The Provincial Legislature of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina unanimously approved a bill that bans salmon farming in marine cages.

Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost province of Argentina, is the only viable location in Argentina for this type of salmon farming, therefore, the vote effectively positioned Argentina as the first country to ban this intensive and environmentally destructive industry.

Salmon farming has attracted criticism for its impact on the planet and animal welfare. Fish farms spread parasites like sea lice to each other but also wild fish. To combat this, farmers use antibiotics. However, these then enter the surrounding waters, contributing to antibiotic resistance in both marine life and the people consuming them.

“There is no right way to do the wrong thing,” Estefanía González of Greenpeace commented. “Salmons are an exotic species in the seas of Argentina and Chile, they are not a species that is present naturally.”

“Therefore the amount of chemicals and antibiotics that are needed for their production and the impact they generate on the ecosystem makes it is practically impossible for this activity to be carried out without environmental consequences.”

Source: Plant Based News

https://plantbasednews.org/news/environment/argentina-ban-salmon-farming/