Is cut-and-catch a new form of salmon theft in Chile?
Prosecutor examines theory after suspected sabotage at Caleta Bay farm
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Calbuco, Chile, has confirmed that it has initiated investigative proceedings to establish whether there was sabotage to a pen which had its nets cut, reports Fish Farming Expert's Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl. The coho salmon farm is operated by Caleta Bay.
The case is being investigated as a new form of salmon theft, an alternative to stealing products from industry trucks.
The suspected sabotage occurred in the early morning of October 6, and was detected by staff of the salmon company via CCTV cameras. A person was recorded coming out of the water in an area near the farm, and later several fishing boats appeared in the vicinity after their owners had been informed through social media about a salmon escape.
The chief prosecutor of Calbuco, Marcelo Maldonado, said that although reports of alleged sabotage of fish farms are not common, officers are investigating whether this method is an alternative to the hijacking of trucks carrying salmon.
He added that the investigation is ongoing, according to Radio Biobío.
Hijackings continue
Meanwhile, the hijacking of a truck loaded with salmon was reported on Route 5 South, in the La Araucanía region. The vehicle, which was transporting merchandise valued at over 400 million Chilean pesos, or US $404,000, was recovered after a police patrol operation that thwarted the robbery.
According to reports, the driver of a truck from the Espartano transport company was stopped at a rest area near a police station in Cautín when he was approached and threatened by an armed group. The criminals stole the truck and left the driver stranded on the border between the Araucanía and Biobío regions.
The shipment had departed from Puerto Montt bound for the Santiago Metropolitan Region. Inside the vehicle were approximately 25 tonnes of export-quality salmon, according to Soy Chile website.
A series of hijackings targeting trucks transporting salmon has heightened concerns about truck driver safety in southern Chile. In just 21 days, four such attacks have been reported in the Araucanía region, with cargo valued at over US $1 million.
