The Ecoceanos Centre delivered a preliminary report on labor mortality in the Chilean-based salmonid export mega-industry, noting that during 2021 14 workers died in the farming centers, processing plants industrial and shipping transport, due to the prevailing precarious working conditions, high levels of subcontracting and temporary contracts, in a context of surprising lack of government controls.
The main affected were divers from farming centers (42%), workers at processing plants and fish farming (42%), and ship crews (16%).
Continuing with almost a decade of increasing accident rates and mortalities of workers in the mega-industry that grows salmonids destined for export, the average of one dead worker per month is maintained, whose ages fluctuated between 19 and 63 years.
In the middle of the process of a new territorial and productive expansion of this industry in Chilean waters, occupational mortalities are concentrated in 50% in the Los Lagos region (Chiloe archipelago), 44% in Aysen, and 0.6% of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica. Occupational fatalities were concentrated between January and April (42%) and December (28%).
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Bloody Chilean Patagonia: 14 salmon industry workers and divers died in 2021