Cooke given mixed messages from Chilean authorities

Salmon farmer Cooke Aquaculture has highlighted an apparent lack of coordination between Chilean government institutions after the country’s environment agency (SMA) won a court injunction to prevent smolts being stocked at a Cooke site.

Chile’s Third Environmental Court has issued a 30-day order which blocks Cooke Aquaculture Chile from stocking approximately 170,000 smolts at Huillines 3, a salmon farm in the Laguna San Rafael National Park.

The long-established farm Huillines 3 has not been environmentally evaluated because it started operating before the installation of Chile’s Environmental Evaluation System, and the SMA claims the farm damages the ecosystem due to fish faeces and uneaten feed facilitating anaerobic processes and decreasing dissolved oxygen in the area.

'Exceeded production limits'

It alleges that the company exceeded the total approved production at Huillines 3 in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2020 by up to 6,500 tons per production cycle, and that although Cooke was authorised by other agencies to stock 617,756 fish at Huillines 3 on August 3, this would lead to a biomass – when grown - more than 2,000 tonnes above what is authorised for the site.

Added to that, the government wants Huillines and another Cooke farm moved as part of a strategy to relocate fish farms from national parks, some of which were created after the farms were established.

Cooke has already stocked 432,352 fish at Huillines 3 and requested a new permit on October 17 to transfer the remaining smolts from the Araucanía Region to Huillines.

Lack of coordination

Commenting on the environmental court’s decision, Cooke spokesperson Joel Richardson said: “There appears to be a lack of coordination between the Chilean government institutions. The two lead fisheries and aquaculture regulators, Sernapesca and Subpesca, previously gave Cooke Aquaculture Chile approval to stock the two farms because according to them, the sites complied with all requirements.

“We are now working through litigation in Chile to prove alleged violations by SMA are without merit, and we are working with Subpesca to find a reasonable solution regarding the location of the two farms in proximity to the National Park. Cooke has been operating the same two farm licences since acquiring the operation from a previous owner in 2008. We are disappointed and surprised by the actions being taken by SMA, however we are confident that it will be resolved.

“We’re proud of our employees and operations in Chile. Our salmon farms in Chile are audited, inspected, and certified for environmentally and socially responsible seafood production. Cooke Aquaculture Chile is also on track to become the first company in Chile to produce certified organic salmon. The farms have been operating sustainably for many years and our local farming employees always put fish health and the marine environment first.”

Cooke has not said what will happen to the smolts that were due to be transferred to Huillines 3.

All Cooke Aquaculture Chile farms have Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) and Global GAP certifications, and some have Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) accreditation.