"Chilean environmental court nixes Nova Austral's plans to transfer farming sites", 12 January 2023

...Chile’s Third Environmental Court in Valdivia ordered Nova Austral to put its plan to transfer some of its farming sites from the Alberto de Agostini National Park to part of the Kawésqar National Reserve – both of which are located in the southernmost region of Magallanes – on hold.

The company’s plans included two projects that would agglomerate its existing operations. The first project, Clarence 6, would merge Nova Austral’s existing Aracena 8 site with part of its Escondida site and relocate it to the Seno Dineley sector, located on Clarence Island in the Kawésqar National Reserve...

The move would is part of the company’s voluntary plan, dating from 2019, formed as the result of a deal with the Chilean government to relocate 26 concessions inside the park’s boundaries to other locations in the Magallanes region...

...[L]ocal communities and environmental organizations have pushed the Chilean government to rule that salmon farming is not compatible with the conservation objectives of national parks, including the Kawésqar Reserve.

The latest court ruling appears to support this position. In its judgment, the judges overhearing the case said it is not possible to ensure the projects’ compatibility with environmental protection of the Kawésqar National Reserve, as the impacts on the protected area are still unknown. The court also found that the proposed projects’ navigation and vessel transit routes have the potential to negatively impact marine fauna, tourism, and natural scenery in the park... 

Nova Austral did not respond to requests from SeafoodSource for comment...