Salmon farming is the farming and harvesting of salmonids, under controlled conditions, for commercial purposes. It was originated in Norway in the late 1960s and is now threatening to be installed in the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The environmental impacts of this activity are irreversible.
WHO IS INVOLVED
In March 2018, three agreements were signed by Innovation Norway, the Ministry of Agroindustry, the Argentine Foundation for the Promotion of Exports and Investments, and the Province of Tierra del Fuego to explore the possibility of developing the industry in the province. Understanding the risk it would imply for the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Isla Grande and the tourism vocation of the entire region, we initiated an activist campaign with the ultimate goal of achieving the enactment of a law banning the industry throughout the province.
IMPACT
Irreversible environmental impact: salmon escapes, marine debris and pollution generated by the industry, and the overuse of antibiotics and other chemicals cause the extinction of other species, creating "dead zones" in the sea. Until now, none of the zones used by the industry have recovered.
Negative impact on the communities: the presence of farms directly endangers species such as the spider crab and king crab, fishing on which the coastal community of Almanza depends.
Impact on tourism: it is the activity that attracts one of the highest revenues for the province. These two activities cannot coexist.
Impact on global health and food safety: intensive salmon farming generates overcrowded conditions that lead to the spread of infections and diseases. In addition, antibiotics are used to increase production rates, which generates bacterial resistance: one of the greatest threats to global health.
ACTIVISM AND COMMUNICATION
We worked together with different organizations from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and Chile to put this issue on the social and political agenda. To support our work, an economic study was developed together with the Coordinator of the Economics Program of the UNTDF (University of Tierra del Fuego) on the impact of the industry on the economy of the province. This analysis demonstrated the direct competition between salmon farming and the tourism industry, which is one of the main economic matrices and source of local employment.
We also conducted awareness workshops for diverse sectors of the community.
In addition, we launched a massive communication campaign led by the most renowned chefs in our country under the slogan "No to Salmon Farming". It focused mainly on raising awareness about the environmental, health, and social damages of the industry. Due to the importance of the issue, the campaign achieved national and international reach, with repercussions even in Norway.
LEGAL ACTIONS
We created the appropriate legal tools to investigate the agreements signed with Norway and to be able to work towards the banning of salmon farming in the entire province. The first step was to collaborate with a municipal regulation, passed by a majority in Ushuaia, which banned the installation of any infrastructure related to salmon farming in Ushuaia. In May of the same year, legislators submitted a bill to the legislature of the province.
After more than three years of fighting, Tierra del Fuego banned salmon farming by law, making Argentina the first country in the world to say NO TO SALMON FARMS.
