Chilean parliament approves easier salmon farm 'micro-relocations'
Concessions can be moved up to 350 metres without new environmental approval
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A change that enables easier “micro-relocation” of salmon farms has passed into law in Chile, reports Fish Farming Expert's Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl.
The change is included in the “Law for National Reconstruction and Economic and Social Development” which modifies 36 laws and 15 decrees and is a central plank of President Jose Antionio Kast’s plan for economic recovery.
The Chilean Congress’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, yesterday endorsed the majority of Senate changes to the law.
Finance minister Jorge Quiroz said the Deputies’ approval “has ratified the urgent need for Chile to regain tax competitiveness, in order to resume investments in the country, and to remove permit barriers that have stalled economic activity”.
He added: “It has been approved to give certainty to those who risk investing, it has been approved to get Chilean salmon farming back on its feet, which has been waiting for years to improve its productivity and also its general functioning.”
No new permit needed
Quiroz said the salmon industry has been waiting for many years for the relocation of concessions, which the Chamber approved by a wide margin. Nearly 100 farms meet the condition for a move to a better location not more than 350 metres away without having to seek new environmental approvals.
Environmental groups have criticised the decision, calling the move a strategy to “privatise” natural resources without adequate technical analysis or environmental assessment.
Yesterday’s vote by the Chamber of Deputies also endorsed a change to the aquaculture concession expiration regime was approved. An increased fee equivalent to six UTM (monthly tax units) per hectare for each year of non-use is established, starting from the third year. This amount increases to 16 UTM per hectare per year after 54 months of inactivity, without prejudice to the exceptions provided for in mandatory sanitary breaks, force majeure, or other circumstances stipulated by law.
The UTM (Unidad Tributaria Mensual) is used to calculate taxes, fines, and other financial values and is updated monthly based on inflation, ensuring its real value remains consistent over time. The current value of a single UTM is 71,649 Chilean pesos (£57.31), so a non-use fee of six UTM currently equals £343.86 per hectare, rising to £916.69 after 54 months.
Other key changes from Kast’s government include the gradual reduction of the corporate tax rate from 27% to 23% by 2029. The bill also provides 10-year tax stability for investments of at least US $50 million and 20 years for projects exceeding $350m.
