-2022).
“His extensive experience linked to the public sector and international organisations in matters related to the sector ensures that the new authority has the knowledge, experience and capabilities to lead and take on this important challenge,” said Zamorano.
