South American media coverage intensifies over Falklands salmon farming proposal.
Plans to establish large-scale salmon farming operations off the coast of the Falkland Islands are attracting growing media attention in Argentina, where the issue is being framed as both an environmental threat and a sovereignty concern.
In a report published on 15 May, Argentine outlet Canal 12 warned that “Patagonia is on alert” over the proposal, highlighting anxieties about potential ecological impacts across the wider South Atlantic. The Falkland Islands Government is currently preparing a public consultation on the project, to run from 30 June to 24 August.
Unity Marine, a company backed by Danish and local investors, is proposing to develop eight floating cage sites, initially targeting 50,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon annually, with the potential to scale up to 200,000 tonnes.
Plans for 50,000 ton salmon venture under review in the Falklands
Argentine media coverage has linked the project to concerns over cross-border environmental effects. Canal 12 noted that salmon farming is banned in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province due to what it described as “high environmental risk.” The article cited potential risks such as waste accumulation, chemical discharge, and escapes of non-native salmon.
Environmental activist Catalina Cendoya, quoted in Canal 12, compared the farms to “feedlots in the water,” warning of “dead zones” and ecological imbalance.
The story follows previous coverage by outlets including Prensa Obrera and Escenario Mundial, which have criticised the project in even stronger terms — with Prensa Obrera describing it as “imperialist plunder.”
The coverage reflects longstanding sensitivities in Argentina over activity in the Falkland Islands — referred to locally as the Malvinas — which remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute with the UK. The intensifying tone of media reports suggests the salmon farming proposal may continue to attract political and environmental scrutiny in the region.