The **Third Environmental Court of Chile** upheld the **fine** imposed by the Superintendence of the Environment (SMA) on the company Mowi Chile S.A. for over US$7,486,457 due to the **escape of salmon** in 2018.
The sanctions arise from the result of the investigation initiated in 2018, after a massive escape of salmon was detected at the CES Punta Redonda fattening center in the Los Lagos Region.
One of the charges refers to the lack of maintenance of adequate safety conditions at the **farming center**, as established by the environmental qualification resolutions of the project. This infringement was classified as very serious for causing “irreparable environmental damage”.
The second charge, classified as minor, was for “maintaining and operating land support facilities for salmon farming at the Punta Redonda Center, not intended for the operation of the silage system for the treatment of **salmon mortality**.”
Chilean court ruling on salmon escape
In this context, the company filed a **legal challenge** with the environmental court. However, the latter determined that “Mowi did not effectively maintain appropriate safety conditions at the CES or cultivation elements of optimal quality and resistance according to RCA No. 2040/2001 and RCA No. 536/2011, resulting in the massive escape of specimens from the Center.”
“It is concluded that the environmental damage caused by the escape of **Salmo salar** from the CES Punta Redonda is not reparable,” confirming the classification made by the SMA.
Regarding the minor charge, the court rejected the agency’s claims by considering that “the project’s RCAs are quite clear that the CES does not include any type of **land facilities**, which is why it is possible to observe that the SMA’s infringement is duly configured.”
Mowi’s response and appeal
Mowi reiterated the **absence of irreparable environmental damage** and announced that they will appeal to the Supreme Court.
“The Environmental Court did not consider the abundant evidence indicating that no environmental damage was caused, nor did it take into account the **significant mitigation measures** adopted after the incident,” the company stated.
Salmon farming in Chile
**Salmon farming** is the main aquaculture activity in Chile and is also one of the country’s most important industries. Chile is the second largest producer of **Atlantic salmon** in the world.
Currently, **salmon farming** is mainly carried out from the La Araucanía Region to Tierra del Fuego, with the city of Puerto Montt as the hub and the inner sea of the Los Lagos Region and the channels and fjords of Aysén as the **main production areas**.
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