Assignment for The New York Times in Chiloe Island and Patagonia, Chile 2023.
Close-up of a cage inside a salmon farming center in Chinquihue, Puerto Montt. The cages are usually about 40 x 40 meters, and there are up to 14 cages per center.
Dozens of salmon pontoons in the vicinity of Puerto Montt, the capital of salmon farming in southern Chile.
Local fishermen sell salmon in the vicinity of the Angelmo Market in Puerto Montt. There is no certainty as to whether the salmon come from fish farming companies or if they are escapees caught in the sea.
This set of islands and sea nooks make up the protected area of “Las Guaitecas Forest Reserve,” which safeguards islands and accommodates hundreds of salmon farming centers in remote corners of its bays and channels.
In the image, you can see the transfer of cages from a salmon farming center.
Dawn in Castro, the capital of Chiloe Island.
Hundreds of “Maxi Bags” with salmon feed wait to be dispatched along the Chilean southern coast. It is common to see these same bags as trash on different beaches in Chiloe and channels south of Puerto Montt. Chinquihue, Puerto Montt, Chile.
Bag called “maxi-sacos,” which originally contains salmon feed, is frequently found as trash on beaches in Chiloe and the vicinity of Puerto Montt. Surroundings, Puerto Montt, Chile.
Salmon farming center in Chonchi, Chiloé Island, Chile.
Remains of fish found in the surroundings of Puerto Montt. Illegally marketed salmon lacks proper waste management after being processed, so they are discarded in vacant sites near Puerto Montt.
Salmon farming center in the Rilan area, Chiloé Island, Chile.
In the background, you can appreciate the characteristic rural land use planning of Chiloé.
Chiloé island rural landscape. Rilan sector, where a salmon farm opperates.
Hoses that suction fish from salmon farming centers in the sea to processing plants on land. Chinquihue, Puerto Montt, Chile.
Salmon at a stall in the tourist market of Angelmó in Puerto Montt, where besides on-site sales, they are distributed by buses to restaurants all over Chile.
Aerial view of the Magallanes fjords and the protected waters of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park in Chilean Patagonia.
Leticia Caro (right) along with her son José Yuras and friends, collect reeds in the same places where their Kawésqar ancestors did for generations. Near the San Isidro Lighthouse, Punta Arenas, Chile.
Site with garbage and remains of salmon farms in a rural area of Chile. Chiloé Island, Chile
Advertisement for salmon feed along the road from Ancud to Castro on Chiloé Island. It is common to see a strong advertising presence related to salmon farming in airports and roads of the region.
Salmon at a stall in the tourist market of Angelmó in Puerto Montt, where besides on-site sales, they are distributed by buses to restaurants all over Chile.
