A native of San Francisco, Christian Molinari has lived and worked in Chile for over 20 years, after having arrived in Santiago as a volunteer and falling in love with the culture and its people. He covered business news in Latin America for over a decade, worked in communications at IBM Chile, and currently freelances in strategic communications and reporting.
Author Archive
Verlasso – Chilean salmon-farming firm AquaChile’s ultra-premium brand of salmon – will look to expand its sales by about 50 percent this year, having identified significant growth opportunities outside its traditional main market of the U.S.
“Verlasso has existed for about 15 years or so, and from 2020 to 2022, about 98 percent of Verlasso products were sold in the U.S. That came down to 90 percent in 2024, and this
… Read More
Following up on a positive 2024, Chilean fishing and salmon-farming firm Camanchaca saw its profits jump 95 percent year over year during the first quarter of 2025, largely thanks to higher sales of frozen horse mackerel coupled with lower costs of operation in its salmon-farming division.
In the three-month period, the company’s top-line revenues inched up 1.4 percent to USD 218 million (EUR 193 million) from the USD 215 million (EUR 190
… Read More
Miami, Florida, U.S.A.-headquartered salmon-farming firm Verlasso is not just trying to offer consumers premium salmon; they’re trying to offer an entire experience for their buyers through sustainability initiatives, immersive marketing campaigns, personal partnerships, and more.
“For nearly 15 years, Verlasso has been delivering premium salmon to the most discerning customers across the U.S. Our commitment to excellence is rooted
… Read More
The latest lawsuit filed by Chilean billionaire and former Australis owner Isidoro Quiroga against Chinese seafood firm Joyvio, which currently owns Chilean salmon-farming firm Australis, is accusing the company of employing threats, witness tampering, and false statements in its legal action against Quiroga.
Joyvio purchased Australis from Quiroga in 2018 for USD 921 million (EUR 808 million). Following the sale, Joyvio alleged Quiroga engaged
… Read More
Some South American nations like Peru have instituted measures to crack down against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, but fleets with histories of illegal fishing have simply moved south to Chile to have their vessels serviced.
Last year, Peru’s Production Ministry issued an emergency decree which sought to strengthen the country’s fight against IUU fishing by restricting foreign vessels in Peruvian waters. The
… Read More
Chilean fishing and salmon-farming firm Blumar has decided to halt a USD 30 million (EUR 26.8 million) investment in a frozen food plant in the central Chilean city of Coronel as it waits to see how national legislation regarding industrial fishing quotas plays out.
The plant project – which had already had received required permitting – “was scheduled to be passed by [Blumar’s] board of directors and approved during 2025
… Read More
Chilean fishing company PacificBlu has announced it will shutter its operations as of 1 January 2026 after the Chilean government determined to lower the industrial fishing quota of hake in a new fishing bill.
The bill advancing in Chilean congress proposes to lower total quotas for industrial fishing in favor of artisanal fishers.
Under the bill, the quota for hake would be lowered to 48 percent from the current 60 percent for industrial
… Read More
The Chilean Congress is advancing a bill that proposes to redistribute catch quotas between the artisanal and industrial fishing sectors in the country, aiming to correct what the government considers an historical error.
However, the bill has drawn heavy fishing industry backlash and, for many, has only created more questions than answers.
The existing Chilean fishing law, enacted in 2013 and set to last until 2032, handed control of the vast
… Read More
