As Chile’s once-lucrative salmon farming industry tries to rebound from the widespread damage caused by the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus over the past two years, it has set its sights on new, still mostly pristine and virus-free waters further south on the Patagonian coast. Already, there are approximately 1,600 applications for new salmon concessions off the coast of Magallanes, Chile’s southernmost region. In the Aysén region, located just north of Magallanes, another 1,500 requests for concessions are under review. Maps generated by the Puerto Varas-based Pumalín Foundation show that in three locations of Aysén, the number of salmon farms is burgeoning. Environmental advocates warn that opening up southern coastal waters to salmon farms simply will extend the industry’s attendant problems of... [Log in to read more]