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| Asociación de Productores de Salmón | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asociación de Productores de Salmón |
| Native name | Asociación de Productores de Salmón |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Trade association |
| Headquarters | Puerto Montt |
| Region served | Chilean Patagonia |
| Members | Salmon farming companies |
Asociación de Productores de Salmón is a Chilean trade association representing industrial aquaculture companies in the Los Lagos Region and Aysén Region of Chile. It serves as an industry voice in relations with national institutions such as the Subsecretaría de Pesca y Acuicultura, international bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization, and regional governments including the Intendencia de Los Lagos. The organization engages with corporate members, environmental NGOs, and research centers such as the Universidad Austral de Chile and the Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Acuicultura (ENAC).
The association emerged during the expansion of salmon farming after the 1970s when firms from Norway and entrepreneurs from Chiloé and Puerto Montt established marine cages influenced by technology from Marine Harvest and Cermaq. Early interactions involved the Comisión Nacional de Medio Ambiente and legal frameworks such as the Código de Aguas (Chile) and later amendments to the Ley General de Pesca y Acuicultura. In the 1990s consolidation mirrored mergers by companies like Salmones Camanchaca, Austral Group, and Blumar, while crises such as the infectious salmon anemia outbreaks and mortalities prompted reforms tied to institutions including the Servicio Nacional de Pesca and the Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente.
The association's membership historically comprises large vertically integrated firms and smaller regional producers including entities associated with families from Chiloé and corporations from Santiago. Governance typically features a board drawn from executives linked to companies like AquaChile, Salmones Multiexport, and international investors from Norwegian Ocean Industries. Secretariat functions coordinate with agencies such as the Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo, research partners like the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero, and certification bodies including GlobalGAP and Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Legal representation interacts with courts including the Corte Suprema de Chile when disputes arise over concessions and permits.
The association conducts policy advocacy before legislative bodies like the Congreso Nacional de Chile and regulatory agencies such as the Subsecretaría de Pesca y Acuicultura, provides technical guidance drawing on studies from the Universidad de Concepción and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and organizes trade missions to markets including Japan, United States, and the European Union. It engages in public relations with media outlets such as El Mercurio and La Tercera, offers training aligned with standards from ISO frameworks and collaborates on contingency plans with emergency bodies like the Onemi. Additionally, it participates in certification schemes run by organizations such as Friends of the Sea and coordinates supply-chain logistics with ports like Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas.
Salmon farming represented by the association is a major export sector interacting with the Banco Central de Chile and contributing to regional employment in Los Lagos Region, Aysén Region, and communities in Chiloé Island. The industry links to processing plants owned by firms tied to the Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago and affects ancillary sectors including feed suppliers from Skretting and transport firms operating through terminals like Puerto Varas and Puerto Aysén. Social effects include demographic shifts recorded by the Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Chile), labor disputes involving unions such as those affiliated with the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores and public health concerns addressed by the Ministerio de Salud. Economic analyses reference trade data from the Comisión de Comercio Internacional and bilateral agreements like those between Chile and the European Union or China.
Regulatory frameworks intersect with laws such as the Ley de Bases del Medio Ambiente and instruments enforced by the Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente and the Servicio Nacional de Pesca. Environmental management plans rely on science from institutions including the Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica and protocols for disease control influenced by international bodies like the World Organisation for Animal Health. The association engages with permitting processes involving the Dirección General de Aguas and environmental impact assessments under the Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental. Compliance includes coordination with certification schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council and audits by firms associated with Bureau Veritas and DNV GL.
Critiques target industry practices over events such as large-scale mortality incidents linked to pathogens like Piscine orthoreovirus and environmental impacts in fjords reported by researchers at the Universidad de Chile and NGOs including Greenpeace and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Legal challenges have arisen in courts such as the Tribunal Ambiental over concessions and benthic impacts monitored by the Centro de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes. Labor controversies include disputes with unions represented by the Sindicato de Trabajadores and allegations discussed in national outlets like Radio Bio-Bío. International scrutiny involves buyers and retailers in markets such as Tesco, Carrefour, and Walmart applying sourcing policies influenced by campaigns from The Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF.