Christian Molinari

The new Chilean government led by President José Antonio Kast, who took office on 11 March, has already reversed course on several actions and strategies taken by his predecessor, Gabriel Boric, regarding environmental controls, the fishing sector, and the salmon-farming industry. One of the first moves Kast made upon assuming the presidency included steps to withdraw environmental measures that had been introduced by the previous government,… Read More

Ecuadorian shrimp sales have yet to be directly affected by the U.S. war with Iran, but the conflict’s knock-on effects on global logistics are exerting significant pressure on the sector, according to John Alarcon, a shrimp consultant and founding member of the Global Shrimp Council. “Ecuador doesn’t send a lot of goods directly to the Middle East, but it is very much a part of global logistics networks, so the [war’s] effect is… Read More

A series of harmful algal bloom events that have occurred in Chile’s south has led the country’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) to hold meetings with aquaculture representatives to determine how best to respond. The algal species Heterosigma akashiwo has been observed in Chilean waters since March, mainly affecting salmon operations set up in the Reloncaví Sound, which is located in the Los Lagos region of Southern… Read More

Marking its introduction into the Ecuadorian market, Indian feed producer and shrimp-farming firm Avanti Feeds has invested USD 3 million (EUR 2.6 million) in Thai Union Feedmill Ecuador, securing a 10 percent stake in the firm, Avanti announced in a statement to the National Stock Exchange of India. The move will make Thai Union Feedmill Ecuador an associate company and joint venture partner of Avanti Feeds and comes shortly after Thai Union… Read More

Chilean salmon-farming firm Multi X closed the fourth quarter of 2025 with record revenues and harvest volumes, but non-operating results dragged on its bottom line. During the closing quarter of 2025, the company harvested a record 37,500 metric tons (MT) whole fish equivalent (WFE), with average harvest weights reaching 5.6 kilograms, which was also a quarterly high. Multi X’s top-line revenues totaled USD 247 million (EUR 213 million),… Read More

Coming off of record shrimp exports of USD 7.47 billion (EUR 6.3 billion) last year, Ecuador’s shrimp farming sector will seek to continue servicing its main markets while also looking to expand in key markets such as Japan, National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) Executive President José Antonio Camposano told SeafoodSource. Ecuador exported a total 3.07 billion pounds of shrimp last year, a 15.1 percent year over year increase. Of those, 41.8… Read More

Chilean salmon-farming firm AquaChile has announced it will begin to incorporate renewable liquefied natural gas (BioLNG) as fuel in the trucks that transport the firm’s products. The project represents the next step in an initiative the firm has undergone with local transport firm Transportes GLA and logistics firm Lipigas, in which the three firms have aimed to incorporate lower-emission transport. The partners began operating a new fleet of… Read More

Peru’s Production Ministry (PRODUCE) has authorized the start of the first fishing season in 2026 for Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) and white anchovy (Anchoa nasus) in the nation’s North-Central fishing zone. The authority established a total allowable catch (TAC) of 1.9 million metric tons (MT) for the season, representing a more than 1 million MT drop from the 3 million-MT TAC set for the same season last year. PRODUCE based its… Read More

Arturo Clément recently stepped down as president of Chilean salmon industry association SalmonChile after having led the association since 2018. Looking back on his time at the helm of the organization, the transformation of the industry and its relationship with communities located in Southern Chile has been one of the areas that makes Clément most proud. “When I took office, salmon farming faced significant challenges in its relationship… Read More

Chilean lawmakers and salmon-farming stakeholders have expressed ire over an exposé released on Chilean television that focused on possible undue Norwegian influence on the South American nation’s aquaculture sector. The report, titled “Salmon: Cooperation on the surface, war underwater” that recently aired on Chile’s national television station TVN, asserted that a Norwegian government-financed NGO, Norwegian People’s Aid, is paying… Read More