Around 100 members of the community gathered against new proposed salmon farms on their waters in Isla Santa María.
In late July, SalmonBusiness reported that Cultivos Marinos Lago Yelcho wanted to expand its operations in Central Chile, some 650kms away from Puerto Montt, where most of Chile’s salmon farming takes place.
On Sunday, about 100 people came to demonstrate the beach where they symbolically burned a boat in protest, as reported in Soy Chile.
Island councillor, Ilenia Salas, said that a meeting is scheduled on August 17 to bring together members of the island’s sea fishing community as well as from Coronel and other municipalities who will be affected.
“We are meeting all the neighbors to disclose that we disagree with the installation of a salmon farm,” Salas said.
As reported in El Cuidanano, the president of the Artisanal Fishermen, said: “It would be the downfall of Isla Santa María, I hope the authorities will quickly cut this off, because we are willing to go to war for our territory and our sea.”
