Christian Molinari

Christian Molinari

Contributing Editor

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
April 18, 2024
Santiago, Chile-based fishing and salmon-farming firm Blumar has signed a USD 260 million (EUR 244 million) sustainability-linked loan. The syndicated loan – led by Rabobank and with the participation of banks DNB, Santander, and BCI – establishes sustainability goals for 2030 along four main pillars. Blumar will benefit from lower interest rates as long as it complies with the objectives of the pillars, but will have to pay penalties if it… Read More
Published on
April 15, 2024

A Chilean court of appeals has confirmed salmon farmer Nova Austral must pay a fine of CLP 1.02 billion (USD 1.06 million, EUR 992,000) for environmental infractions.

In July 2022, Chilean environmental agency SMA imposed the fine after it found Nova Austral artificially altered the seabed at its Aracena 14 salmon farm near the city of Punta Arenas. Nova Austal appealed the fine to Chile's Third Environmental Court, which ruled in its favor, but

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Published on
April 15, 2024

An association of salmon farmers in Chile’s southern region of Magallanes has alleged impropriety against Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.-based nonprofit The Pew Charitable Trusts, claiming the nonprofit’s efforts to help formulate a conservation management plan within southern Chile’s Kawésqar National Reserve represent a conflict of interest.

The salmon-farming association has accused Pew of providing financing that


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Published on
April 12, 2024

Peru’s Production Ministry (PRODUCE) has announced it will open the North-Central zone of its anchovy fishery on 16 April, establishing a quota of 2.475 million metric tons (MT) for the first fishing season of 2024.

The total allowable catch (TAC) is significantly higher than the North-Central zone’s two seasons in 2023.

In January 2024, PRODUCE closed the country’s second anchovy season early owing to the effects of El

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Published on
April 11, 2024

On 15 February, the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry suspended all tilapia imports from Vietnam, pending a review of current health protocols and concern over introduction of the TiLV virus into its domestic aquaculture industry.

Brazil Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Minister Carlos Fávaro and Brazil Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) Minister André de Paulta jointly announced that tilapia imports from Vietnam would be suspended

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Published on
April 10, 2024

A United Nations special rapporteur has recommended that Chile halt further salmon aquaculture expansion pending an independent scientific review of the industry’s adverse environmental impacts.

Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur David Boyd visited Chile from 3 to 12 May 2023 to examine whether Chile has ensured its citizens a right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, to identify best practices, and to investigate the

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Published on
April 2, 2024

Santiago, Chile-based seafood firm Camanchaca plans to purchase the remaining 30 percent of share capital it did not already own in subsidiary Camanchaca Pesca Sur, the company reported to Chile’s securities regulator CMF.

Two investment banks were commissioned to determine the full value of the subsidiary, and its average valuation ended up approaching USD 291 million (EUR 270 million), which meant minority owner Grupo Bio Bio’s 30

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Published on
April 1, 2024

Due to an over 50 percent jump in cost of sales year over year, Puerto Montt, Chile-based salmon producer Multi X posted net losses of USD 6.3 million (EUR 5.8 million) for FY2023 after posting a net profit of USD 65.4 million (EUR 60.7 million) in 2022.

For the year, total company revenues reached USD 877.6 million (EUR 814.6 million), marking a 36.5 percent boost in top-line revenues over the USD 643 million (EUR 597 million) it reached 2022.

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