Special report
The Kawésqar National Park extends over 2.8 million hectares, making it the second-largest park in Chile. However, the coastal areas in the park are considered a national reserve, a category that has less protection than a park. The reserve is home to 67 salmon-farming concessions, with an additional 80 concession requests currently pending, National Geographic reported.
National Geographic Pristine Seas director for Latin America Alex Muñoz, in a release, said the reserve is “a place with extraordinary and unique ecosystems” that is already being impacted by salmon farms.
“I hope that the new government issues a ban on this harmful activity inside this protected area of enormous ecological and cultural value,” he said.
Chilean President Boric has questioned the environmental sustainability of the country’s salmon farming industry. He is now reportedly considering a moratorium on the farmed salmon sector that would halt its expansion in the country.
“There can be no salmon-farming industry in marine protected areas,” he said. “That’s as simple as … enforcing the law.”
as marine conservation initiative. In March, it kicked off a scientific expedition to study Colombian seas to support the government’s plan to create new marine protected areas that will cover a total 30 percent of Colombia’s exclusive economic zone. It will also produce a documentary to showcase the diversity of Colombia’s marine ecosystems.
Pristine Seas claims to have helped inspire the creation of 26 marine reserves worldwide, covering an area totaling more than 6.5 million square kilometres.
Kawésqar National Park
When will politicians see fish farming as an undesirable industry? it requires a large amount of capital, is a high risk venture because of disease, is a poor quality product and as an industry is not a money earner for NZ. Instead get the NZ sea fishing industry organised so the shopper gets fish at a reasonable price.
When blue cod sells for $63 a kilo and snapper over $50 a kilo, government is failing.
The NZ sea fish industry is corrupt (think of political party donations) and the ministry is hamstrung by governments favouring the commercial fishing corporates. That is not forgetting the ministry needs a shakeup too.
Salmon in new zealand when you look at the price of seafish is now the cheaper option or it is at least in the South Island. the farms on the Mckenzie country hydro canals are doing all right and they also boost a huge tourist freshwater angling opportunity with their escapies and the huge size of brown and rainbow trout in the hydro canals. Think also Sanfords with their farms at Stewart Island are doing ok when they can grow a salmon from about 75grams to 12 to 15 kgs in 3 years. with fish that look nothing like the typical farmed salmon. More like the river run salmon we freshwater anglers are privileged to have the opportunity to catch in Canterbury. New Zealand is one of if not theonly place in the worls that is successsfully farming Chinook or king salmon as they are also known.
another point about salmon farming in New zealand. There is a salmon hatchery in North Canterbury just out of Kaipoi that produces smolt for I think 8 or 9 lower south Island salmon farms that generates $40 million in economic actvity in the Canterbury region.