El Ciudadano
Original article: Continúa récord mundial de trabajadores muertos en la industria salmonera chilena: Nueva tragedia enluta a la Patagonia aysenina
Record Death Toll for Workers in 2026 Continues
Cover image: diarioregionalaysen.cl / Published on Ecoceanos.cl
Ecoceanos reported on a recent work-related death of a diver, raising the total to ten fatalities in the Chilean salmon farming industry within the first seven months of 2026.
According to the report, Damián Cristófer García Álvarez, a 27-year-old intermediate diver with a background in artisanal fishing, died on July 2 while performing underwater tasks at a farming facility located in the Bután estuary, 50 miles southwest of Puerto Aguirre in the Aysén Region of Chilean Patagonia. Ecoceanos stated that the worker was subcontracted by Tridente Servicios Acuícolas, a provider of maintenance and net cleaning services for Mowi Chile in the area.
«This tragic incident occurred just 27 days after the death of fellow diver Víctor Guerrero Barría, 39, who passed away on June 5 in the Serrano Island area southeast of Melinka, Guaitecas County, Aysén Region. Like García, Víctor was also subcontracted by Tridente Servicios Acuícolas, which at that time was working for AquaChile, part of the Chilean conglomerate AgroSuper S.A,» Ecoceanos reported.
In that incident, the worker was lost from the sight of his supervisor for 20 minutes before being found at a depth of 37 meters, retrieved by an emergency diver.
The Empty Condolences of Chilean Necro Salmoniculture
Ecoceanos highlights that following Damián Cristófer García’s death, the subcontractor Tridente Servicios Acuícolas stated to Mundo Acuícola that, «out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, we will not provide further details while those are reviewed by the relevant authorities.»
Meanwhile, the parent company Mowi expressed to Salmonexpert, «We deeply regret the passing of the worker from contractor El Tridente, which occurred on Thursday during diving operations at a farming center located in the Aysén Region. As a company, we extend our sincerest condolences to his family, loved ones, and colleagues.»
Precarious Worker Subcontracting is the Rule, Not the Exception
On its website, Tridente Servicios Acuícolas claims to specialize in professional diving, robotics, and services for hostile environments within the salmon industry.
According to Juan Carlos Cárdenas, director of the Ecoceanos Center, «This recent fatal diving accident highlights that subcontracting young divers from artisanal fishing backgrounds to perform high-risk activities in transnational salmon companies is common practice due to lower costs and the high disposability of this labor force.»
Ecoceanos: The Lucrative Expansion of Chile’s Export Salmon Industry is Built on the Blood of Precarious Workers
«The fact that the export salmon industry in Chile has recorded an average of 1.5 worker fatalities per month in the first half of 2026 confirms the allegations we, along with Fundación Libera, presented to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the precarious labor conditions and alarming safety indicators prevalent in this industry. This sector is the primary supplier to the demanding U.S. market, which accounts for 40% of its production,» stated the Ecoceanos Center director.
These claims are supported by records from the General Directorate of the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (Directemar), an agency under the Chilean Navy, which reports over 270 diving accidents in salmon farming facilities between 2004 and 2026, of which 49 resulted in fatalities.
La entrada Chilean Salmon Farming Industry Faces Record Death Toll: Another Tragedy Strikes Patagonia se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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