Mowi Chile continues fight against US $5.1m fine for massive fish escape
The salmon farmer has lost its appeal but will go to a higher court
Published
Mowi is to appeal to Chile’s Supreme Court after its bid to have an enormous fine quashed was rejected by the Environmental Court of Valdivia.
The fine of 5.3 billion Chilean pesos (US $5.1 million) was imposed by Chile’s environment agency, the SMA, following the escape of more than 690,000 fish when a steel cage assembly broke apart at Mowi’s Punta Redonda farm in the Calbuco commune, Los Lagos region, during a storm in 2018.
The SMA said Mowi had not maintained the farm properly and ruled that environmental damage had occurred because Mowi had not been able to recapture at least 10% of the fish. Mowi denied both allegations.
'No damage'
Following the environmental court’s ruling, Mowi told Fish Farming Expert’s Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl, that the court “failed to take into account the abundant evidence indicating that no environmental damage was caused and also failed to consider the important mitigation measures adopted after the incident”.
The environmental court also ruled on a case by the South Pacific Greenpeace Foundation which requested that the SMA resolution be revoked and the court should instead order the closure of the Punta Redonda farm. The Foundation’s claim was rejected.
