Christian Molinari

Christian Molinari

Contributing Editor reporting from Santiago, Chile

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

Published on
October 20, 2022

The Ecuadorian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) have signed an agreement that looks to halt the conversion of natural habitat to accommodate shrimp farming in the country.

The agreement marks the first national commitment for conversion-free aquaculture from any country in the world, according to the two entities. Under this arrangement, Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based

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Published on
October 18, 2022

Sweden-based private equity firm Altor has purchased U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital’s stake in the struggling Punta Arenas, Chile-based salmon farmer, Nova Austral.

“Altor Fund III GP Limited has today signed and closed the acquisition of Bain Capital’s stake in Nova Austral SA through the parent company Albain Holdco,” Altor said in a brief statement sent to the Oslo Børs. It did not reveal the price it

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Published on
October 14, 2022

Punta Arenas, Chile-based salmon farmer Nova Austral, facing scrutiny from environmental regulators over past practices, is also having to deal with another issue: lack of cash.

In response, bond provider Nordic Trustee said Nova Austral has approached it and its bondholders for help with obtaining additional funding ... 

Photo courtesy of Nova

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Published on
October 7, 2022

Salmones Aysén is facing a fine of up to CLP 10.8 billion (USD 11.5 million, EUR 11.7 million) for a September 2019 fish escape Chile’s Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) said was caused by the company's negligence.

SMA filed charges against Salmones Aysén for "noncompliance with the conditions, norms, and measures established in its environmental permit" in regard to a September 2019 fish escape at its

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Published on
October 5, 2022

A Chilean engineering firm is hoping to break through market barriers using a barrier of its own – specifically, a microbubble barrier solution for marine environments, including for salmon farms.

The firm, Low O2, offers diagnostic services and tailored solutions employing microbubble barriers, upwelling technologies, and other aeration systems which help to protect marine environments. Low O2 CEO Luis Sepulveda told SeafoodSource the

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Published on
October 4, 2022

Santiago, Chile-based FoodCorp, a supplier of seafood including fishmeal and fish oil, canned and frozen fish, and giant squid for direct and indirect human consumption, has become the first pelagic fish producer in the world to validate the traceability of the raw material it uses in fishmeal production via ORIVO’s laboratory.

Founded in 2014, Molde, Norway-based aquaculture feed ingredients laboratory ORIVO serves as an independent

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Published on
October 4, 2022

Chile’s salmon industry is once again on the defensive against a documentary as a new Greenpeace production has launched calling for an end to salmon farming in the Kawésqar National Reserve.

Greenpeace Chile launched the documentary, “Por Aquí No” (“Not Here”), on 28 September in theaters, with a T.V. debut on 6 October on the History Channel. The new documentary stars well-known local actors

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Published on
September 22, 2022

Chile’s Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) has opened a new sanctioning process against Australis Mar for exceeding the authorized production limits at one of its grow-out centers – the seventh such action taken by the environmental watchdog against the salmon-farming firm.

Australis Mar is a division of Puerto Varas, Chile-based Australis Seafoods, which was acquired in 2018 by Chinese foodservice giant Joyvio, a

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Published on
September 16, 2022

The Peruvian Chamber for Jumbo Flying Squid (Capecal) has signed an inter-institutional agreement with the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe) for the promotion and sustainable development of the country’s jumbo squid fishery, while also promoting research of the species via the participation of artisanal fishers.

Peru is responsible for about 500,000 metric tons (MT) a year of the total 900,000 MT jumbo squid landed from the Pacific Ocean and

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Published on
September 14, 2022
Due to sanctions applied by SMA, Chile’s environmental authority, Nova Austral said it now estimates it will stock between 4.5 and 5.5 million salmon smolts this year, down from its previous projection of between 6.5 million and 7.5 million smolts. In July 2022, SMA accused Nova Austral of overproduction between 2015 to 2017 at three salmon grow-out centers in the Alberto de Agostini National Park. In response, it moved to revoke the… Read More