Home » News » Ex Marine Harvest will pay a fine of more than $ 5,300 million for the escape of 690 thousand salmon in Calbuco | Economy

Ex Marine Harvest will pay a fine of more than $ 5,300 million for the escape of 690 thousand salmon in Calbuco | Economy

The Mowi company, formerly Marine Harvest, received a fine that exceeds $ 5 billion due to the escape of more than 690 thousand salmon in Calbuco, Los Lagos region, in 2018.

The sanction was filed by the Superintendency of the Environment (SMA), and it is the highest that the organism has granted.

Through a statement, the SMA indicated that they sanctioned two charges:

“One classified as very serious by 8,909 Annual Tax Unit (UTA), which is equivalent to $ 5.3 billion and a slight one for 4.5 UTA, this is $ 2 million 700 thousand, against the company Mowi Chile SA, former Marine Harvest Chile SA, in the Los Lagos region, Calbuco commune, after the escape of more than 690 thousand specimens of Atlantic Salmon in July 2018, after a climatic event occurred in the area ”, indicates the document.

Regarding the first charge, the SMA indicated that it is because the Punta Redonda Cultivation Center did not keep the appropriate security conditions, nor cultivation elements of optimum quality and resistance according to RCA N ° 2040/2001 and RCA N ° 539/2011.

Regarding the mild sanction, the Superintendency of the Environment indicated that “it is related to ‘maintaining and operating support facilities on land for the cultivation of Salmons at the Punta Redonda Center, not intended for the operation of the silage system, for the treatment of salmon mortality “”.

The superintendent of the Environment, Cristóbal De La Maza, this resolution “closes a long and complete process of investigation on our part. We want to give the signal that all those companies that do not respect the regulations and, in addition, violate them causing environmental damage, as in this case, will be punished in a proportional manner “.

Associated risks

The SMA emphasized that in addition to the damage caused by the leak, there was a risk associated with the salmon that failed to survive, generating deposits of organic matter, which causes “alterations in the biogeochemical cycles of the marine habitat “.

Another associated risk found in the research was transmission of pathogens and diseases by the interaction between escaped salmon and wildlife.

The Mowi company may voluntarily submit to the SMA a repair proposal supported by an environmental technical study. You can also access an appeal within five business days, from the day following notification of the resolution.

Finally, the SMA indicated that the salmon farm has the right to claim the penalty before the Environmental Court, within a period of 15 business days, also from the notification.

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