New INCAR² Policy Brief Explores Salmon Farm Relocation as a Tool for Sustainability

The INCAR² Center for Applied Research has published a new policy brief examining how the relocation of salmon farming sites could help address environmental and fish health challenges facing Chile’s aquaculture sector.

The report, “Implementing Relocations as a Tool to Improve the Sustainability of Salmon Farming,” was authored by INCAR² researchers Dr. Jessica Fuentes and Dr. Doris Soto.

Relocation allows salmon farms to move, within the same region, to sites offering more suitable environmental and production conditions. The policy brief examines different relocation mechanisms and their potential to reduce environmental and health risks, particularly in sensitive or higher-risk areas.

Science-Based Marine Spatial Planning

The report reviews the evolution of Chile’s regulatory framework governing the use of coastal space by salmon aquaculture and identifies barriers and opportunities for implementing relocation policies. It also highlights challenges associated with regulations such as the ECMPO and SBAP laws, which require coordination among different uses, interests and conservation objectives in coastal areas.

According to the authors, effective relocation will require more than regulatory changes. Key priorities include stronger environmental monitoring, improved territorial governance, science-based management and greater coordination among public institutions.

The policy brief argues that better spatial planning could become an important component of a broader strategy to make salmon farming more sustainable, allowing production to be located in areas with conditions better suited to aquaculture while reducing pressure on environmentally sensitive zones.

Ultimately, the report positions relocation as a science-informed management tool rather than simply an administrative process, requiring environmental evidence, institutional coordination and dialogue among stakeholders to balance aquaculture development with ecosystem protection.

Read INCAR² Policy Brief No. 22:
https://incar2.cl/api/document-files/file/Policy-Brief22-INCAR2.pdf