Policy – May 19, 2026
SalmonChile: new regulation clears path for seaweed at salmon farms
SalmonChile welcomed a new regulatory change from Chile’s Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) that will allow salmon farming concession holders to add macroalgae cultivation to existing sites through a simplified process.
Under the revised framework, operators will no longer be required to modify their existing technical project approvals in order to introduce macroalgae cultivation alongside salmon production, according to Chilean aquaculture publication Aqua.
SalmonChile said the change represents a significant step toward the implementation of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) in Chile.
Until now, salmon producers faced administrative uncertainty over whether the addition of algae cultivation constituted a substantial modification to authorised farming systems, limiting wider adoption of complementary cultivation practices.
According to Subpesca Technical Report (D.AC.) No. 219 of 2026, the decision is based on the classification of macroalgae cultivation as a low-intensity extensive production system. The authority said macroalgae cultivation does not require external feed inputs and instead utilises dissolved nutrients in the water column, generating limited waste output.
Subpesca also cited scientific evidence supporting environmental benefits linked to macroalgae cultivation, including nitrogen and phosphorus absorption, carbon dioxide capture and oxygen release.
The authority further noted that macroalgae structures can provide habitat, refuge and nursery areas for marine species, contributing to associated biodiversity, particularly on the seabed.
Alexander Jaramillo, Health and Food Safety Coordinator at Intesal, said the regulatory simplification could strengthen environmental synergies around salmon farming sites and support ecological benefits such as carbon capture and seabed protection.
Subpesca said it will amend Resolution No. 1089 of 2021 under a precautionary framework, permanently allowing integrated or alternating macroalgae cultivation as a complementary activity aimed at mitigating climate change impacts and improving the environmental sustainability of Chilean aquaculture.
