Policy – July 10, 2026
Salmon theft: video exposes alleged black market processing operation
A disturbing video appears to show rotten salmon being painted with chemical dyes and blow-dried before being sold on Chile's black market.
The 17-second clip, released by regional newspaper El Llanquihue, shows two people applying dye to salmon fillets before drying them with a hairdryer in an apparent attempt to disguise decomposition.
The newspaper reported the fish came from farm mortalities and stolen salmon processed at clandestine facilities between Puerto Montt and Calbuco in southern Chile.
Former Chilean police prefect Andrés Canelo said salmon theft had evolved into organised crime, with so-called "salmon pirates" operating sophisticated networks covering theft, storage and distribution.
Chile's Ministry of Health warned that salmon from mortality events poses a serious health risk because fish that die from disease or oxygen depletion decompose rapidly.
The country's Salmon Council condemned the footage as "extremely serious" and said it would support legal action against those responsible if required.
